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Thanks very much for your reply Daff - this is what I wanted to hear! My John Bennett has proved very elusive so any evidence that I just might have found my man in 1851 is great!

Julie

Can anyone help me with what is probably a very dumb question.

Is it possible that someone pensioned out of the army - at potentially a relatively young age ie @30 - would then be able to take up subsequent employment eg with Customs as a Locker?

I have "lost" my ggg grandfather in 1851 census. Easily found in 1841 where he is living with wife Maria and son James in Bermondsey. Occupation is given as Locker - which ties in with other information I have. I have also discovered that it is likely that he lived until at least 1853 and possibly 1860 - so should be somewhere in 1851!

I have found only one lead in 1851. A John Bennett with wife Maria (and also now daughter Ann and illegitimate son - which also fits with known facts) living in Kingston upon Thames in 1851. Ages are approximately right also. I don't know birthplace of John  or Maria yet so no confirmation here - but Ann is shown as being born in Middlesex - and that is correct.

However, John's occupation is given as Chelsea Pensioner. Could he now be a "double" pensioner - having been pensioned out of the army and then joining/being pensioned from the customs service. Or would any pension from the Army be based on a disability that would prevent him from doing any other (presumably physical?) work.

Does anyone have any thoughts - this is a completely new area for me - no military connections at all until - potentially - now!

Many thanks in advance

Julie

 

Does anyone know where this was?  Was stated as the birthplace of one James Douglas Bennett in c1817 . If James Douglas is who I think he might be then I suspect that it is in East London somewhere (get a bit confused but I think this was once classified as Middlesex)

I know that there used to be an Artillery Ground in the Spitalfields area -  but does anyone know for sure?

Thanks in advance for any help you can give

Julie

Thanks Jennifer - hadn't thought of that. Will give it a go!

Julie

I'd be grateful if anyone with local knowledge can tell me whether Wesham Park Hospital, Blackpool (now demolished I understand) was a general hospital back in the 1950s or whether it had a specialist use?.

Many thanks in advance for your help

Julie