Military Mastermind Please

[Dale]

Kia Ora

I have FREDERICK WILLIAM FAIRY bap. Connington Hunts 18 Feb 1851.
He is on the 1851 & 1861 censii with parents at Connington as one would expect.

According to family legend he was conscripted into the Army at age 14 (c 1865) served 2 years in India and deserted in 1867.

He next appears as an immigrant to Queensland Australia arriving July 1872. The rest of his life is known or traceable.

Can anyone tell me anything about Army recruitment/conscription in Huntingdonshire about this time?  Would he have been conscripted at such a young age? To what regiment ?  What happened to deserters particularly if they were located somewhere like India?

Where might I seek papers? I am particularly curious as 2 of Frederick's first cousins also apparently went to India, where one is rumoured to have died.

Grateful for any clues!
Marlene

[g a r]

Hi Marlene,

liverpool annie set me off to FIBIS (Families In British India Society) and I plunked in Fairey and voila

http://www.search.fibis.org/frontis/bin/aps_detail.php?id=169321

there is one - don't know if he's one of yours but check it out.

and a couple more
http://www.search.fibis.org/frontis/bin/simplesearchsummarycat.php?s_id=169&sn=Farry&fn=&f=&to=&t=&c=&tn=2

[liverpool annie]

I'm so proud of you Gar !! 

If he was that young ... it's possible he signed up under an alias  .... not finding anything .... but I'll keep looking .... by the way ..... do you have this already Marlene ? is this one of yours ??

Will of Thomas Fairy of Covington  Huntingdonshire
Date - 12 September 1850
Catalogue reference - PROB 11/2119
Dept - Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury
Series - Prerogative Court of Canterbury and related Probate Jurisdictions: Will Registers
Piece - Volume number: 14 Quire numbers: 651-700

http://www.rootschat.com/links/020r/

[Dale]

Kia Ora Gar & Annie
My goodness! ANOTHER William! I have 5 generations of Willys in my direct line and 22 others in branches- now who married Augusta>>
Thanks for that site! Thomas of Covington also had a brother William but I haven't connected that line at all.

I definitely have John Fairy born 1850 in Upwood go to India & I have his papers - enlisted 1868 went to Ireland and returned to England, marrried in B'ham and was in India in 1882. He was with the Warks Regiment.

His brother James Fairy born 1853 Pailton is rumoured to have died in India I can find not trace of him after 1861 but have a photo in military uniform about 1869/70 taken in Norwich. NOTE the spelling is consistently Fairy.

Frederick William Fairy was their 1st cousin as discussed below.

Would there be lists of
1. deserters?
2. killed or missing in action?
Thanks for your help
Marlene