Soldier with his child in barracks?

[heywood]

There is a Reynolds newspaper advert in October 1888 from Samuel looking for news of his father.
Briefly, it states that Thomas is believed to have been discharged in Aldershot or Chatham 1871 -1874.
Samuel states that he thinks his (Samuel's) mother was Margaret and that he was adopted by another soldier in 1867, India. This now we know isn't quite right.
It's a sad situation.

[Dub21]

Thanks very much to whiteout7 and km1971 for the extra information.  Yes, I wasn't sure of the spelling of Brittania.  She seems to have also gone by her other name of Charity.  So far, I haven't have a lot of success with the muster rolls.  Thomas, the soldier, was an Irishman, who I believe came from County Westmeath.  His father, also Thomas, was born in 1805.  His mother, Bridget Keenahan, born 1809, had two other children, Catherine and Mary.

And thanks to Heywood.  As you said, both my grandfather, George Geary, and his older brother Thomas had Haywood as their middle name.  There had been a story in the family that their father had been brought to England from Ireland and adopted by an army officer named Haywood.  Although they continued to use 'Geary' they had incorporated the Haywood name.  But Samuel didn't stay with the Haywoods, if they did adopt him.  For whatever reason, he left them and, as an adult, lived in relative poverty in Leicester.  It is indeed a sad story.  I'd be really interested to know if there is a way to see that advertisement on line.

[heywood]

The newspaper advert is on Find My Past newspapers.

[gortonboy]

His discharge is on findmypast. I cannot access it tonight,,but from memory I believe he was discharged in 1873 after serving 20 years,,,but was discharged with ignomy,,meaning he committed some serious offence?

[Kittracat]

Hello all recent commentators.
I have only just found out this discussion has relaunched and so thought I would offer more information iro Britannia Charity Thornton. She is my 4th great aunt, sister to my 3rd Great Grandmother Lucy Thornton.

Britannia was born in 1841 Prittlewell, Essex to a tinker Jonathan Thornton (1801 - 1851) and his wife Ann. Her known siblings were Lucy (1832 - 1873) and Lafkin (1829 - 1841).  She was living in 1851 with her widowed mother in East St, Prittlewell, Essex. In 1864 she married the Irish soldier Thomas Geary at Colchester, where he was barracked as a private in the 82nd Regt. Sadly, Britannia suffered from depression and did not like her life in the barracks, not getting on with the other wives. She implored her husband to get posted to India. However, on 31 March 1866, after an argument with another soldier's wife, she took rat poison in a half-hearted suicide attempt but immediately regretted doing so. Sadly, the doctor who was called could not save her and she died, leaving her only child Samuel Thomas Geary and a distraught husband.  I found the coroner's inquest report in a newspaper archive.

I daresay her widowed husband never fully recovered from the shock of what she had done and this may have influenced his later conduct if he did indeed leave the army. I have struggled to find him after 1871 only his son from 1884 when he married in Leicestershire.

[Dub21]

Hello Kittracat.  Thank you for that link.  I traced the article and read the full transcript.  Sad but fascinating to read what was actually said.  It would certainly be comforting to think that the reason for Thomas Geary giving up his child and for his later ignominious discharge from the regiment was due to his grief as a result of his wife's suicide.  I'm unclear as to whether he ever did go to India and whether Samuel was taken care of by another soldier's wife there.  I've also tried to trace Thomas after he left the army, but with no success.  I wonder whether Samuel had any more luck with his newspaper advertisement.  I'd be very interested to know if there was any other information about the Haywoods - or Heywoods.  How long did Samuel stay with them? 

The 1881 Census shows a Samuel Geary with the birth date 1833 (possibly an error) living at 6, Cropston Road, Anstey, Barrow upon Soar, Leicestershire, England.  It gives his profession as show finisher and I had other sources that told me he was a 'Clicker' - responsible for cutting the shoe patterns out of leather hides.  It shows him as 'son-in-law' living with a head of family named William Fossey, aged 35, also a shoe finisher.  Yet, oddly, there is no female member of the household except William's wife, Ann.  He would have been 17 in 1881, young to have been married and widowed.  I wonder whether 'son-in-law' was a euphemism for his having been adopted by them?

[heywood]

See reply #8

I am thinking that Samuel is with Mary Ann Haywood as her son.
He is a Clicker.

[Dub21]

Yes.  Did Joseph and Mary Ann Haywood go to India?  And how do the Fossey's come in to it?

[heywood]

Yes.  Did Joseph and Mary Ann Haywood go to India?  And how do the Fossey's come in to it?

The Fosseys have no connection.
In 1881 (when you have him with the Fosseys) Samuel is with Mary Ann Haywood described as her son.- reply #8

Colour Sergeant Joseph Haywood was discharged in 1879.
The document shows 5 years 2 months service in India out of 21 yrs service but no indication of the dates.
Info re 82nd here

Samuel is with his father in 1871 and the Haywoods in 1881 so perhaps  remained with the Haywoods after his father's discharge  until his marriage. He was obviously fond of the couple as he named his children after them.