58th Regiment of Foot

[clemens]

Thanks for these points, valmai3.

I am focusing on the time between (most of) the regiment returning from Ceylon to Gosport in June 1839 and the shipping off to Glasgow in July 1840. Where in Gosport were they barracked, and was the whole regiment there? (did the Depot stay in the Portsmouth area?)

After they ship out, they seem to be divided between Glasgow and Dublin. Their Major-General Grant actually dies en route between Glasgow and Dublin in 1841. Are there any details about where they are quartered in Glasgow? I think in Dublin it is Richmond Barracks.

Then in July 1843 they are off to New South Wales..and NZ.

My interest is in an ensign in the 58th, later Captain, Henry Colin Balneavis b.1818 in Ghent (even later Lieut.-Col. in NZ force in Auckland). And mostly in his whereabouts as ensign (from 1837) and lieutenant (1841, I think). I have a lot of data on the rest of his life already.


PS. Is anyone aware of a topic touching on the 213 years of the Scots Brigade in the Netherlands?

[valmai3]

Sorry Clemens,  I have nothing more regarding Gosport.  Regarding Scotland, 1841 Census has James billeted with members of regiment - Civil Parish Edinburgh, Canongate, Midlothian.  Before that they were in Glasgow. No mention of wife but she was probably waiting for birth of baby in Dublin.  We know that James was in Dublin by 22nd November 1841 in time for birth.  Then by 20 Jan 1844 they had departed Woolwich on convict ship 'Equestrian' bound for Tasmania and N.S.W. Australia. Serg. James took part in First Maori War - 1845-1846 - Bay of Islands, New Zealand against Hone Heke and his ally Ally Kuwati.

[clemens]

thanks valmai3, - your 2018 mail and this week's were already a good help.

Piecing it together, I get the following:

Movements of the 58th Regiment of Foot (Rutlandshire) -1828-1859

In Ceylon, India from 1828 to 1839 (after taking part in Peninsular War)

To England (Portsmouth/Gosport) June 1839

To Glasgow from Gosport in July 1840 -so a year in Gosport, but where?     (And in February 8 1840 Naval and Military Gazette the 58th were rumoured to go off to Cork on “The Jupiter”, i.e. Fermoy Barracks, where some soldiers of the regiment were in 1834, while the rest were in Ceylon. The Jupiter was much delayed returning with the 61st from Ceylon, and in March had to go into Cork b/c strong east wind in Channel. Then refit. -they did not go to Cork)

Still in Scotland 1841 (Glasgow and Edinburgh), but also in Richmond Barracks, Dublin. (Recruiting in Scotland or pre-1845 stirrings? )

Still in Dublin July 1842 (cf birth in officer’s family)

To New South Wales, Australia, in July 1843 (gradually, some soldiers as guards on 19 convict ships 1843-45)

On to New Zealand from Sydney in March-April 1845, (ships North Star, Slains Castle) Bay of Islands, North Island, Auckland. Flagstaff Wars. (some back and forth Sydney-NZ)

Back from New Zealand in March 1859 (started out in November 1858), many, over 300 men, discharged in NZ.

The 58th today is the 3rd battaillon 'Steelbacks' of the Royal Anglian Regiment with HQ in Bury St. Edmonds - so I might ask if the museum there has further details :-)

How usual was it for a regiment to be split up for several years?. Its major-general Grant actually died in 1841 en route from Glasgow to Dublin, at Tontine Inn

[valmai3]

Thank you Clemens for filling in some of my gaps.

[Shanty17]

Hi, first time on this forum, so reason for joining is that I'm trying to find another example of this 58th Regiment badge.  This was found about 15 years ago on a New Zealand (Wellington) battle site, the service number scratched on the back was to a 58th Regt Soldier 454 James Conner who drowned one week after the battle in a local river.  The battle was in August 1846.  So I'm trying to identify what type of badge it is, so far all museums and militaria badge forums confirm it is a very early 58th Regiment badge but can't state if it is a Cap, Pouch, Belt Locket or Shoulder Belt Badge or provide evidence of a reference or another example, can anyone help?  Thanks

[Redy]

Hello I am coming late to the sharing of information about the 58th regiment of foot - an ancestor was a private (a tailor not a so much a fighter). I've got goodish information from Find my past about his pension records but struggling to work out where he was when. He joined in 1833 and was discharged on medical grounds in 1853 (in Sydney), having served in Ceylon, New South Wales and New Zealand. What I really want to find out is where he would have been in 1842 when his daughter (my direct ancestor) was born, I've checked every possible permutation of name in Scotland, Ireland, England, New South Wales and New Zealand for her birth record to no avail and nor have I been able to find a marriage certificate. I've been reading through all the years of discussion about this regiment in the forum - still a little confused about where they were immediately before (in case that is where a marriage took place) and after Edinburgh when a birth took place. Any suggestions would be most gratefully received. Thanks DH

[Andy J2022]

Obviously we don't know for certain exactly where your ancestor was, but assuming that he was with his battalion (and was not, for instance, at the regimental depot or attending a course at the School of Musketry etc) then he would have been in Ireland, and specifically Dublin, throughout the period October 1841 to some point in November 1842. From 10 December 1842 the battalion is based in Chatham, where they remained throughout 1843. This information comes from the monthly reports in the British newspapers entitled "Stations of the British Army".  I believe these newspaper reports were in turn based similar reports which appear in the London Gazette and so were authoritative because they were officially released by the Army Headquarters at Horse Guards.

One newspaper report for 1 August 1842 also mentions Cork and Drogheda in connection with the 58th, so it seems possible there were detachments from the regiment in these places, if not permanently, then at least periodically.

It is worth noting that there appears to be a possible error for the reporting in September 1842. At least two newspapers report that the Battalion was in Manchester, yet it is once more in Dublin in October and November. I have no real explanation for this anomaly, but I feel sure that the whole battalion would not have packed up and moved across the Irish Sea just for one month, especially as they were due to move to Chatham at the end of November.

If you would like to search for earlier in 1841 when his daughter may have been conceived (arguably he didn't need to present for the birth but he did for the conception) then use either the British Newspaper Archive or the FindMyPast websites to search using the words "Stations of the British Army" and limit the search to the months or years you are interested in. Don't specify a particular newspaper or region. You will find results from several local and national newspapers, which generally all contain the same information, albeit they may publish it on different dates.

Assuming the daughter was born in Ireland, remember that civil registration there did not begin until 1845 and that a lot of Church of Ireland records for the period before civil registration were destroyed in a fire at the Public Record Office in Dublin in 1922.

[akissling]

My ancestor Jeremiah Carey joined the 58th in 1832. He was also in Ceylon, NSW and NZ. He had a son in 1842 who was baptized in Dublin. Below is his information. This was found in the record set "Ireland, Catholic Parish Registers, 1655-1915".
Name   John Alexander Carey
Baptism Age   0
Event Type   Baptism
Birth Date   1842
Baptism Date   27 Mar 1842
Baptism Place   St Paul's, Dublin city, Dublin, Ireland
Parish Variants   Arran Quay, Old Glasnevin, St. Paul's, Arran Quay
Diocese   Dublin
Father   Jeremiah Carey
Mother   Margaret McKenna

[Redy]

Thanks for your prompt replies to my query - this all does add up well the Dublin connection with the name of his wife (a very Irish name) appearing much later in Australia on a marriage certificate for a daughter - probably the sibling of my direct ancestor - but I'm yet to verify that. And yes the records for my ancestor's birth may well no longer exist, but I might get lucky! I have another more general question, did wives travel with husbands who were with 58th Regiment of Foot? I guess it is possible my ancestor married in Dublin but his daughter was born at sea - I am unsure of the travel arrangements for wives. Did they usually stay at home? Did they travel with their husband, or later join them and given that this ancestral group all ended up settling in districts to the west of Sydney in Australia, any suggestions as to whether the army was involved in the transporting of families or did they travel as assisted or unassisted migrants making their own way on whatever ship was most convenient? It must have been a very hard life - all that sea travel in those days on board convict transports, several times. No wonder so many were discharged due to medical grounds - my ancestor was described as 'indifferent' in character in his discharge examination - maybe he was just sick and totally worn out!