TWO lost ggrandfathers!!!!Any ideas

[Ringrose]

First one is Richard LIGHT 58(born in Salop) who lived with his family at 6 Dean St Westminster in the 1861 census. By 1871 he had lost his wife and all his daughters had married and his son was a soldier at Woolwich.He does not appear on the 1871 anywhere nor on any later census. Looking for a death from 1861 I found one which fitted in the 1870s but the cert gave the impression that he was a Chelsea Pensioner which he was not . So at the moment I have found no death for him.
Second one is Thomas BUTLIN (born BEds)who in the 1861 census is living in Southwark age 70 with his wife Jane 81. Neither appear on the 1881 and a possible death cert proved to be the wrong one. Wife Jane who I think is not my direct also seems to have disappeared.
Any ideas how I can find these death records please???
Ringrose

[heywood]

Hello,

did any of his daughters move to Windsor? There is a death in June quarter 1871 of a Richard of a similar age.

regards
heywood

[Ringrose]

Ive seen that one -One daughter went to Dudley and the other stayed in Fulham west London. Perhaps I should lash out and send for the Windsor cert but I think I found out there were Lights in Windsor anyway.
Thanks
Ringrose

[Valda]

Hi

Being a Chelsea pensioner doesn't always show on censuses etc. If a man left the army and was at that stage physically fit then the census records his occupation at that time. Ditto his children's baptism records and his marriage records. None of these records ask questions beyond the man's current occupation (such as are you in receipt of a pension). Some men chose to add it on their census returns as well as their current occupation but many didn't since the information wasn't being asked for. Only when the man became physically unable to hold down a job do records show him at that time as a pensioner.

Being in the army often ran in family's with sons following their father into the army.

Other than he was a widower do you know anything about Richard before his marriage to Hannah?

The man whose death registered in Windsor registration district is likely to be the Richard Light on the 1871 census in Egham Surrey (Egham registered in Windsor registration district) aged 68, a retired gatekeeper born Southampton Hampshire. The one in Chelsea is a little older.


Regards

Valda

[Ringrose]

Thanks Valda for those ideas.Richard Light was living in a poor area of Westminster when my Gggrandmothr was born in .1849.On her birth certain it says she was born in Palmers Village which I have since found was near the present day Westminster Cathedral.It seemed to be a poor area and apart from the 1841census where he is down as a grocer he is a labour.His wife Hannah died in Wextminster hospital in 1864. I don't think he would have moved too far away. His daughter Mary married from Keppel St  on Chelsea(tis no more).I have no record of him being in the army but he might have been .I know he was born in Salop around 1800. Using the census info.I also know he had been married before to a Margaret Thompson .Hannah appears on the 1841 census with him.I have the death cert stating he was an in pensioner at Chelsea. this may be right if he had been in the army.
Is there any way of finding this out pre 1830ish??
Thanks for your help particularly the census info which rules out the Windsor connection.
ringrose

[Valda]

Hi


If he married Margaret Turner Thompson in 1837 have you found her death registration between 1837 and 1841?


Chelsea pensioner records

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/news/510.htm


Regards

Valda

[Ringrose]

No  but on his marriage cert to Hannah he is down as a widowerLooking at the 2 marriage certs he married Margaret T parish of St Leonards  Shoreditch -in Nov 1837-he is of full age and a bachelor . He is down as a servant and his father is Richard. He married Hannah 18th Feb 1840 at St Peters Ch Walworth --he is a widower and a Grocer. Again fathers name is Richard. Margarets father was a Grocer and in the 1841 Richard is a Grocer.Ive looked for a possible death for Margaret and it should be on Free BMD--also for a possible child . The only records of children I have are from his 2nd marriage.
Unfotunately I dont know when he came to London.Maybe Ive got the wrong 1st wife and he married in Shropshire. I do know all the records from his 2nd marriage are right as I have all the certs.
THank you for your continued help
Ringrose

[stonechat]

It is not necessary to be resident at Chelsea to receive a Chelsea pension , just be an army pensioner