Trying to track soldier, William John GIRLING

[ajf25]

I'm trying to track down any information on William John GIRLING (GURLING).

He married Margaret O'Shea in Portsea, Hampshire on 14 Apr 1834 (she is listed as Shea)

He was a soldier - I know this from his daughter's death certificate.  He must have been in Scotland in 1835-7 at least as his two eldest daughters were born there.

Margaret died in 1845 and son, William born in 1839 is in the Royal Military Asylum for Children of Soldiers of the Regular Army as a 12 year old in the 1851 census (I think it's him).  It records William jnr's birth in Malta. 

Am I correct in thinking that either William snr has died for William jnr to be in the RMA or can it just mean he is still serving in the army and is in there because his mother has died?

I haven't been able to find his record in FindMyPast. 

Any ideas?  I'm in Australia, so accessing National Archives unfortunately is not an option.

Cheers,
Alison

[km1971]

Am I correct in thinking that either William snr has died for William jnr to be in the RMA or can it just mean he is still serving in the army and is in there because his mother has died?

Hi Alison

It could be either situation.

In the Chelsea RMA records it lists William GIRLING, entered 29/12/1846 aged 7. Father was in (or ex) 77th Regt of Foot. William (jnr) left 12/07/1853 to join the 57th Regiment of Foot. It would have been his 14th birthday, or very soon after.

Ken

[ajf25]

Thanks Ken,

Really interesting.  His sister married a soldier from the 57th Regt. of Foot (my gg grandparents).  Probably how they met.  But soldiering obviously wasn't for him for long.  He emigrated to Australia with the couple and another sister in 1858.

You've helped answer a few questions.

Cheers,
Alison 

EDIT: His sister had already married at the stage of William's entry into the 57th.  I'd like to think his brother in law, who was 14 years his senior looked after him.  It's hard to imagine 14 year old boys in the army.

[Jane Gurling]

Hello Alison, I live in Victoria Australia. My great grandfather William John Gurling was born in Malta and his mother was Margaret O'Shea; however it appears that she may have lived longer than you suggest, because the transcript from the Gurling family grave headstones at StKilda cemetery, Melbourne, says that W J Gurling's mother, Margaret Mickleborough was buried there aged 59 on 25 July 1878. W J Gurling was born about 1839 because he was 67 when he died in 1906. We know nothing of his family prior to his birth in Malta. He worked as a butcher in Prahran most of his life and married Minnie Daley in Melbourne in 1886 and listed his occupation as gentleman in the later part of his life, leaving his 2 surviving young sons with some inheritance after he died. So it seems that the soldier William John Gurling you were tracking must be the father of my great grandfather. I would love to know more about the lives of these people. Thanks for the post you had so much information in. Jane

[Annette7]

The Margaret Girling who died 1845 in regn. district of St. Faiths, Norfolk would appear to be the Margaret Girling who was living in Ringland, Norfolk on 1841 census - Ringland was in the regn. district of St. Faiths.

Margaret, wife of William Girling, was with her 3 children Sarah 6, Ellen 4, and William 2 in Great Ryburgh, Norfolk on 1841 census - this place came under Walsingham Registration District.

OP says William's wife was a Margaret O'Shea married in Portsea, Hampshire in 1834 - yet Jane says his wife was named Margaret Mickleborough??

Annette

 

[Annette7]

Have just seen the marriage entry at Portsea - familysearch shows a William Guling married a Margaret Shea 14/4/1834 Portsea.   So is this right marriage or not (in view of Australian record stating her maiden name was Mickleborough)??

Annette

[Annette7]

Me again - so, looking at Margaret's death record in Australia it is in the name of Margaret Mickleborough showing her parents are John O'Shea and Ellen unknown.   

Clearly, William Girling senior had died and Margaret remarried to a Mr. Mickleborough.

Looks like this could have been in Dec.qtr.1846 Blofield regn. district, Norfolk where a Margaret Girling and a John Mickleborough share the same reference details.

Annette

[km1971]

Hi Jane

Annette's information regarding Qtr 4 1846 would tie in with the information I posted in 2011 - that William (jnr) was placed in the Royal Military Asylum in the same Qtr.

You will need to look at the regimental muster for the father's death. It will be in Kew, but not available online. Once you find him you can use the same source to trace his origins. The majority of army records that survive come from pension records. Which would not exist for a soldier who died while serving.

Ken

[Jane Gurling]

Thanks for all the little pieces of research information Ken and Annette. Do any of you know the names and dob of William Girling's and Margaret Oshea's two older daughters(mentioned by Alison) born between 1834 and 1839? Also Alison mentioned William Girling's sister marrying a soldier from the 57th regiment of Foot and the couple, William and another sister emigrating to Australia in 1858. Does anyone know the name of the ship they sailed to Australia on?
Jane