Hi everyone, this is my first question on this forum so please be gentle if I'm asking for something that has an obvious solution!
My great-great-grandfather was Richard Mansell ADAMS, who died aged 56yrs in 1902 in South Australia, Australia. On an 1886 birth certificate for his son (born in Sydney, Australia) Richards birthplace is given as Queens County, Ireland. I expect this is 100% accurate as Richard was the informant on his sons birth cert.
A few days before Richard died, he was visited by a reporter from the Adelaide Advertiser (South Australia) newspaper, about, I presume, doing an article of his lengthy military career. In this article it also states Queens County as Richards birthplace. The article was actually turned into his obituary. But oh how timely that visit was, for a genealogist!!
So I now have a circa 1848 birth to find in Queens County but have no idea what resources are available. I would really appreciate if someone can point me in the right direction please?
According to the obituary, it states that Richard was born in Queens County, Ireland and joined the 88th Connaught Rangers on 2nd November 1864 at the age of 16yrs. I believe, due to many accurate dates given later in the article, that the reporter was likely shown some military service papers of some sort. I get the feeling that his enlistment date will be a vital piece of info, but again I've no idea where to look for any surviving milirtary service record.
Richards military career spanned 25yrs, through which time he became a Sergeant. The obituary gives fascinating details of his travels and various postings. He spent time in Porstmouth, before going to India to join his regiment at the great durbar near Agra, then off to Rawal Pindi, then to the Himalayan Mountains to assist buiding roads to get troops/supplies through, then served during the Huzara Campaign as a Gunner in the Royal Artillery. After that he went to Peshawur, then Nashawar, before rejoining the Connaught Rangers at Agra in time to return to Portsmouth in 1870.
In 1872 Richard was promoted to Sergeant when he joined the Royal Artillery Brigade. He then went through a Gunnery course at Shoeburyness before being placed in charge of the Citadel of Portsmouth. He was sent to the Channel Islands before being recalled for foreign service. Richard then headed off to the Ashantee war and returned to England 19th May 1875 before being redeployed to Tambookie and Giki where he served for 12 months at the front.
His company were drafted to Natal and Richard served through the Zulu war. At one stage his corps was hemmed in for 14wks by the enemy at Echowe before they were finally relieved by Lord Chelmsford. Richard rejoined his half-battery and was present at all engagements, including the final rout at Eulunda, after which in August 1879 his battery returned to Cape Town. Richard obtained a discharge (by purchase) and entered the Postal Department at Cape Town and was sent to Maritzburg.
I guess he just couldn't stay away from the adrenaline of war, as when the Basuto war occurred, he went as "a trooper substitute for a burgher" (I'm not entirely sure what that means though!) and was engaged in skirmishes at Ibbaka in the Cape Colony. After returning to Cape Town he became a Battery Sergeant-Major and instructor with the Cape Town Volunteer Artillery. On 8th March 1881 he was placed on the headquarters staff as Assistant Commissary of Ordinance at King William Town, a position which he resigned in 1884 to become Gunnery Instructor to the Field Battery & Garrison Artillery over in Sydney, Australia, where he held the rank of Staff-Colour-Sergeant. He served there for 4yrs and 9 months before being discharged under the retrenchment scheme of 1889.
So as you can see, he certainly saw a lot of the world. I should also note that whilst he was in Cape Town he met and married Anna Catherine Johanna VOLSTEEDT. They had a handful of children before coming to Australia, and arrived in Sydney just 1 day before my great-grandfather Tobias Lawrence St.John ADAMS was born in 1886.
I have read online that lots of British military records were destroyed during WW2, so I'm not really that hopeful of finding anything down that avenue.... so without any idea of who his parents were, all I have to go on is an approx birthdate.
Oh, and just to throw a spanner in the works, my late grandmother (who married into the family) told me of a vague family reference that Richards birth surname was O'Toole, and that at the age of 16 he came home to find his step-father had beaten his mother senseless. The story goes that Richard attacked him, and fearing that he had killed the man, Richard fled to join 'the merchant marines' and assumed the surname of Adams, as this was his step-fathers surname. The story goes that Richard believed this was the last surname the authorities would look for him under, as they would be looking for a Richard O'Toole. Now whether there is any fact to this story who knows!! But this has the potential to make finding a birth even harder. As an aside, it is believed that the step-father survived the attack, however Richard was still fearful of arrrest if he returned to Ireland. ALL SUPPOSEDLY!!
*whew* So if anyone is still reading this (sorry it was so long but I wanted to include as much as I could), any and all help will be gratefully accepted!!
Regards
Lois
