Hello,
I am trying to find a bit more information about our ancestor, Robert BANKS, who came to Australia in 1841 as a soldier in the 96th Foot Regiment. There is evidence he enlisted in 1833 in Bury St Edmonds, Suffolk. Military records state he was born in Great Layham, Norfolk, but there is no Great Layham in Norfolk. There is however a Great Saxham, Suffolk quite close to Bury St Edmonds.
The evidence he was born in 1811 is less certain. There was a note in a family bible that he was born in 1811 and died in 1870 - no more information than this. Until recently, it was not known exactly what had happened to him after around 1865 or so. All trace seemed to have vanished. His youngest child was born in 1864, so he was certainly around then, but nothing after that. Finally, it was discovered that he had indeed died much later in 1898 aged 88 in the Bendigo Benevolent Asylum. So a birth around 1811, as noted in the bible, may be close to the mark.
We have no record of his parentage, any siblings or anything really. It appears there were 2 or 3 Robert Banks born in 1811 in Suffolk not too far from Bury St Edmonds, but I have not sighted these records in any detail.
I am wondering if anyone has access to any records which might show who his parents were, and whether this can be cross checked with any next of kin nominations in military records. Any other ideas on where to look further would also be appreciated.
Brendan