55th regiment of foot - John Evans

[MaxD]

It's OK John, got it.  It is the vagaries of the Ancestry system that could perhaps (perhaps!!) be better! 

To redeem myself a bit, John Evans married Isabella Skelton at All Hallows Barkng on 5th January 1813 (Church of England Marriages and Banns).  The regiment were in London according to newspaper reports.

MaxD

[jonw65]

25 June 1816 -  24 Sept 1816 ??

Bristol again!
Takes a bit of getting used to.
To be fair to ancestry, we can browse through the images. Not always possible to do this, or only very slowly page by page, with some of the things on findmypast!
John

[jonw65]

25 June 1815 - 24 Sept 1815 is Brighton
25 Sept 1815 - 24 Dec 1815 is Bristol

Well, this may need further thought

This isn't foolproof as elements of regiments often served apart or moved at a different time to others and one can't be precise as to months.

John Evans was baptized 10 December 1815 in Brighton.
Image here (need to be logged in)
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-69Z2-7R?i=707&cat=214220

Or do we perhaps need to take note of the dates the musters were sent in?
55th Foot
Stationed at Bristol
Quarterly Pay List
25th Sept - 24 Dec 1815
Sent from the Regiment 1 Mar 1816

Can never be sure of anything!
John

[jonw65]

Just noticed another one on the left hand page (170) of that image
Nov 30th 1815, St Nicholas Brighton, Charles Cook was baptized, parents Charles + Francis (sic)
Father a Soldier 55th Regt of Foot. Abode Barracks Church Street

On the next image, same day as John's baptism, 10th December
Elizabeth, daughter of (blank) + Elizabeth H..?
Whoever dad was, he was also in the 55th Foot.

[MaxD]

Can never be sure of anything!

Couldn't agree more!

For illustration from the 55th in the newspapers:
8 May 1815 Two officers fought a duel at Seaford
4 Nov 1815 Men stationed at Lewes take part in an archaeological dig at Wick (!)
16 Dec 1815 Band playing for the arrival of the Queen at Brighton
16 Dec 1815 Change of command at the infantry barracks Brighton

20 Jan 1916 A party of the 55th stationed in Aberystwyth called out to a riot
30 Jan 1816 First division of the 55th depart Brighton for Bristol where they are to embark for Ireland
13 Feb 1816 Part of the 55th arrive in Cork with others
16 Mar 1816 The 55th embarked at Bristol for Waterford

MaxD

[eileendavid]

Hello John & Max

Thank you so much for your assistance without it I would have known nothing about the 55th regiment of foot or my Great great great grandfather Corporal John Evans.

They didn't half move about a great deal would his wife and children follow him? 

Isabella Skelton his wife I think was born 27 December 1795  parents Richard Skelton and Jane Hetherington. BRAMPTON, CUMBERLAND, ENGLAND.  Brampton is only about 9 miles from the 55th HQ at Carlisle. She would have been 18 in the December as she married in January. This age fits with the census of 1841.

At the same church there is a marriage of a Hugh Mitchell & Ann Bell on the 21 October 1812 at Brampton, Cumberland, England.  Could Hugh be the same one that was the witness at John and Isabella's marriage in London and also was this the same couple were godparents of Margaret in St Hellier 1817?

So was Hugh Mitchell also with the 55th regiment?

I have also been looking for Margaret ? (couldn't make out her last name) marriage between 1813 and 1817 when she was Margaret Smith godparent to Margaret Evans and the other one being William Smith?

They all seem to be in the same places at the same time.

Thanks for the Muster roll did I get it right that he was given £90 in lieu of beer and £6.00 for the period?

Thanks again for all your assistance

Eileen

[MaxD]

There is a Hugh Mitchell listed on the 1815/16 muster roll - probably safe to assume that this is the witness and god-parent.  Have to see the later rolls to know whether he is the one married in Brampton but persuasive!  The regiment were in Carlisle in Oct 1812

Wife and children would have trailed along behind, he would have had to seek permission, only a certain percentage of men were allowed family with them.

Not £90 - a fortune in those days - it is the number of days he received allowance in lieu of beer, don't know the sum but probably pennies only.  6 is the number of pounds in pay he received for the 90 days of the quarter -  90 days at 1 shilling and 4 pence (the per diem column) equals £6.

MaxD

[Laini]

Hi

My gggg/f also served in the 55th (William Bunn 1811-1885) When he first joined up he was sent to St Helena ( sounds very much like St Helier) Could it be that it's been corrupted over the years. He was then sent to the 55th. Along with various uk postings He was also sent to the Koorg war in India and the first opium war in China. Discharged from Limerick in 1841 to become permanent staff of Wrexham Militia or Denbigh Rifles.

Elaine

[eileendavid]

I have just reviewed this post and MaxD your information was superb and so sorry for your families loss.  You will be sadly missed.