Rifle Brigade 2nd Battalion 1873-1890

[InvisiblesRus]

Hello everyone,
Does anyone know the whereabouts of the above battalion from 1873-1890. My 2x Gt Grandfather (Wlliam) Charles Salter b. 1850, was a Private with that unit. He was in Birr/Parsonstown in 1873 (he married a local girl - I have a digital copy of the certificate). I BELIEVE he may have been sentenced for desertion in 1876 (in Winchester). By 1891 he was dead, but I have no idea how or where. It would be so helpful to know where the unit was/what actions they might have been engaged in. I cannot find any 1881 Census details for the family at all. His wife was Mary Carroll and daughter Mary Ellen Salter b 1876??.
Any help or advice would be much appreciated.
Thanks.

[MaxD]

Start with this but check each time that you are looking at 2nd Battalion RB:

http://www.greenjackets-net.org.uk/rb/index.html

Max

[ShaunJ]

You can check a battalion's movements by looking at "Stations of the British Army " in contemporary newspapers. At the time of the 1881 census, 2nd Battalion was in Cork, with its depot in Winchester.

[InvisiblesRus]

Thank you both very much. These are really helpful replies. I think it explains why the family are not visible in the 1881 census: they were in Ireland (as his wife was Irish, I assume she was there, too). It looks as though Charles may have gone to Ghana with the Ashanti expedition....
I’m still hoping to find out where he died....
Margaret

[gortonboy]

Is this the daughter's baptism? Fathers occupation given as soldier.

Mary Ellen Salter daughter of Charles & Mary Salter
b 5 Jun 1876 bapt 28 Mar 1893 Torquay, Tormoham, Devon

[InvisiblesRus]

Yes, that is she - my great grandmother!
I believe her father was stationed in Cork in 1881, which explains why the family don’t show up on that UK Census. Supposedly she was born in Manchester, but I can find nothing to corroborate this.... And all of them just DISAPPEAR. The baptism record is the last DEFINITE evidence for the mother and further evidence that Charles is already dead (he was by 1891 - Census). I have assumed he must’ve died on active service because there’s no death registration, but I have no death details for Mary née Carroll Salter OR Mary Ellen (family legend reckons she died around 1911, but again zero evidence). Interestingly, the witness at the (teenage daughter’s) baptism is Superintendant of a church-run women’s refuge in Torquay and also visitor at the terrible Magdalen laundry in Bovey Tracey, Devon. This makes me wonder if Mary Ellen was already pregnant, or had been... (which would tie in with scant family memories that my grandfather (b 1898) had an older sister!). She also had another daughter in 1903... and was in the Plymouth penitentiary (another Magdalen laundry) in 1901 (census). It is feasible that her mother was in Plymouth Workhouse at the time (age is wrong, place of birth CORRECT) - her son was being cared for by friends (?) also in Plymouth at the time.....

[gortonboy]

What is the sons name and when and where was he born?

[InvisiblesRus]

Herbert John Salter b Newton Abbot Workhouse, May 8th 1898

[gortonboy]

How can he have a son in 1898....if he's dead by 1891 ?