Frederick Hanson or MacLeish?

[carol02]

Frederick Hanson was born in 1839 Birmingham.  He served in Royal Horse Artillery from 1862 - 1888
He served in Bengal, India.  He was awarded a silver medal for good conduct.
He served in Sudan 1884 - 1885.  I cannot read his discharge papers as I am not a fully paid member.
My query is while serving India he changed his surname to MacLeish.  He is on the 1881 census, living in Sheffield as MacLeish. Some of his children have that surname.  The surname is back to Hanson in 1891, where he is living in Portsmouth.
why would he change his surname?
Carol

[aghadowey]

why would he change his surname?

Why not? perhaps he was illegitimate or raised by step-parent or other relatives and some event made him decide to make the change (death or step-parents, inheritance, etc.- possibilities are endless)

[MaxD]

Probably worth checking that the records of  two different men haven't become mixed together.  What is the service number and if you have it the unit of the one you are looking at?

MaxD

[carol02]

His Discharge date was 3 Jan 1888
                                                                           
                                     F McLeish alias Hanson F
                                     Reg 10/1 South Dn R.A.
                                     No. 8991
                                     Rank G.R.               
Does this help at all?
Carol                     

[Christine53]

Looking at his record he actually enlisted as Frederick McLeish born Glasgow 1841 and then changed his name to Hanson on the record. I found a marriage record in Army marriages for Driver Fredk McLeish and Emily Skidmore 25 Dec 1860 Birmingham ( one of the witnesses is E Hanson) This marriage is then entered at Dale End , St Peter , Warwickshire , under the name of Frederick Hanson. I can't find any connection to the name McLeish.

[MaxD]

Does this help at all?
Carol                     

It eliminates the man I was looking at so yes it helps.  Still a bit puzzling from the military records point of view though, I don't find him in the Sudan medal list.  the "South Dn" looks as if it is Southern Division, part of the UK based coast artillery, maybe 10 Company which is not the Royal Horse Artillery.  The marriage to Emily doesn't seem right given that his wife is later Lavinia (unless it is a first marriage).  Flummoxed also that I can't find his record (under either name) on line - does it have any more unit information?

Feel free to ignore this as it doesn't get anywhere near the name puzzle.

MaxD

[Christine53]

.  The marriage to Emily doesn't seem right given that his wife is later Lavinia (unless it is a first marriage).  Flummoxed also that I can't find his record (under either name) on line - does it have any more unit information?


MaxD

The marriage to Lavinia was 21 Nov 1875 at Deritend:

Frederick Hanson , widower , Driver RHA , father Edward Hanson wood turner
Lavinia Waine , widow , father John Skidmore stamper

An online tree states that Lavinia was Emily's sister.

[MaxD]

All clear now.  What was throwing me was looking for his service records in the RHA (and for Macleish).

In addition, there is a minor mix up of two men in that the Hanson (this time) who has a Sudan medal is not "our" McLeish/Hanson).  McLeish/Hanson  served in UK from 21 Dec 1872 until the end of his service, he has the North West Frontier Medal and the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal but no Sudan medal, his record is quite clear.

 Analysing his service record thoroughly, I now see he served as a Driver in the Royal Horse Artillery from joining in 1862 until early 1883 when he transferred to the Royal Artillery with the rank now of Gunner serving in UK, almost all in the coast artillery element of the RA.  He was in the Southern Division in 1883 and later again in 1887  His service number also changed when he transferred. 

Of interest perhaps is that when he joined the army in November 1862 he says he was born in Glasgow and that he had served previously in the East india Company's army until it was dissolved (1858).

What a tangled web we weave.....Two spellings of one surname, another surname, two wives, two parts of the overall Royal Artillery, two artillery ranks, two birthplaces and a so far unknown bit pre 1862 with the HEIC - fascinating.


MaxD

[MaxD]

The specifics of the name change aside, he was known as McLeish to the army from 1862 until he formally changed his name to the army (at least) some time after 1882. (His record of the name change cites a regulation whose latest amendment was 1882).  His entries in the discharges register (as both Hanson and McLeish cross referenced) suggest that after he retired in 1887 he went back to Hanson. That would fit with the census returns in 1871 and 1891.

MaxD