Hi Everyone,
I'm sorry if I ask a lot of stupid questions. I really know nothing about military history.
I'm trying to dig in to the life of a man called Ralph Harwood, who was born in about 1855 in Grimsby, to work out if he was really the father of my GG Grandmother.
I know that he joined the military in September 1885 and was part of the Liverpool Regiment. I know his number was 1345.
According the medical page of his record, by October 1886 he had travelled to India. I'm not sure how long he stayed in India but the page is lengthy and has entries 1887, 1888 and 1889. There are also entries for 1890, 1891 and 1892. Unfortunately the column which has the place names in it is blurry and largely blank.
On 6th June 1900 he was posted to South Africa, specifically Machadodorp. The record says he was killed in an accident there in October 1900.
The specific reason I'm interested is because I previously believed he was my 2nd Great Grandfather. In theory, he had a daughter called Jane Amelia who was born in November 1891.
So theoretically, he may have been back in England in time to father a child in 1891. I have no idea what he was doing between 1892 and 1900 because the record doesn't say - or if it does I don't understand it.
However I'm suspicious because there is no father listed on Jane Amelia's birth certificate. Although she does say Ralph Harwood is her father on her marriage certificate. Also her mother, Elizabeth, was living with another man as his servant on the 1891 census, with three of her children and when she must have been pregnant with Jane Amelia.
Also on his record when he signs up, Ralph denies that he is married and as his next of kin gives his Mum's details and that of two of his sisters. Which makes me think that maybe the marriage had broken down.
So I'm wondering basically, is it possible that Ralph left the army in say 1892 and came back to England and then joined up again in 1900?