Help I have a medal which needs a home.

[Treetotal]

Brilliant background info and should lead to living Family being located.
Do let us know of any progress. I will be watching with interest.
Well done Allan. 
Carol

[Paul coney]

Thanks Alan I found an email on that site you sent me hopefully I get a reply back as the posts were ten years ago, fingers crossed

[AllanUK]

Thomas Hall was born in India in 1866, his father was in the 89th Infantry of Foot. Thomas married Sarah P Barnes in 1916, Sarah was born in 1879 making her 37 years old when she married. I can not find any children to Thomas and Sarah.

Sarah and her widowed mother (also called Sarah) emigrated to New Zealand in 1924 aboard the SS Ionic which sailed from Southampton on the 24th July, destination was Wellington. The passenger list shows that with Sarah Barnes (the widowed mother) and Sarah P Hall, was one of Sarah's married sisters, Agnes (known as Nancy) and her husband Walter Davis. The last family member was a Miss Blain who was Sarah P Hall's niece. A search of records found that the niece was also called Sarah and she was a daughter of Maggie, another sister of Sarah P. This Sarah married a Charles Andrew Vazey in 1932. Sarah was murdered by her husband in 1947. A newspaper report on the murder stated that there were no children of Sarah and Charles. (link below to FindAGrave)

Another sister of Sarah P Hall, Barbara and her husband Robert Elliot also emigrated to New Zealand sailing from Southampton on the SS Remuera on the 30th July 1926, destination was Wellington.

I have spent several hours trying to find a descendant of the Hall side as well as the Barnes side but have drawn a blank. It is going to be difficult to find a family member for the medals.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/207245553/sarah-purdie-vazey

[Ruskie]

Allan, In your research, did you find any siblings for Thomas Hall? 

[AllanUK]

Allan, In your research, did you find any siblings for Thomas Hall? 

Still looking, not the easiest as Thomas's father seems to have been a career soldier.

[AllanUK]

Allan, In your research, did you find any siblings for Thomas Hall? 

OK -- here is what I have found in my research:

William Hall (born circa 1838, Scotland) married Lydia Selina Ramsbottom (born circa 1843, Madras, India) on the 8th July 1863 at Black Town, Madras, India

They had the following children:

Thomas (born 1866, Bangalore, India)
James (born 1868, Secunderabad, Madras, India)
Jane Isabella (born 1871, Port Blair, Bengal, India)
Louise (born circa 1877, Perth, Scotland)
Lydia Celina (born 1880, Perth, Scotland)

Lydia Selina died in 1882, Perth, Scotland

William remarried, Mary Cumming, in 1885, Perth, Scotland

They had the following children:

Isabella (born circa 1888, Perth, Scotland)
Elizabeth (born 1890, Perth Scotland)

William died in 1898, Perth, Scotland.

Following James in the hope that he married and had children found that he married Marjory McFarlane in 1898, Perth, Scotland.

The 1901 Census shows James and Marjory living at 57 Ashley Down Road, Bristol. With them were the half sisters of James, Isabella and Elizabeth.

The 1911 Census shows James and Marjory living at 92 Church Road, Horfield, Bristol. The entry shows that they had been married for 12 full years but they had no children. With them still were the half sisters of james, Isabella (Bella) and Elizabeth (Lizzie). A search of civil birth registrations with MMN of McFarlane has drawn a blank.

It is going to be difficult to find descendants on the Hall side as it would be by the female line.

[Ruskie]

Excellent research Allan. It is looking like a dead end isn’t it? Such a shame after all the work you’ve put in.

Paul, if you are happy to keep the medals you have a nice little family history to go with them. I wonder if any regimental museums would be interested? “Dealers” will be of course. 

[AllanUK]

I received a PM from Forguette who had found a marriage for a Thomas Hall in Perth in 1897 and thought that this could possibly be a first marriage for Thomas Hall the soldier in question.

Not being able to ignore such a possibility, I took the plunge and paid for sight of the marriage entry as held by Scotlands People. The entry clearly records that Thomas was a bachelor and Sarah a spinster. (snip of entry attached)

[Ruskie]

Nice of you to do that Allan. Another dead end though.