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General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: ugo on Monday 02 July 12 22:25 BST (UK)

Title: British Army death in India 1880s
Post by: ugo on Monday 02 July 12 22:25 BST (UK)
I am looking for help in finding what happened to John Aitken, supposedly died in India 1881-1883, his wife Mary Jane came back to Scotland with her two boys, did other ranks take their families.

I hope to have more information when I get their son's birth certificate, where do I start to look for BMDs

Many thanks
Title: Re: British Army death in India 1880s
Post by: ladybird on Monday 02 July 12 22:41 BST (UK)
My 2x g/grandfather (a Private) took his wife and 5 children with him over to India in the late 1850's, came back in time for the 1881 Scotland census. They had 4 more children born there, so 9 in all. Sadly 3 or possibly 4 of them died. I know that their birth and death certs are at the British Library India Office but can't afford to send for them, much as I'd love to know what they died of.
If you have a FindMyPast sub you could try the GRO overseas lists
Title: Re: British Army death in India 1880s
Post by: ugo on Tuesday 03 July 12 07:21 BST (UK)
Thanks Lady Bird,

I hope the Birth certificate will tell me what regt he was in, I am sure it will say solder.

Joan
Title: Re: British Army death in India 1880s
Post by: t mo on Tuesday 03 July 12 16:36 BST (UK)
can you give us all the names of those born abroad and the yrs as well and i,ll have alook for you , also should his surname be aitken or aitkin instead of aikten only if aikten is correct there are no military records at all for that spelling in FindMyPast records bmd,s or service records .
regards
trevor
Title: Re: British Army death in India 1880s
Post by: ugo on Tuesday 03 July 12 19:01 BST (UK)
Trevor,
 
The second son was named Morton James born 1882/1883 not sure where, waiting for details of John Glen Aitken(s) born 1881.

I have just found a 1881 census for Mary Jane Atkins a soldiers wife, in Aldershot , have not found John on the 1881 census. Most of what I have found for John is under the name Aitken, he was a Sailmaker from Aberdeenshire.

Thanks for the help, Joan
Title: Re: British Army death in India 1880s
Post by: t mo on Tuesday 03 July 12 21:06 BST (UK)
can,t find anything concrete for john aitken /aitkin /aitkens in at sea / overseas/ or army deaths , nor a birth for morton either in army /overseas or at sea births .if as you say your waitjng on a birth cert for another child if it has any definate detail come back and we,ll have another look for you .
regards
trevor
Title: Re: British Army death in India 1880s
Post by: ugo on Tuesday 03 July 12 22:08 BST (UK)
Trevor, once again , many thanks Joan
Title: Re: British Army death in India 1880s
Post by: ugo on Thursday 05 July 12 11:52 BST (UK)
The details of father on certificate ;

John Aitkens Private 7th Dragoon Guards, he died abroad, about 1882-1883.

I will have to go to TNA
Title: Re: British Army death in India 1880s
Post by: t mo on Thursday 05 July 12 14:09 BST (UK)
john aitkens age 21 1896 station sabathu  page 241  gro army death indices 1881 - 1955  this is the only death record and in fact any record at all for a john aitkens in FindMyPast armed forces records .
if you want to take a risk in getting this cert you can order it in the same way as normal .
really hope this helps
trevor
Title: Re: British Army death in India 1880s
Post by: ugo on Thursday 05 July 12 14:22 BST (UK)

Trevor, I sure that he not my man, I will go and look at TNA  for the 7th muster and pay records.

Many thanks for your help Joan
Title: Re: British Army death in India 1880s
Post by: catwoman8950 on Wednesday 22 August 12 15:02 BST (UK)
Hello,

I am looking for information concerning the death of a relative in India in 1880.  The details are as follows:

Name: Henry Bangs (born 1832 in Mildenhall, Suffolk)
Regiment: 51st Foot
Regimental Number: 1121
Rank: Private
Date of Death: 2nd November 1880
Place of Death: Deolali, India

Henry Bangs was married with children and his widow (my husband's great aunt) returned to England on 13th November 1880.

I found the above information at the National Archives in Kew.  What I would now like to find out, if possible, is what he died of, where he is buried, and how to obtain a death certificate.

I'm hoping that someone can help me, or at least point me in the right direction :-)

Thanks,

Debbie
Title: Re: British Army death in India 1880s
Post by: ugo on Wednesday 22 August 12 16:22 BST (UK)
Hi Debbie,

Welcome. You found more that I mangered, have you tried Find my past, or maybe the 51st Foot, they may have records.

Good luck Joan
Title: Re: British Army death in India 1880s
Post by: catwoman8950 on Wednesday 22 August 12 17:02 BST (UK)
Hi Debbie,

Welcome. You found more that I mangered, have you tried Find my past, or maybe the 51st Foot, they may have records.

Good luck Joan

Hi Joan,

Thanks for your reply.  Yes, I've tried FindMyPast and there is no information.  As far as I know, the National Archives carry the records of the 51st Foot in Victorian times, at least those that survive.   All I've been able to find concerning Henry Bangs are the Muster, Pay and Married Rolls from 1877 onwards and there is a note of his death on 2nd November 1880 and the fact that his family returned to England on 13th November.  Nothing further regarding his death is mentioned.  So, I would like to know if there is anywhere else I could search.  I've also tried the the India Office Family History website mentioned in this forum but their search engine doesn't seem to be working at the moment.

Debbie
Title: Re: British Army death in India 1880s
Post by: ugo on Wednesday 22 August 12 17:17 BST (UK)

Debbie,

Try looking  at the NAT on line catalogue, you never know what it will throw up.

I looked at the muster &  pay rolls my self , could not find a mention of my man.

Joan
Title: Re: British Army death in India 1880s
Post by: catwoman8950 on Wednesday 22 August 12 17:41 BST (UK)

Debbie,

Try looking  at the NAT on line catalogue, you never know what it will throw up.

I looked at the muster &  pay rolls my self , could not find a mention of my man.

Joan

I've tried that and there is nothing that I don't know already.  A very experienced family researcher went to Kew on my behalf and he could only find the information that I have supplied.  I have access to the records at both Ancestry and FindMyPast but they don't tell me much either, not even when and where Henry Bangs died.  However, I presume his regiment must have recorded his death and that there must be a death certificate somewhere.  I suspect that he was buried at the Christian Cemetery in Nashik-Deolali, but I can't be sure.

Debbie