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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Lanarkshire => Topic started by: mahatmacoat on Saturday 11 February 17 00:29 GMT (UK)
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Hi, can anybody help trying to find an Archibald Seitch, last know residence Lanarkshire b circa 1804,
Only record I can find of him is his marriage to Elizabeth Sinclair in 1841 India. Archibald is listed as a private in the 26th foot regiment, then they disappear??
any help would be much appreciated.
regards, Robert
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My first immediate though was.......LEITCH.
The old writing style of L was oft-mistaken for an S.
Could he be LEITCH?
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Distribution of the British Army
26th Regiment of Foot (Cameronians)
Date, location of regiment, location of Depot, Date went into Foreign Service (IFS)
1841: Feb 27 - Bengal 3, depot Canterbury, IFS: May 1828
1841: Oct 2 - China, depot Canterbury, IFS: May 1828
1842: Jan 1 - China, depot Canterbury, IFS: May 1828
1842: Jul - China, IFS: May 1828
1843: 4 Mar - China, depot Canterbury, IFS: May 1828
1844: 30 Mar - Edinburgh, having returned from Foreign Service Jul 1843, East Indies
1845: 30 Nov - Belfast
1846: 28 Feb - Belfast
1847: 3 Apr - Dublin
1848: 28 Oct - Cork
1849:
1850: 6 Apr - Gibraltar, Depot: Cork, IFS: March 1850
1851:
1852: 26 Jun - Gibraltar, Depot Isle of Wight, IFS March 1850
These records (google: Distribution of the British Army YYYY (the year)
helped me immensely in my own research - my man initially went overseas with the his regiments and came back from overseas but then remained thereafter with the Depots only.
As you can see, the 26th was in China from late October to probably, mid 1843 - then in Scotland for a brief period, before going to Ireland.
It would be good to try find out when your man signed up for the Army, that way you can hazard a guess as to when he might have come out (if he survived that long).
Cheers
AMBLY
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Hi Ambly, what a star! it's people like you that truly make this site work. Thank you so very much for your time and really good advise.
I think you're right about the Leitch thing! although Seitch name does exist on other census, but still, I think you could well be right.
It's actually Archibald Seitch's wife I'm trying to trace. She had a daughter to her previous husband who is my relative (George Sinclair) QMS 26 Foot reg. George was killed in 1841 and his wife married Archibald 4 months later! just a mystery what happened to them all.
Thanks again Amby! regards, Rob
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Found this on Anc*
Name: Archibald Leitch
Campaign or Service: Crimean War
Service Date: 1854-1855
Service Location: Crimea
Regiment or Unit Name: 50th Regiment of Foot
Regimental Number: 3608
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Thanks Rob,
Happy to help where I can - everyone's stories intrigue me :-)
My soldier, referred to above - he died 1864 on foreign soil of pneumonia just as he was about to be disbanded and discharged, leaving a wife and daughter. Wife remarried just 5 months later to another soldier in the same company (30th Foot). It was often a harsh life for all of them. The remarriages were a necessity for many of these women with their children, who are essentially left without much support or means in foreign countries, regardless of them being, as they were, attached to the Army. She died 3 years later of "apoplexy brought on by intemperance" :o but that's another story….
If Archie was in the same regiment as George, and George was killed in 1841….when did that happen, and when in 1841 did Archie & Elizabeth marry. If there were injuries and casualties whilst in India, would they come home to hospital etc - I'm wondering out loud? There is this man in 1841 - no details of his regiment, though:
HO107 / Piece 535 / Book 9 / Page 1
1841: Military Hospital in Great Bolton, Lancashire
Alexander LEITCH 40, P Soldier, b Scotland
(as a case in point, he's been transcribed as SEITCH ;) ; it's clearly LEITCH)
Edit: My Bad....ignore this ... this guy is Alexander. Not Archibald.... :'( was so excited to see the SEITCH was really a LEITCH, I overlooked the obvious
I'm presuming the daughter SINCLAIR also disappeared from your radar? What was her name and details (birth etc)? Also details for Elizabeth, in-case she might pop-up somewhere?
Cheers
AMBLY
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May be red herring, but, 1851 Lanarkshire census has a c1802 Irish born Alexander Leitch with children born England, Ireland, Canada (wonder if this was mis -transcribed and should be India?) and Glasgow.
This Alexander is a Chelsea Pensioner. No sign of wife, albeit says married rather than widowed.
Ignore above, just read Ambly's post at #9 and see I searched on Alexander rather than Archibald.
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If, as I think, your George and Elizabeth's daughter was the Christina born in Dec 1839, then it would seem she possibly died young, if following is her:
Christiana Sinclair Birth year 1840 , aged 2yrs and 6 months was buried at Berhampore on 14/5/1842.
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Hi Rob, I now see the marriage on Family Search - 26 Nov 1841, Berhampore, Bengal:
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FGNS-4XQ
(Good find on the death, Scotmum!)
Rob guess you must have seen the original marriage document though, to know his regiment and approximate birth year. When you say, "last known residence Lanarkshire", what did that mean?
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FGNS-4XQ
Hi Sancti, in that record for Archibald of the 50th in Crimea, there's an overwrite on the image, like H /R or something - do you have any idea what that might be about?
Cheers
AMBLY
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I edited my reply above about the chap in 1841 Lancashire. Wrong forename (Alexander) - my fault! We're looking for Archibald (mantra repeats to self)!
Cheers ::)
AMBLY
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Mmm, not seeing any obvious death for an Elizabeth Leitch/Seitch previously Sinclair, however, and it may just be co-incidence and an entirely different chap, but there is an Archibald Leitch marriage in Bengal on 28th June 1843 at Calcutta to a Rosanna Owen.
One transcipt has nothing against age for Archibald, and against status has '26, ship carpenter', whilst another has groom's age 26 and father Archibald Leitch. So, was he aged 26 or was the 26 in reference to something else?
On the Archibald Seitch to Elizabeth Sinclair marriage, one transcript has him as Seith and no age or status recorded, whilst another has nothing against age of Archibald, and against status has 'Pte., H. M. 26th'.
Update: Is it a co-incidence that '26' appears on both records? Could one source have mistakenly transcribed it as an age when it wasn't? Original of the Leith/Owen marriage clearly has an age column and says 26yrs, it also says bachelor, so not same chap as the 1802 born one. That said, the Leitch/Sinclair marriage, on checking original, does have an age column, and against Archibald says 'full', so no clear indication of his actual age and if he was the 1804 born chap.
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The image of the marriage of Archibald and Elizabeth shows that Elizabeth was a widow. Looking at the image the S in Seitch is actually exactly the same as the S in Sinclair. Archibald's surname has actually been transcribed as Seith (Seith may, therefore, be another option for searching elsewhere).
William
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Hi All,
you know, I never expected such a great response, Scot's mum what a find! I was very sad to learn that Christina had died, I really hoped she'd make it. Ambly, thank you again for your help
and interest, we definitely seem to be making progress!
Elizabeth Sinclair's maiden name was Johnston, she married (first of all) Robert Fisher Sgt., H.M. 26th Ft. He died in 1838 aged 29.
A few months later she marries my relative George Sinclair QMS H.M 26 Foot, they had Christina who we now know died. Then Elizabeth married Archie Seitch/Leitch (Private in 26 FT reg) and that's the last I know. Wonder if Elizabeth made it, or married again. I think she was born in India!
Thanks again folks for all your help!
regards, Rob