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Beginners => Family History Beginners Board => Topic started by: stewpot72 on Friday 19 February 21 15:38 GMT (UK)
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This is a follow up to an earlier post as I have uncovered further details.
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=842226.0
My G G Grandmother, Henrietta Stewart, married John Barton in 1847 and on the birth certificate for just one of her children she records her name as Henrietta Sherlock Barton, nee Stewart. Sherlock was the puzzling bit - where had this come from?
Her father, Robert Stewart, was a retired sergeant major in the 29th foot, so I wrote to the now Worcestershire regiment to see what records they had for him and to see if they could shed any light on the name. No Robert Stewart on their records anywhere. In a moment of inspiration, I asked if they had any records for Robert Sherlock instead and BINGO!!
Robert Sherlock was born in Co. Carlow and, after serving in the Wexford Militia, he enlisted in the 19th foot regiment in September 1812. He served for almost 25 years, and at one time was based in Mauritius for around 8 years. This is where Henrietta says she was born. He retired, as a sergeant major, in 1834.
Any thoughts on why, apparently after his army service, he changed his name to Stewart? Was it because he was Irish but had served in the British army? And when? I can't think he did it while he was serving - I don't know if the army would have allowed that.
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No birthyear given for Henrietta or marriage location. Freebmd shows marriage was in Liverpool - cert shows her as "full age"
Have you found Henrietta or her father on the 1841 census?
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I believe Henrietta was born around 1826 when her father was posted to Mauritius. No, I can't find Henrietta or her father on the 1841 census but I have Henrietta's details for 1851 to 1871. She married John Barton in September 1847.
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1851 her birthplace is East Indies - 1825
1861 - Isle of France 1823 ( this could be Mauritius)
1871 East Indies 1827
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Thank you Carole but it’s Richard Sherlock I am interested in and why he changed his name.
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Nom de guerre
war surname taken for military duty
1.assumed surname to perhaps protect family from reprisals
2. break from the past
3.a dissociation from domestic life
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Many thanks. Are you thinking that he took on the name Sherlock for his military service then perhaps reverted or changed to Stewart afterwards?
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Could he potentially have used a surname because of a well known person with the same surname (regardless of whether or not he was actually related to that person)? That could be positive or negative- avoiding association with that person, or playing up to an association with that person?
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I've had a look at two webpages to get a sense of the history at the time your ggf lived.
Genuki shows that he was born in a predominantly Catholic area and the other website shows the activities of the Irish Finnian dissidents wanting home rule. It was only in recent memory that Prince Charles (for example) was allowed to marry a person of the Catholic faith.
During one TV programme of "Who Do You Think You Are"., one Catholic Priest showed the names in his parish records and said that he saw his parishioners walk across the fields to be registered in the protestant church records in order to get a job, because at that time Catholics were the last in line for applications for work.
This makes me think that he deliberately chose not to use his Scottish/Irish surname of Stewart/Stuart and used the English "Sherlock" surname to protect his kith and kin.
https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/irl/CAR
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Irish_uprisings
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Many thanks. Are you suggesting that he used the name Sherlock when he enlisted then changed to Stewart afterwards?
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Is this connected?
Marriage at Prestbury, Cheshire, 7 June 1821
Robert Sherlock, of Macclesfield, Colour Sergeant of the 29th Regiment of Foot
+
Frances Cartwright, of Macclesfield, Spinster and Minor
by Licence
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6QWT-5
Allegation here
Robert Sherlock, of Macclesfield, in the parish of Prestbury, Colour Sergeant, age 21 and upwards, Widower
to marry Frances Cartwright, age 17 and upwards, Spinster and Minor
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-676K-J
With consent of, and including statement from, her father James Cartwright
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Is there a signature on the WO 97 record? Which I can't access!
Anything else useful?
Robert Sherlock, born Carlow
Served in 29th Foot Regiment
Discharged aged 38 (1834)
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C8741138
Some entries in UK, British Army Muster Books and Pay Lists, 1812-1817
Robert Sherlock, 1st Battalion, 29th Foot
Has been promoted from private to corporal
UK, Regimental Registers of Service, 1756-1900 (WO 25)
29th Foot
Robert Sherlock, born Carlow
Has physical description
Attested in 1812 at Enniskillen, age 16 years 244 days
Two entries for Robt Sherlock, 29th Foot, in WO 23 on the other pay site. Could be useful!
Give district of pension payment. May give date of death.
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Were Henrietta's parents married before she was born?
If her name at birth was Henrietta Sherlock Stewart, but her father's surname was Sherlock, this would suggest to me that her mother's surname was Stewart and her parents weren't married at the time.
It seems odd for a man to change his surname when he's in his fifties or thereabouts. The only time a man in my extended family tree changed his surname was because of inheritance. (I'm not saying this to discount the other theories mentioned in this thread.)
Regards,
Josephine
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BT of the 1821 marriage
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-62V8-9T9
Of course even if it is the right Robert Sherlock (it may be), we have no knowledge yet of the death of either him or Frances, or his first wife - if he was widowed as per the allegation - or any other later wives.
Indeed, there are more than just one possible reason that Henrietta may have been Stewart, or using the Stewart name. Robert Sherlock may never have used the name Stewart. It remains to be seen! Finding out where he was living after leaving the army, and when he died, would be a good start. Can the registers in WO 23 help there? Presuming it is the same Robert. Can anybody see them? :-\
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Have just come across a site with a record of a Robert Sherlock 1841 death and a Francis Sherlock widow marriage in 1843 Mauritius
http://www.cgmrgenealogie.org/actes/chercher.php
My French is not brilliant so someone else might be able to find more but this search throws up the surname including a Robert Sherlock 29 reg as witness 1830
http://www.cgmrgenealogie.org/actes/chercher.php
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Just tried the links and sorry they don't work, this is the homepage
http://www.cgmrgenealogie.org/actes/index.php
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Well found!
What to make of it all?
The gist
Death certificate/burial
COE St James's Cathedral
Department: Diocese (Anglican) of Mauritius
Deceased Name: Robert SHERLOCK
Date : 19/04/1841
Origin: Port Louis
Sex: Male
Profession: Surveyor of Roads
http://www.cgmrgenealogie.org/actes/acte_deces.php?xid=222195&xct=7654
Marriage certificate
COE St James's Cathedral
Department Diocese (Anglican) of Mauritius
Date 14/01/1843
Husband's name: John Holdcraft SMITH
Full age, Widower, Mahébourg Home
Profession: Professor of Music
Wife's name: Francis SHERLOCK
Comment: Full age, Widow
Plus witnesses, and more info
http://www.cgmrgenealogie.org/actes/acte_mari.php?xid=234089&xct=6966
Add this
Timeline of movements of the 29th (Worcestershire) Regiment
http://www.worcestershireregiment.com/bat_1_timeline.php
We see them in Gibraltar and Chocques, France, around the time of those muster rolls
1821 in Macclesfield :)
And, yes, Mauritius from 1826
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Phew did translate the right place!
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Also there is a death of a John Holdcroft Smith in 1856
Age 72
(Late?) Band Master H.M. 67th Royal Irish Fusiliers
Says female!
What happened to Frances?
Willsy, it is remarkable stuff that you have dug up.
It could be Robert Sherlock of the 29th, and wife Frances who married in Macclesfield.
Or an amazing coincidence!
Though we still await possible further military records for Robert.
Not making much sense regarding Henrietta Stewart though. Unless she was illegitimate or something like that :-\
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Can't see anything for Frances but the other marriages throw up Thomas Hubbard Sherlock...Inspector of Police 1858, might help the search
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Ah, yes, I see him now, he is a witness on a couple of marriages.
And here is your Robert Sherlock the witness from the 1830 marriage (Robert Forrest + Sarah Abbot)
http://www.cgmrgenealogie.org/actes/acte_mari.php?xid=314322&xct=6497
John
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A bit of info from Robert Sherlock's service records:
Served (no dates given)
1 year in the Penisula
4 months in Gibraltar
11 months in North America
3 years and 4 months with the Army of (Recupation?) in France
7 years and 5 months in the Mauritius
Most of what I can see is regarding an event in 1833 (in Mauritius), which cost him his arm.
He stated he was out walking with two of his children. They were returning home and had to go up a steep bank. He went first, but knowing the children would need a hand, lowered the butt of his rifle down for the first one to grab on to in order to pull him up. Somehow the weapon discharged shattering his upper arm. Long story short, it was amputated later that night.
The investigation (mandatory to prove accident vs anything else) into this included testimony from one of his sons present, a James Sherlock. James stated he and his brother were following their father home; unfortunately he never said his brother's name.
In February 1834, he wrote that he was no longer capable of carrying out his duties and asked to be discharged, adding that he wanted to remain in the colony. The deputy Adjutant General of Port Louis wrote on his behalf that Robert "was an old and deserving soldier who might yet have served some years but for the unlucky accident which lately caused him the loss of his left arm and whose unexceptionable character gives him the strongest claims to any indulgence."
I don't know if the son James will help or hinder the hunt, but good luck! It doesn't appear that Robert ever went by the Stewart name. Adopted perhaps?
Hopefully you can track his other children down for clues?
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Many thanks to everyone for all your input.
Bbart, could I ask where you found the details of where he was posted? I have a "service record" from when he was discharged which gives the dates of his promotions, plus the duration of his posting in Mauritius but no other details of postings.
And where did you find the details of his accident with a rifle? That's an amazing piece of information.
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Many thanks to everyone for all your input.
Bbart, could I ask where you found the details of where he was posted? I have a "service record" from when he was discharged which gives the dates of his promotions, plus the duration of his posting in Mauritius but no other details of postings.
And where did you find the details of his accident with a rifle? That's an amazing piece of information.
It was all in the "British service record"* at Findmypast. There was not a lot on actual service... the main focus of the pages they had was on the shooting incident. Unfortunately, the very last image they hold doesn't load, so there might be a tiny bit more info about it, or hopefully, it's just a closing page.
*Edit: Taking another look, it states it is from the series Wo 97 - Chelsea Pensioners British Army Service Records 1760-1913
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3 years and 4 months with the Army of (Recupation?) in France
Took another look at this; it must be the Army of Occupation. The writer makes very strange capital O's!
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Had a look at overseas births Mauritius and just noting the 3 indexed
George Henry Sherlock 1831
Sarah Frances Sherlock 1831
William Henry Sherlock 1833
and a passenger list for a Mrs Sherlock and child from Mauritius to Australia
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:7HHS-44W2
passengers arriving can be found on Trove
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I have looked up the Examination of Invalid Soldiers record you refer to but I cannot see the details of the accident that you mention, e.g. the letter requesting his discharge and the information about walking with his children when the accident happened. I have only recently taken out a sub to Findmypast so it maybe because I don't know my way around it properly. Your help would be greatly appreciated.
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At Findmypast:
Click SEARCH
Choose Military, armed forces & conflict
Enter name Robert Sherlock
That should bring up about 192 returns. About 5 entries down you should see:
Sherlock Robert 1796 - 1812 British Army Service Records Carlow Ireland
Click on the Image Icon to get to the first page. There is little arrows on the sides if there are more documents in his set.
I don't know if you can link from this, but this is the first page of the set for me:
https://search.findmypast.co.uk/record?id=GBM%2FWO97%2F0482%2F126%2F001&parentid=GBM%2FWO97%2F482%2F680056
If it works, keep hitting the right arrow to get through all the pages. The son James etc is on the 11th page: https://search.findmypast.co.uk/record?id=gbm%2fwo97%2f0482%2f126%2f011&parentid=gbm%2fwo97%2f482%2f680056
Let me know if that works!
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Many thanks again for the pointers. It's so easy when you know how. I was assuming that the little arrows were similar to those on Ancestry census pages and just took you to the next census page.
What an amazing history this has turned up. I might never know why there were two surnames but I now know more about Robert Sherlock than any of my other forebears.
Thank you again.