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General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: aitch on Friday 11 October 24 15:51 BST (UK)
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Could anyone help please? I’m trying to find the parents of my 3x g,grandfather James Richardson, who married in 1822 in Alton Staffordshire & who died in 1838. I can’t find a likely baptism for him, though his death record gives his birth year at 1800.
His marriage record shows a ‘Pheby Richardson’ as a witness. I have traced her (born 1805) and am assuming she was his sister. The only clue I have to help in this is that she gives her birthplace in the 1861/71 & 1881 censuses as ‘Holland Batteries at Sea’, ‘Born at Sea’ and ‘Holland Battery’.
Does anyone have any knowledge of Holland Battery, or know whether there are any records of servicemen in Holland in around 1800-1805? Both James and Phoebe lived their adult lives in the same area of North Staffordshire, so I’d assume maybe a North Staffs Regiment?
Any help thoughts or ideas gratefully received – thanks! - Aitch
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Historically the term "battery" referred to a cluster of cannon in action as a group, either in a temporary field position during a battle or at the siege of a fortress or a city.
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@KGarrad - Thankyou for that. My military history knowledge is close to zero pre WW1, so happy for any and all information anyone!
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E.G. Amsterdam Battery
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amsterdam_Battery
Or could it refer to one of the forts in the North Sea?
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My home town, Portishead, has a defunct Napoleonic installation on Battery Point!
Protecting the Bristol Channel/Severn Estuary from French attack.
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Presumably a floating battery https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floating_battery
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@KGarrad @ShaunJ. Thankyou both. Interesting reads all round and given that Phoebe cites 'Holland Batteries at Sea' maybe could suggest it was a floating one, What is a bit baffling for me is what women were doing on board for her to have been born there? Would it have been normal to have women in/on a battery? And would they have been British or was it possible that they may have been Dutch for example if it was in or around Holland as she suggests? Any thoughts?
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Have you traced the William Richardson who was a witness at Pheby's wedding?
https://search.findmypast.co.uk/record?id=GBPRS%2FSTAFF%2FKINGSLEY-MARRIAGES-D1478-11-1813-1837%2F00043&parentid=GBPRS%2FSTAFF%2FMAR2%2F033916%2F2
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@ShaunJ I've tried to work out who he is - but haven't been able to prove which one he might be There are several William R's around and although all villages are close by, I can't assume any of them. I also link to some of these Richardson families through my paternal line (Phoebe & James are a maternal line), so have researched a good swathe of the local Richardson families and no sign of a likely James in the mix. It's fairly possible that I might link with him through both M & P lines - such is the gene puddle of Staffordshire Moorland families!
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At that time it was not uncommon for a Naval wife to accompany her husband on board ship, I have come across babies being born at sea. In the same way, a limited number of Army wives were able to accompany their husbands overseas. So a baby could be born in a foreign station or aboard ship travelling to or from a posting.
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Thankyou @Jebber. I guess it's one hope too many that there might be records for any of these Napoleonic era servicemen? Any thoughts?
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I did have a Quick Look before I posted but couldn't find anything. It's difficult not knowing which service, if any. Records that early are very thin on the ground.
I have a direct ancestor in the Royal Navy much later and I have found very little about him, although I know his last ship and pension records.
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Thanks - I guessed that might be the case. Mariners are pretty thin on the ground in the landlocked Staffordshire Moorlands, so my gut feeling would be that he'd was more likely have been a soldier, which I'd guess would might make him even less likely to be able to trace!