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Messages - blue jay

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Armed Forces / Re: Looking for information on Thomas Roker, Royal Artillery Driver, Dublin 1860
« on: Friday 08 March 19 00:37 GMT (UK)  »
Sorry if my message was a bit unclear heywood.  I realize Thomas would have been posted to the Portobello Barracks in Dublin (with the Royal Artillery).  What I am trying to find out is where he attested to the Royal Artillery .. was it in Dublin, or somewhere in England closer to his home perhaps, and then subsequently posted to Dublin?  Also, I’d like to find out when he joined the Royal Artillery .. do you have any idea where I might find any of that information?

The newspaper article you quoted was most interesting, even though a little too close to Thomas’s marriage date to be his actual unit, as you said.  Can I ask where and how you find articles like that?

Thanks so much for your help .. it’s really appreciated.

Wendy

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Armed Forces / Re: Looking for information on Thomas Roker, Royal Artillery Driver, Dublin 1860
« on: Wednesday 06 March 19 22:10 GMT (UK)  »
Yes, whiteout7, that’s my Thomas and his parents.  I’ve not come across any ‘Roberts’ in my family, so I’m assuming that must be another family?  Perhaps related in some way?

Thank you for your help Heywood.  I do have that information regarding Thomas’s service with the 77th, beginning in July of 1860 - thank you.  You might have noticed that his birth year at attestation to the 77th was 1840, although I believe he was actually born in 1838.  Since he felt the need to attest under an assumed name, (albeit that of his wife ‘Ingham’) I feel he also perhaps felt the need to change his personal details to avoid detection.  As you suggested, he may also not have wanted to admit to his service with the Royal Artillery, perhaps because he might have deserted, as suggested previously on Rootschat. 

Does anyone know how or where I might access Royal Artillery records for the period of approximately 1855 to 1860?  I would really like to know where and when Thomas joined the Royal Artillery and how he came to be in Dublin with them in 1860.

Thanks to all for your continued assistance!

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Armed Forces / Re: Looking for information on Thomas Roker, Royal Artillery Driver, Dublin 1860
« on: Wednesday 06 March 19 03:55 GMT (UK)  »
Thanks Whiteout7, I didn’t know how to link the previous chat! 

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Armed Forces / Looking for information on Thomas Roker, Royal Artillery Driver, Dublin 1860
« on: Wednesday 06 March 19 00:44 GMT (UK)  »
Hello everyone .. Thomas Roker is my GG Grandfather. He was born in Croydon, Surrey in 1838. I am trying to find information regarding his service with the Royal Artillery .. where and when he enlisted, how long he served etc. 

A little background information on Thomas. In 1860 he was a driver with the Royal Artillery stationed at the Portobello Barracks, Dublin.  This information was obtained from the marriage certificate of his marriage to Sarah Ingham in June of 1860.  Shortly after his marriage, in July 1860, he attested to the 77th. Middlesex Regiment of Foot at Dublin (under the assumed surname of Ingham) and was subsequently sent to India, where he served until discharge due to ill health in 1868. I have quite a bit of information about his time in India thanks to the generous help of Rootschat members a few years back. 

What I am trying to find out now is how Thomas got from his home in Croydon, Surrey, to serving with the RA in Ireland in 1860. I have memberships to Findmypast and Ancestry, but so far I can’t seem to find any information on the RA around 1860 or a little earlier.  I feel sure there must be some information on FindMyPast and I’m hoping someone may be able to steer me in the right direction.

Thanks for your help,

Wendy

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Other Countries / Re: Roker family in India
« on: Thursday 19 October 17 16:26 BST (UK)  »
Good morning everyone!  I'm in Canada, so just reading all the wonderful responses to my inquiry. It will take me a little while to retrace my steps and to process the new information.  You have all given me a great deal of food for thought, not to mention a lot more researching!

With all the searching I have done on the family, I can't believe I missed checking the GRO for the two later daughters who were born in Croydon, which would of course have given me the maiden name of Ingham!  I made a rookie mistake of being too focused on the one family member.  My apologies to everyone for that omission on my part.

To add a little more information - my search started with my Great-Grandmother Sarah Jane Roker. Before both of my parents passed away (1991 and 2010), I had asked my Dad to write down as much family history, on both sides of my family, as he could. This was when I learned that my GG's maiden name on my Mother's side was Roker.

ShaunJ - thanks for all your help and information. I agree that there seems to be too many similarities between the 'Inghams' in India and what I thought were the Rokers in India for this to not be correct. The thing that confuses me though is that UK Census records for 1871 and 1881 show the 'Roker' family, with head Thomas, wife Sarah and the children born in India.  Do you think he changed his surname back to Roker on returning to the UK from India?  If Thomas was in the army in India (as Thomas Ingham) why might he change his name back to Roker upon returning to the UK?  Would he not have been entitled to an army pension, under the name of Ingham? 

Can I ask where/how you were able to access the baptism records for Sarah and the other children? 

I'm so thrilled to have more avenues to check out and thank you all for your help and guidance  :)

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Other Countries / Roker family in India
« on: Thursday 19 October 17 03:15 BST (UK)  »
Hi everyone. This is my first post. I'm hoping someone might be able to help me find the reason my Great-Great Grandparents went from Croydon, Surrey to India, sometime between 1859 and 1862. 

Here's what I know already:  my GG Grandparents, Thomas Roker (b 1838 Croydon) and Sarah Ellen Roker (nee Freeman, b approx. 1841 Dublin, Ireland) were married in Bermondsey, Surrey in December 1858.

They must have travelled to India sometime between 1859 and 1862, because their first child, Caroline Roker, was born in Allahabad, East Indies approximately 1862. 

Their second child, Sarah Jane Roker, was born in Bareilly, East Indies approximately 1865. This is my Great-Grandmother.

Their third child, Thomas Roker, was born in Peshawar, East Indies approximately 1867.

The Rokers subsequently had two more children who were born in Croydon after their return from India. The information regarding the children born in India was taken from 1871 and 1881 UK Census records.  On the 1871 Census Thomas is listed as a Gardener and on the 1881 Census as a General Labourer.

I'm wondering if there would be birth or baptism records somewhere for those three children born in India?  So far I haven't had any luck in finding anything. I was in touch with the British Library some time ago, but they were not able to find any information regarding the Roker family.

Oh, one other bit of information - when Sarah Jane Roker eventually married (Arthur Bolton married 1882), her father, Thomas Roker, was listed as 'Pensioner' on the marriage certificate ( which I have).

Would be grateful for any further information anyone can give me.


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