RootsChat.Com

Well - scotlandspeople records have been useful!  It's very clear the John Bishop born to William Bishop and Helen Maxwell in 1809 is not our one since there's a death record showing he died aged 10 weeks.   Same parish and father, a chimney sweep, in both baptism and death records.   Rather unfortunate since I don't have more than a guess as to his actual parents!

Firstly his age : told the army (in 1928 and 1852 - consistent!) he was 20 in 1829 hence the 1809 birth year.    However the 1871 Census Record which is clearly his indicates 1812 as does his apparent death record.  I have no good idea why he'd lie to the recruiting people - doesn't seem there was much of a minimum age requirement - but I'm very inclined to think 1812 is right.   Perhaps he thought he'd be an initially perceived as a bit more senior than a 17 year old?

My 1812 assertion is supported by there not appearing to be any 1809 baptised alternatives.  I've discarded any 1814 baptisees - can't see a 15yo claiming to be 20!?!?  Re 1812 Johns - it's not son of John B & Jane Henderson's as asserted by you, Monica, above.  All I'm left with is son of George Bishop & Hellen Linton, born 26 Jan 1812 at Portabello, baptised Edinburgh St James Place Relief on  16 Feb 1812.   (They had another son, George, same place in 1817.)  This, however, is a purely name and place on a single document based - notoriously unreliable!

But wait, there's more : there's a baptism record on 4 Mar 1832 at Oldham, Lancashire of a Christiana daughter of Christiana and one John Bishop "soldier in the 91st Regm of Foot".   https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939J-4LVL-Q?i=397  Can't be anyone other than "our John"!   So, now we have :
 - Christiana b 1832 in Lancashire mother "Christiana",
 - George Manson b 1837 at Dingwall, Scotland mother "Catherine Shanon",
 - William b 1839 d 1840 at Jamestown, St Helena mother "Catherine",
 - James McKay b Oct 1841 at St Helena, bap Dec 1841 at Cape Town mother "Catherine",
 - Elizabeth Anna b 1844 at Fort Beaufort, Eastern Cape mother "Christiana" (remember her?), and,
 - Living in 1871 at Burton-Bradstock, Dorset with "Ann(e?)".
Bigamist?  Philanderer?  Unlucky widower? Husband of lady using different names at different times?

Have to say old John is giving me the proverbial pain in the posterior!

Hi vangasser - Seems my wife is your 3rd cousin : George Bishop, James's brother, is her great-grandfather.   I have likewise been very thankful for help from MonicaL & iwccc!   

I'm still busy establishing John Bishop's timeline (thank goodness for his military records - on ancestry) and his immediate family.  There was another son born on St Helena, William, b 1839 & d 1840 and a daughter Elizabeth Anna born at Fort Beaufort, bap 1844. 

Catherine (Shanon per George's baptism record .... in Dingwall, Scotland of all places!) was mother of George, William and James but Elizabeth baptism record says mother Christiana.   Then his last wife (per 1861 England Census) was Ann??   Looking for Catherine Shanon I saw practically all the Shanon's came from Ireland in those days and then this afternoon discovered John's 91st Regiment was based in Ireland from July 1835 to at least December 1835.  Will investigate further.

I agree with you the era of the deceased person's parents and children being listed on South African Death Notices (mainly for Probate reasons!) was extremely useful in establishing links between parents and children!   Getting to see John's DN in Dorset would be very difficult but even if one could the DNs in the UK don't seem to have all that parent & children linkage info.

Enough for now,
WeeJM