"Parish of Lewes"

[Ann from Sussex]

Once again I am turning to Rootschat's Sussex board for help please.

My great grandfather's birth place and date are proving very difficult to track down. He was in the army in India in the mid-19thC and never appears on a census until 1871 when he was in the Cavalry Barracks at Colchester and gave his birthplace as Brighton. On all later censuses and living in either Brighton or Lewes, his birthplace remains as Brighton.No record of a birth or baptism for him has ever turned up in any Brighton records.  Now, however, I have just received his army discharge papers which include details that he gave at his attestation 21 years before. He told the army that he was "born in the Parish of Lewes, near the town of Lewes in the county of Sussex".
I have done quite a lot of family research in Lewes because this man's wife came from a very old Lewes family and my mother was born in the town. As far as I am aware, there isn't, and never was, such a thing as "the parish of Lewes". Isn't the town is divided into several different parishes, none of them called "Lewes" alone? Can anyone advise me about this please?

Also, I have wondered if this great grandfather was born into an army family and lead a wandering existence as a child which is why I can't find any records for him and why he never seemed to know when he had been born ( his ages vary from record to record). Can anyone tell me if there was a barracks in Lewes and, if so, which parish it was in? Would an army child have been baptized in the local church or would the ceremony have taken place in the barracks' chapel?

Sorry to post such a long request... but this man has me absolutely stumped!

Ann

[Chris in 1066Land]

Ann from Sussex

Thank you for that explanation which contained a lot of information, but no name for the person you are looking for.

Yes, there were barracks in Lewes as this gravestone suggests:

Sacred
To the memory of
Gunner Alfred Barrett
Royal Sussex Artillary Militia
who died
at the .......... Southover
on the 10th July 1859
Aged 18 years

This stone is erected by the
w .....  .... ..... Officers
and men of the Regiment
To which he belonged
READER
"Prepare to meet thy maker"
also
Gunner George Turner
of the above Rgiment
who died at the same place
2nd May 1863
aged 28 years.

This stone with other stones and similar inscriptions is in the Southover Churchyard, Lewes

Chris in 1066

[Chris in 1066Land]

Hi again

Another similar stone from Southover

Sacred/
To the memory of/
Edward Lee/
Late trumpeter, in the Royal/
Sussex Artillary Milita/
And also Musician in the/
Lewes Military and Town Band/
Who died in Southover/
May 22nd 1865/
Aged 22 Years/
This stone erected by the/
Members of the permanent/
Staff of the above regiment/
and the /
First Sussex Rifle Volunteers/

Footstone:- E.L 1865

[Ann from Sussex]

Chris: Thanks very much for your helpful replies. Sorry I forgot to include my great grandfather's name! It was GEORGE BEAUMONT and, as he was said to be 18 years and 6 months old when he enlisted in Jan. 1856, he should have been born May/June 1837.

I find it extremely interesting that those headstones are in Southover churchyard since this is the parish I associate most with my family. My Beaumont great grandparents lived (and died) at 29 Priory Street, my mother was born and grew up in that house and my parents were married at the Church of St John the Baptist, Southover.

 Does the existance of these headstones mean that Southover was the parish covering the barracks and therefore, could be where George was baptised?

Ann

[digging]

Try www.thesussexweald.org , it is a gold mine of information.
Regards
Mary

[digging]

Hi Ann
I am very rushed this afternoon, for which I apologise. I am the "Mary" that suggested www.thesussexweald.org and I am also the 3 x G Granddaughter of James Lally. I have looked a little closer at your posts and Daniel is my G Grandmother's brother. She was Anna Bridget b 1875 in Birr. I would be pleased to share any info with you.

Regards
Mary