Stoney - my husband's g- grandfather was in the Royal Artillary at about the same time, he fought in the Zulu wars. I wonder if they knew each other?
Ellen
Possible, I suppose! I've not tried to find out about William's military career yet - just know about him being in Bermuda as his third child, Amelia, was born there, which means his wife and probably the two elder children were there too!
In the Baptisms recorded for St George, Bermuda, 1861, he's listed as a Corporal - I wouldn't have thought the army would have allowed him to take his family with him (think of the expense!) and his rank would surely not have been that high up to make a difference!
I've no idea if he took part in the Zulu wars - none of the children appear to have been born in that part of the world and there.
Remind me, when did those conflicts take place? Most of William's children arrived at two-year intervals except the gap between William jnr. b.c.1857 (Ireland) and the next child, Amelia, b.1861, Bemuda. So if the Zulu wars occurred then it could explain the "gap" in the children, if the wife was left at home.
Alternatively, there may have been infant mortalities I haven't discovered - I'm working mainly from the 1871 census onwards, as the family would have been out of Britain in 1861 and William and Mary don't appear to have married by 1851!
