COLEMAN born NSW 1836

[Cazay]

Hi Mary

The 1823, 1824, 1825 Muster List of NSW shows Maria Wilkes, convict, Lord Wellington 1820, 14 years.........Sydney (wife of William Wilkes)

There was no George Coleman Mangles 1824 listed but there is nothing to say that he is the George Coleman you are looking for.  You will need to find out something about the parents to begin looking in the right direction so as you are in the UK you can order a transcription on the NSW bdm website.  There usually isn't a lot of information on these early baptisms but you need to start somewhere.

Cazay

[Mimble]

Thank you all very much for your interest and help. I will follow this up.
Mary

[Oz Peggy]

Hi Mary, just read your entry re Coleman.I can get access to the early births or baptisms to check the entry for you but not until Wednesday.I could also check convict indents for you.I have been using these resources for my research on convicts and there are many errors in the transposing as you can imagine,mainly because of age and poor handwriting!
Marg.

[Mimble]

Thanks Peggy
I have just ordered a copy of Edmund's birth certificate from http://www.bdm.nsw.gov.au .  Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated.
Yours
Mary

[Mimble]

Well I have received the Baptism certificate and it tells me that George Coleman was a Bandmaster, 4th Regiment!

So he wan't a convict after all. Awww!
Still, at least I have something to go on with tracing his origins. Anyone have any ideas how to proceed?

Thanks for all your help with this, it is intriguing,
Mary

[CuriousDiana]

Mary,
What name is given for Edmund's mother? I cannot find a marriage for George Coleman in the NSW BMDs, so he may have brought his wife here with him from England. The 4th Regt was The 4th (The King's Own) Regiment of Foot and served in various parts of Australia from 1832 to 1837. Many of its members remained in Australia.
There is a list of names of those who remained (www.regiments.org) which includes a William Coleman, but not George Coleman. That same website will give some info re the Regt, including its Museum, The King's Own Royal Regiment Mumeum, Lancaster. There are phone numbers and an email address  - you could contact them for personal information re past members of the Regt.
The PRO, London will have military records, possibly even the Description Books. The Mitchell Library, Sydney, also will have records of any British regiment which served here.  Description Books give the name, previous occupation, where from, age, physical description, etc of every soldier.

There are 2 deaths in Sydney you might consider for George, that is if you know he remained here.  There is one in 1862 and one in 1872.  If all other enquiries fail, you could try these as NSW death certificates show parents' names if known to the informant, place of birth, how long in the colony, etc.  If you think he returned to England, the Museum records in Lancaster may be able to confirm this.

The website above also can tell you the names and dates of the ships which brought the 4th Regt to Australia.

Diana

[Mimble]

Thank you Diana
That is very interesting and gives me lots to follow up. Edmund's mother is given as Maria Coleman. I don't know if the family remained in Australia, all I know is that Edmund was in South Africa by 1863 and married  Marjorie Hester Moodie in that year.
Mary

[Mimble]

Well, at last I have followed this up.

George Coleman joined the army as a drummer boy at the age of 9 in 1807, and was discharged at the age of 41, "worn out in the service". I should think so when you look at his record of service!

The regiment he joined, the 29th, was posted to the Peninsula and fought its first battle there in 1808. They fought many fierce and memorable battles throughout the Peninsula campaign, where Wellington called them 'the best Regiment in this Army'.

Then they were posted to North America in 1814, but did not see much action.  In 1816 they were urgently recalled to deal with the resurgent Napoleon but arrived back just too late to take part in the Battle of Waterloo. By now George was a Private, and got married in 1819 to Maria.

In 1824 he became a musician in the 4th Regiment, then became a private, sergeant and bandmaster. In 1837 - 1839 he served in India and New South Wales, and was discharged in 1840. His character was exemplary: "His general conduct has been that of a very well-conducted and efficient soldier".

Son of a labourer and born in Gillingham in 1798, he must have had an exciting and much travelled life!
Mary

[softly softly]

Hi,
Family pilot search has a George Coleman baptised 24.3.1799 Chatham Kent. Parents John and Mary Coleman. Chatham & Gillingham are within2/3 miles of each other.

John