1851 census Essex - 61st Regiment of Foot Soldiers

[katarina]

I am looking for James Kilroy who was a soldier in the 61st Regiment of Foot battalion during the mid 1800's but unfortunately I do not know where the battalion was stationed in 1851, so this is a long shot but if anyone comes across the regiment in Essex 1851 census please please could you leave a message for me!! I would be very grateful
James Kilroy married in 1853 in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk but a search has not found him in Suffolk during 1851, whence my asking here for help.

Thanks
Kat

[Paul J Ballard]

Katarina,

According to "Regiments of Foot" by H.L.Wicks the 61st Regiment of Foot became the 61st, South Gloucestershire Regiment in 1782 and subsequntly (1881) the 2nd Battalion of The Gloucestershire Regiment. They distinguished themselves at the battle of Chillianwallah (1849) against the Sikh Army, which outnumbered them by at least three to one. In 1857 they were also engaged in the Siege of Delhi. This indicates that James Kilroy may well have been on a tour of duty in India during 1851.

There is an excellent site with lots of information on the 61st at http://members.tripod.com/~Glosters/. The "official museum" website is at http://www.glosters.org.uk/index.html.

Paul

[katarina]

Paul,
         Thank you very much for your reply, it has given me some inroads on where to look next for information on my soldier ancestor.

Kat

[Thudnut]

Hi Katarina,
my Great Great Grandfather was Private 1990 John Hill of the 61st Regiment of foot.

The information I have on the Regiment for that period is as follows:
The 61st sailed for India in July 1845.  The 1000 men and families of the Regiment sailed in 5 ships, taking 126 days to reach India.  The Regiment was ashore by mid November and marched the 6 miles to Dum Dum.  The rest of the month was spent drawing "Indian kit" and training.

15th December the Regiment began the 600 mile march to Cawnpore, the families and baggage travelling by water when possible.  The Regiment arrived on the8th February 1846.  Over the next 6 months the Regiment lost 250 men, women and children to disease.

I see your post has been up for a while.  Hopefully you will have found your relative in the meantime.  If not, I hope this helps.
Kind regards,
Thudders

[katarina]

hello Paul and Thudnut,
                   
I haven't found out anything about my elusive James Kilroy yet - He is a hard man to pin down!

James was a Serg't in the 61st in 1853 and then later in 1862 he was a Pensioner of the 61st Reg, that is all that I have on him at the moment. I tried to find James and his family on the 1861 census for the uk but he is nowhere to be seen, but turns up in 1862 in London with his family(this is where one of his children was born and I have the birth certificate).

I'm hoping to get up to Kew to the National Archives on 26th Novemeber and see if I can find anything about James from records held there, but Im not very hopeful as James must been a Non Commissioned Officer in the 61st.

I have had a look at a site dedicated to the "Glorious Glosters" and found it very interesting. The information about the regiments movements over the years has enabled me to place James in different places during his life. What I really want is to pin point is where James enlisted, and from that where he was born. I have a feeling that James was born in Southern Ireland but I can not be certain yet.

Thudnut - I wonder if your John and my James served in the regiment together- possible isnt it.

Im going to keep on looking until i track him down!

Oh well, off to search the National Archives online now to see what records I should look at when i get there.


Katarina

[Thudnut]

Hi again Katarinna,
I dug out an old book - Cap of Honour (The Story of the Gloucestershire Regiment (28th/61st Foot), 1694 - 1975).  Author is David Scott Daniell.

The book is long out of print, but can be found for sale on the Internet.

It states that after the battle of Goojerat and a few skirmishes in and around the Khyber Pass, the 61st Foot were stationed at Peshawar for eight years, leaving that location in the spring of 1857.  That seems to cover the date period you are interested in.

Hope that helps, or if there's anything else you would like me to check in the book, let me know.
Kind regards,
Thudnut

[Valda]

You don't give ay clues as to James Kilroy's age or possible place of birth. On the 1851 census HO 107 1611 folio 791 there was a James Kilroy aged 33 an 'army private soldier' in Chatham Garrison Hospital. He was born 'Ballinrole'? Mayo Ireland. I can't see this man on the 1861 census.

Regards
Valda

[katarina]

hello Valda,
                 
You may have found James for me.  I believe James was born in Southern Ireland but I dont have any proof of this yet. The 61st Regiment of Foot was stationed in Ireland in 1843, first in Dublin during April then Limerick in July of that year, and that is possibly the year my James enlisted.

There is a problem of birthdate for James - In 1853 when he married he states that he was 30 years old, this making his birth year approx 1823. By 1871 when he died on 10th March  in St Giles District, Middx he was declared on his death extract as 56 years old, making his birth date approx 1815.
So all i can tell you is that he was born sometime between 1815-1823 poss in Southern Ireland.
There is talk in the family that James came over from Mayo, but it is just rumour as yet.

In 1862 James had his second child in St George, Bloomsbury, Middx and was noted on the childs birth extract as " Pensioner of the 61st regiment". Unfortunately I have not found James or his wife and children anywhere on the 1861 census in the uk.

I do not know what date the 1871 census was taken on but if it was before 10 March 1871 then I may be able to find out for sure if James was born in Ireland.

Valda, was there any other information on the 1851 census about James? The birth of this James is smack in the middle of the dates of birth for my james.

many thanks

Katarina

[katarina]

Hello Thudnut,
             
That has helped alot, thank you.  Although James married in 1853 his first child was not born until late 1859, this to me says that James was indeed on active service in India until 1857. I believe that sometime during 1857- 1862 James became unable to continue his service in the army and must have applied for or been granted a pension.

If you find any mention of James Kilroy in your book please let me know.

Just out of interest - Do you know how old the men had to be when they enlisted in the 61st?  Was there an entry age of say 21 years old? Would it mention something like that in your book i wonder.

Many thanks

Katarina