Northamptonshire Regiment 1898

[Stebie9173]

Fitting the movements together I have drafted the following rough timeline. Without knowing the exact dates of transfer between units there are some overlaps.


He also may have initially gone overseas with the 2nd Battalion to Singapore before transferring to the 1st Battalion when the 1st Battalion went overseas in 1892.


Steve.

[stevetewk65]

Evening guys,

that is some great stuff you've pieced together again, thanks. I'm on a flying visit to the laptop screen but definitely going to make time to take it all in later

Steve

[forester]

Whilst having no luck in finding Thomas Snr or any of the others in 1891 (any ideas?), I thought I would try a different tack and found these two:

RG12/567; Folio 56; Page 24
Centre Infantry Barracks, Aldershot
Percival Pearsall, Soldier, Single, 20, Lance Sergeant, 1st Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment, born Malta.

RG12/1650; Folio 61; Page 19
Verne Citadel, Portland, Dorset
Frederick William Pearsall, Soldier, Single, 19, Private, born Secunderabad, East Indies.
There is no regiment listed, including on the enumerator's report, but one source cites 2nd Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment.

I'm assuming (dangerous) that the first is Thomas, going by the regiment, age and place of birth but is the second, the right Frederick William?

Phil

[Stebie9173]

Good call, Phil.


I think Percival is pretty likely to be right. Date, place of birth, and battalion all match. The 1st Northamptons (to which he would have been posted in early 1889 after 4-5 months basic training) were based at Aldershot until going to India in late 1892.


I notice that Lance-Corporal Sydney Pearsall, age 19, 1st Northamptonshire Regiment, born in India (British Subject) is on the same page (line 11). Percival is on line 14.

(The 1st Northamptons moved from Malta to India in 1872 which strengthens the odds of Sidney James Pearsall being Thomas Snr's son, as the places of birth of T P H and S J follow Thomas Senior's movements with the 48th.


I have a date of early 1892 for Frederick William's enlistment going by numbers (3650 F A Mihill enlisted 13-12-1891) which would preclude him from being in the Northamptons. HOWEVER, it was possible, and bearing in mind the family connections, likely even that Frederick could have first served in the North Staffordshire Regiment and taken the option to serve with his brothers (as Queen's/King's Regulations allowed) and transferred to the Northamptons in 1892.

His place of birth is ok, but the age is a couple of years too old. But he may have lied about his age to join up?



Steve.

[forester]

Steve,

I didn't see the wood for the trees and didn't spot Sidney. He didn't come up on the search.

As for Frederick William.......I haven't got access to the overseas index, so can't check to see if there are others. A blanket search on the UK records isn't showing up any other contenders through the years. Is the Stafford MI the only other record of his age we have?

Phil

[Stebie9173]

The problem with Fred being 19 in 1891 is that Sidney would be that age too...


I think the MI is the only source.


Steve.

[forester]

Except that I have just found an Ancestral File on Family Search. The places are a bit spurious, but the birth dates are worth checking out. Frederick's is given as 30th May 1874.

I think you may be right about him fiddling his age. Maybe he was feeling left out.

Thomas Senior's marriage:

Dec Qu 1867; Romford 4a 203
Thomas Pearsall
Elizabeth Susannah Potton.

Phil

[Stebie9173]

My word - there's more than we thought!!!

Thomas Pearsall, Born 3 Apr 1841 at Kidderminster /  Married Elizabeth Susannah Potton 11 Jul 1867 at Warley, Brentwood, Essex.


The expanded list of children in date order: 

Elizabeth Lina PEARSALL, 9 Mar 1868, Of Kidderminster, Worcester, England
Mildred Agatha Mary PEARSALL, 31 Jan 1870, Of Kidderminster, Worcester, England   
Thomas Percival Hutchinson PEARSALL, 14 Mar 1871, Of Kidderminster, Worcester, England 
Sidney James PEARSALL, 26 Feb 1873, Of Kidderminster, Worcester, England
Frederick William PEARSALL, 30 May 1874, Of Kidderminster, Worcester, England   
Ethel Jane PEARSALL, 23 Jun 1876, Of Kidderminster, Worcester, England   
Evelyn Esther PEARSALL, 11 Sep 1877, Of Kidderminster, Worcester, England 
Harry Jones Howard PEARSALL, 12 Aug 1879, Of Kidderminster, Worcester, England   
Cyril Charles George PEARSALL, 4 Feb 1881, Warley, Brentwood, Essex, England
Gertrude Olive Margaret PEARSALL, 26 Oct 1887, Warley, Brentwood, Essex, England     
Ivy Winifred Helen PEARSALL,  29 Jan 1890, Warley, Brentwood, Essex, England


I note that the ones that were likely born abroad are noted as "Of Kidderminster".


The 1st Northamptons were at Warley from 1887 to November 1890 when they moved to Aldershot just in time for the 1891 Census.


There is a considerable tree there back to the 1500s...



There is a christening note for Frederick William dating the christening to 14 June 1874 at Bellary, Tamil Nadu, India.


Edit for spelling error

Steve.

[stevetewk65]

Steve/Phil...

you are going to explode my head! Everytime I log on you pair answer a question yet pose two more. Wow. This is amazing! Where do all these kids of TPH keep coming from!? i am glad we have placed Mildred as one of his though as I have tracked her teaching through the midlands and then on to Sheffield in 1901, although she has gone by 1911 (married or deceased)

I note they call him Percival which maybe fits why the photographs all list him as P Pearsall. Perhaps because his father was thomas he was always known by his second name Percival?

1500's...?!!

Steve