Royal Engineers in India

[gortonboy]

do you have his marriage in india...i have found this one

 Presidency of Marriage   Unspecified     
 Marriage Year   1861 - 1865     
 Husband First Names   Henry Charles     
 Husband Surname   Bell     
 Wife First Names   Maria Elizabeth     
 Wife Surname   Floyd     
 Prefix   N/11     
 Volume Number   2     
 Folio   151     
 LDS Film Reference   498604     
 IOR Reference   Z/N/11/2 

 edit.....whoops....it was charles henry that you were looking for.....sorry..  

[Trippy]

Hello

Unfortunately gortonboy couldn't help me pinpoint my man, but could anyone answer my original question....

I'm I correct in thinking that if he was a Royal Engineer, he would be listed in the British Army, and any service records would be held at the National Archives in Kew?.  Or would I find him listed in the Indian Army, and the records at the British Library?

Also if the death record relates to him, what does Asst surg 1st Class, BOM SMD mean.

Thanks in advance. Trippy.

[myluck!]

Not sure if this helps but there is a CHAS BELL listed on the 1861 census on board the ship TRAFALGAR
Single; age 22; born Salisbury, Wilts; address given as Royal Navy at Sea and in Ports abroad
This could be your ancestor and might mean your search should be in the navy not the army

They only other person looking lightly is a Charles Bell #150 b. 1850 attested 15.Jun.1870 and discharged from the 1st Brigade Nat.Arc. WO97/2284/94 only he looks too young to have been an engineer, married, abroad and a child in 1871

[myluck!]

http://www.sumgenius.com.au/bell_family_tree.htm
This family has very similar names and dates to yours
any chance there is a connection?
perhaps their Charles Henry married twice?
or is a cousin?

[Trippy]

thanks for the info, I had a look at the tree and I think this maybe another branch.  I will keep this to hand! for future reference.

do you know why someone in the Navy would have gone to India, excuse my ignorance.  Was this a common occurance.  I know it was popular for army people to move out to India.

Thanks for your help
Trippy

[myluck!]

Actually I have no idea but presumably the army had to get there somehow? and it maybe somewhere you hadn't tried

[LEOLINEDANCER]

Hello trippy your chap in the royal engineers is my gt grand father charles henry Bell married to evelyn jane fernandes

[GrahamSimons]

Asst Surg 1st Class BOM SMD

Looks like it's Assistant Surgeon 1st Class, Bombay Surgeon-Major Department.

If I'm right in this, his records are most likely with the East India Office Collection at the British Library.

[Trippy]

Hi Leolinedancer

As you can probably see this post is a couple of years old!

After my trip to Kew/BL where I was following a number of leads on the Bell side of my family.  I finally unravelled the Bell mystery (my tree was very complicated!), and proved my great great grandfather was Walter Henry Bell, my ggg grandfather was William Walter Bell.  How things become much clearer when you start looking at actual records, not snippets online..

The Charles Henry Bell was a dead end, and couldn't find a link to my Bell's, there maybe well be one....

Thanks for the post anyway, Trippy