94th Regiment in Malta 1832 to 1834

[HelenCoulterPhair]

Hi,

I have two second cousins who married each other;

Louisa Mary Whaite born 1865 Westport, Co Mayo, Ireland
(daughter of John Edmund WHAITE & Isabella Du BéDAT, married 1861 Dublin, Ireland)

married 1898 Hampshire, England

Charles David St Clair WEDDERBURN born 1864 Roslin, Midlothian, Scotland
(son of John Walter WEDDERBURN & Margaret Anne WHAITE, married 1854 Castle Eden, Durham, England).

John Edmund WHAITE born c1830 unknown (Major in North Lincolnshire regiment of Foot)&
Margaret Anne WHAITE born c1837 Templeton, Ireland, are half siblings. 

I'm trying to find out their mother's names.
(Esp Margaret's mother, the daughter of my husbands gggGrandfather Edward PATON.)

Their father is Thomas WHAITE.

Margaret Anne WHAITE's grandfather, Edward PATON born 1796 Stirling, Scotland was an Armourer & Quarter master of 42nd Regiment.  He was in Ireland & Malta, as was his son, also an armourer, so it's likely that his daughter, Margaret's mother, was also there.

I've found the following, but don't know how to verify it:

from:

 http://website.lineone.net/~remosliema/britisharmy1.htm

Judith WHAITE, died 14th July 1832, Garrison at Malta, aged 24 years, the wife of Colour-Sergeant Thomas WHAITE, buried Msida Bastion Cemetery, near Floriana, Malta.

Thomas WHAITE, Sergeant-Major, 94th Regiment, married 24th October 1834  in Malta, to Sarah PATON

Does anyone know how to find out more about this?

What is a "Colour-Sergeant" and could this be the same Thomas Whaite remarrying after his first wife dies, could a Colour-Sergeant in 1832 become a Sergeant-Major in 1834?

Which 94th regiment is this, there seem to be several? 

Kind regards,
Helen

[km1971]

Hi Helen

A Colour Sergeant was a senior sergeant between Sergeant and Sergeant Major. Each battalion had 8-10 Colour Sergeants and two of them would carry the two battalion colours on parade. So it is a near certainty that the two Thomas Whaites are one and the same. So the two women will be the respective mothers of the two half-siblings. Each battalion usually had one Sergeant Major.

You are very lucky to have the information from Malta. The army was just not interested in wives and children, except when the soldier died, and they would give them free transport back home - assuming she did not re-marry within the regiment. There was no widow’s pension at the time for the ‘other ranks’, so most widows and the children would end up in the workhouse. You may find more in the regimental BMDs on sites such as Findmypast. Entries should have 94th in the index.

This 94th Regiment was the last one to bear that number. They acquired the title in 1802. They were briefly disbanded from 1818 to 1823. Thereafter they kept it until merging with the 88th Regiment to become the Connaught Rangers in 1881. They can actually trace their history back to 1568 when they were part of the Scots Brigade.

John Edmund was probably born in Gibraltar. The 94th were there before Malta. They served in Malta until December 1834 when they moved to Ireland. They sailed for Ceylon in October 1838.

Thomas actually ended up as an officer:

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/19647/pages/1821

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/19937/pages/37

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/20369/pages/2685

I cannot find when he retired/died. Also he must have married again as Anne Elizabeth Barbara Whaite – widow of the Adjutant of the 94th Regiment - was awarded a pension of £40 a year from 7th June 1844. The fact that this was before his last promotion in the LG can probably be explained by the fact they were in India, and news of his promotion would have taken months to reach London. In September 1844 another officer was appointed Adjutant.

Ken

[HelenCoulterPhair]

Thank you very much for all the info, Especially explaining about the rôles of the colour-serjeant etc.  It doesn't sound like much fun being an army wife, a bit of a high risk occupation.  Thomas seems to have got through 3 wives.

Edward Paton, the father of Thomas' second wife was Quartermaster of the 52nd so will have been well aquainted with army life.  He died in 1850 and left a legacy to his granddaughter, who by then seems to have lost both her parents.  (she later married a Major in the Royal Perth Rifles). 

Many thanks for your help,
Helen