Grave Photo Sought in Epsom Cemetery

[hurley42]

Hi ShaunJ

Yes I knew about the links to Farnham workhouse and the 1881 Census link but not about the newspaper references. He left the Royal Artillery in late 1875 and was last stationed on IOW. I have given a draft of my findings to date to the Epsom Historical Society for their records.

Are all of these references from the Military Gazette ? (I do have free access to many UK newspapers via the Australian National Library).

Thank you for those comments. It all adds up to an interesting story.

I already have some 20 pages on his brother Henry who came to NSW in 1875 and had a career with the NSW Railways. He retired in 1912 and had a divorce in 1888-89.

Fortunately both brothers were employed in public sector agencies with extensive work records that are fully traceable some 135 years later !

I have found the Irish records hard to search (as they were both born in Co Westmeath - John in Delvin and Henry at nearby Rosmead - an estate where a one time Governor of NSW - Sir Hercules Robinson -  once resided) but the UK and NSW material is plentiful (and in some instances free to search).

Cheers

Robert

[ShaunJ]

The Southampton item is in the The Hampshire Advertiser for April 21st 1877 on page 6. You can find it in both Gale and BNA.

The Aldershot Military Gazette item can be found in BNA, as can a few more mentions of him in court appearances in other papers

[hurley42]

Hi ShaunJ

OK thanks very much for the newspaper details.

I assume the court appearances were in relation to his job with the workhouse or later with the guardian board ??

His brother in NSW also appeared in court as a witness on several occasions in relation to his role as a Station Master. Interesting.

Cheers

Robert

[ShaunJ]

The Boards of Guardians were the local administrators of the Poor Law. The workhouses and their infirmaries were their responsibility. So to go from Porter to Relieving Officer would perhaps be a normal career progression within the system.

One of his court mentions (in 1882) was the prosecution of an inmate of the Epsom Workhouse who had tried to throttle him (Surrey Mirror, 29 July 1882).

[ShaunJ]

The start date in this transcription of a 1927 article is wrong:

"Mention should be made of the appointment of Mr. John Nixon as porter in March,
1883, because he subsequently became one of the relieving officers (in 1884) and still enjoys
his old age on his superannuation allowance...."

http://www.epsomandewellhistoryexplorer.org.uk/EpsomUnionWorkhouseNewspaperReports.pdf

[hurley42]

Thanks for the leads ShaunJ.
I have a lot more research to do I guess !

Cheers

Robert

[hurley42]

Hi Sue

I have sent you a personal message with my contact details.

Hope the system works as I have not used this function before and my email system has been problematic lately !

Cheers

Robert

[Langley Vale Sue]

Hi Robert

I got your PM, thanks.
I hope to get to the cemetery tomorrow, Wednesday, if it's not raining too hard!

Sue

[Langley Vale Sue]

Hi Robert

I have just emailed you some photos of John Nixon's grave.  Please let me know if they are not clear enough and I will try again! 

Sue
.