William Rufus Diamond

[londonscorpion]

Hi avm228,

Another thought on WRD's year of birth. According to the army records, WRD was underage for 4 years from 14 Sep 1838 to 3 Sep 1842, therefore I assume that the minimum age for recruitment was 18. Is it possible that he would (even could) have enlisted at age 12 (in 1826) or at age 10 (in 1828)?  I can understand that a tall fourteen year old may have been able to persuade recruiters that he was 18, but I find it difficult to believe the same of a 10 or 12 year old. Did the army ever enlist children that young? Was it legal?

[Daisypetal]

Hi,

I wonder if this is the William DIAMOND baptised 18 Jun 1830 in Brenchley, Kent?


1851  HO107/1635 f.359  p.5    Hastings St Mary in the Castle, Sussex
24 George Street

William DIAMOND    Shopman    Un    22    Draper's Shopman    Kent, Brenchley

Living in the household of Thomas MORGAN.


Where does this one disappear to though?

[londonscorpion]

Hi all,

I have just got WRD's Civil Service Evidence of Age document. It is a copy of page 140 of Baptisms solemnised in the Parish of Brenchley in 1830.

2 years and 3 months old when baptised
When baptised: 18 June
Childs Christian name: William son of
Father: Joseph
Mother: Matilda
Abode: St Pancras, London
Occupation: Carrier

It certifies that "the above is a true copy" and says it was "extracted this 16 day of March" 1866 "in the year of our Lord by me".

From the above we calculate his Dob to be March 1828.

I also have a post on the Armed Forces forum where WRD's military career is discussed. Here is the link for those who wish to read it - there is also more on his date of birth:

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=673376.20

Without any other documentary evidence it does seem that his birth year was most likely 1824. Remember, if we can find no sources, then just maybe there were none, and just maybe WRD's date of birth on his Military Records is from his own memory, which could be wrong. Bottom line I am still not sure that the CSEoA proves anything except perhaps that Joseph and Matlilda were not his parents. We search on!

[avm228]

Aaargh!

So if the age at baptism is right, he was only 10.5 yrs old when he enlisted in the Army.

And if on the other hand the Army records are right, he was 5 and three quarters when baptised but was recorded as 2 yrs 3 months. Hard to see how that mistake could be made.

 

[londonscorpion]

Hi avm

I agree entirely, but I am now suspecting that the William in the CSEoA is not our WRD. Shame but for the moment it needs more investigation - critically we need to see the Dorking records, if they exist!

[avm228]

I am now suspecting that the William in the CSEoA is not our WRD.

But doesn't the 1851 census for his wife Sarah (indirectly) place him firmly with Joseph & Matilda of Brenchley?

[MargP]

I agree

Margp

[londonscorpion]

You are right - it would, but only if that Sarah was WRD's Sarah. If it were WRD's Sarah, and this is confirmed by the marriage record for William Rufis and Sarah in Parsonstown, Ireland on 23 Feb 1848, it is not confirmed by the 1851 census where we find WRD, as a sergeant, in Barracks in Winchester marked as Unmarried. I have made a detailed study of the locations of the 13th LI and in 1848 they were in Ireland so I think we can rely on the marriage record.

[avm228]

WRD won't have had any input into the 1851 census record.  The barracks return will have been completed by someone else and, with such a long list of people, errors might easily have crept in - perhaps simply by a misplaced ditto. Another possibility is that for some reason he hadn't told the Army he was married (perhaps because he had not got his commanding officer's permission to marry) and hence was living in barracks as though he were a single man.

Anyway, you've satisfied yourself that he had married in 1848 and I agree you can rely on that. So the 1851 census for him is wrong in that he was in fact married rather than unmarried.

Are you thinking that the error in the barracks return undermines the finding for Sarah with Joseph & Matilda in Brenchley - if so, why?