Research help at Kew Gardens PRO

[maggbill]

Hi everyone,

Sorry - haven't been online at all today - busy one!  Thanks to all for trying to answer my query about "Pension records".

I had previously found one ancestors original military discharge info on findmypast - full of interesting stuff - including a comment on the front page - i.e. "Free to modified pension after 18 years service...." - so I presumed that there might be somewhere actual records of where his pension payments were paid... I have in fact two ancestors with similar story- and neither of them ended up "retiring" to the city/country they stated on their discharge records... so if they actually had pensions paid somewhere I might be able to trace their eventual "residence".

I had actually just keyed in the persons name and clicked on military records, and the discharge records seemed to be the only thing there - in fact I have never seen any mention of "Chelsea Pension records" on the site.  Will have to go back and give it another try!  If not there I am still bewildered about whether the actual pension records are available - ?? National Archives or not?

[maggbill]

Again, my apologies, I did not mean to "hijack" the original post!!

[LeonardRileyIII]

Don't give up on find my past. Maria was able to locate the person she was looking for even though he
served 20 years as Army school master yet was denied a pension. I believe she found his age and place
of birth which lead to a census report giving his parents. So persistence paid off. Bill

[rosie99]

Maria was able to locate the person she was looking for even though he served 20 years as Army school master yet was denied a pension. I believe she found his age and place
of birth which lead to a census report giving his parents.

I am intrigued, where was he born & when

Rosie 

[LeonardRileyIII]

Rosie,  I am not sure what information Maria got off findmypast or from Kew PRO. She did find him on the
1881 census for Tower of London, White Chapel, County London. He was listed as James Henry Porter age 40, retired Army Schoolmaster born in Scotland. On page 2 of the census it said he was single. The census also listed his father, James Porter age 72 who was born in Ireland. If James Henry was 40, i.e. born 1841, then he entered the Army at age 18. Bill

[rosie99]

Now I am confused 

I thought we were looking for James Henry Porter the retired Army Schoolmaster as a possible father for  James Henry Porter born 12 FEB 1841 born in Corbally, Parish of Killead, Co. Antrim.

The James Henry in 'The Tower'  bn c1841 was born Scotland 

For a minute I thought perhaps he had been locked in The Tower of London 

I have just read your first post again and see I needn't be confused but at least you have eliminated the Schoolmaster as the father of James bn Ireland.

Rosie 

[LeonardRileyIII]

Yes sadly the school master has been eliminated. Not surprised though. I found about 3 James Henry
Porters and as many as 124 James Porters who could have been born around the right time, so it would
have been a wonderful miracle had the school master been the father of our James born 1841/43. So now we start again. I do thank you and the other responders for your help. Bill

[LeonardRileyIII]

Update on search for James Porter born 12 FEB 1841 in Corbally, Killead, Antrim. According to Ireland Diocesan and Prerogative Will and Admin indexes 1595-1858 entry #5699 James Porter "86" Antrim Will and Inventory lists Elizth Porter alias Harkness executrix. Looks like it was probated 5 OCT 1840. Eliza subsequently married John Sherwood 15 DEC 1845 Killead COI Antrim. Eliza and John had four children. Their eldest, Jane, was born abt. 1849 in Antrim and died 9 MAY 1882 at her residence, Church Street, Antrim. She was interred at the family burying ground at Churchyard, Antrim. A sibling Mary was also buried at Churchyard, Antrim 29 MAY 1918. How do I locate this cemetery.