Richard Russell (b 1834 - died 1869) Auditor of Trinidad 1862 - 1869

[Bookbox]

I think I need to find out what sort of position it was e.g. civil service, army etc. His son C H Russell 's entry in Oxford University matriculation lists his father as " Richard, arm." which I assume means army ?

Do not know about that 'arm' for 'army'.

Not 'army', but Latin armiger (literally, 'bearer of arms'), by this date often translated as 'Esquire'.

[barnoldswick]

The reference to 'arm' for Richard Russell came from the book 'Oxford Men  1880 - 1892' by Joseph Foster published in 1893 listing Oxford Alumni. The Book has no key to the abbreviations used (presumably all in common usage then). He uses "gent." "gen"  "esq." and "cler" (cleric ?)  when not ascribing a particular profession to the father of the student e.g. captain 14th light infantry or director-general ordnance factories. Do you have any insight into these abbreviations and whether there is any overlap with the term "arm." or subtleties of use ?

[Bookbox]

Armiger would suggest that the father (Richard) was entitled to bear a coat-of-arms.

I can't comment on Foster's specific usage in Oxford Men and their Colleges. But that volume is a continuation of his Alumni Oxonienses (in several volumes, many online). You might want to read through Foster's own introduction to one of the earlier volumes for any gloss on the abbreviations and terminology that he used.

[barnoldswick]

Thanks for that information. Do you know whether a Octavius Harley was also on that ship traveling to Trinidad ? He was Richard Russell's brother-in-law, who also ended up in Trinidad in the administration there (I have a record for him for 1862 working there ) ?
 

[Bookbox]

Octavius Harley is not mentioned in The Times report referred to in reply #8.