Royal Engineers, Aberdeen, 1870s

[seemex]

Does anyone know the name or have any information about a Royal Engineers Army base that would have been located in Aberdeen, Scotland about 1875? My GGF was enlisted at Curragh Camp, Kildaire,Ireland and later based at Aberdeen, Scotland. He was a career army man and later went to Gibraltar and then to Hong Kong, but from about 1874 to 1888 he was in Aberdeen. Military records showed England, Scotland and Ireland as "Home"
Thanks

[Forfarian]

Did he have a name? It's much easier to look in the 1881 census if you know a name.

Typing 'Royal Engineers' into the search box in the 1881 census CD-ROM produces 7 results, none of which are in Aberdeen.

The 92nd Highlanders were in Castlehill Barracks in 1881 and the Royal Aberdeenshire Highlanders were in the Militia Barracks. There are no other barracks listed in Aberdeen.

[seemex]

I'm sorry...when I re-checked my information it's likely that they missed the 1881 census and were gone before the census of 1891.
His name was William Mitchel Thomson. His wife was Harriett. Their first daughter was born in Chatham, Eng and the next four children were born in Aberdeen ( 1883-1888 )
In 1889 they were transferred to Gibraltar, and in Dec 1890 posted to Hong Kong. So, the time period  would have been between, Feb 1883 and Sept 1888. I wonder if they would have lived away from the army base, wherever it was or what I would be looking for is some place close to Aberdeen. He served continuously from 1873 to 1894.
Sorry, I am not overly familiar with the territory around Aberdeen.

[Forfarian]

Best thing would be to go to www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk, invest in 30 credits at a cost of £7 and get one or more of the children's birth certificates. They will tell you the addresses where the family were living at the times of the births. Then you should be able to trace where the address is/was. You should be able to get all four certificates for less than 30 credits unless the given names are very common, as there are probably other Mitchells having families in Aberdeen at there same time.

[J.J.]

Perhaps this was a casual posting, no base( building, repairing, maintenance)...Is it also possible that he had taken time away from the military to have his family? Is the spouse Harriet Caroline White /Whyte? She may have been born in Aberdeen and wanted to have children near family. ( or do I have the wrong wife, as I see Ellen Harriett Johanna Thompson born Chatham 1881 which definitely was a base for the RE) https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NX7B-D9R
Best to take advice of Forfarian and get it all straight
A descendant of daughter Edith Jane does say she was born Aberdeen 1883...
http://www.geni.com/people/William-Thomson/6000000036001637904
If this is his namesake, married in N.Y USA he gave his birth place as 1885 Aberdeen, but his death info says he was born 1884 Hong Kong.
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:24QG-B8R
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FPH7-XHC

[seemex]

JJ,
     I'd say yes, on the first link. I didn't know about the "Johanna" name but it makes sense. One of the other sisters had a middle name " Wilhelmina" so sort of similar in heritage. I have her birth as Jan 23 1881 so that baptismal date of Mar 6 is probably good. I also have her born in Chatham. I have the mothers name spelled as Harriet Caroline WHITE...is it different? WHYTE?
As for the William Mitchel Thomson namesake...I think it's one and the same but I don't know why the Hong Kong listing for birthplace other than a mistake caused by him having immigrated to the USA from Hong Kong. Maybe someone transcribed to the wrong box. Going by the family movements they were at Chatham and then Gibraltar before going to Hong Kong, Only the last two children, Lillian and Fred were born out there in 1891 and 1892 respectively.
Thanks for the help
Brian

[J.J.]

The child Ellen was listed as born 28 January...I don't know why that didn't translate to the results page...

Was just pointing out another spelling of Whyte just as Thomson might turn up as Thompson...

in 1881 William Sr. appears to be in Western Heights Dover / Hougham, Kent
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK61-1G8G ...so he was also born Scotland.
While in Scotlandspeople database you might look for his mother's name as Mitchel

The only child I 1881 see is this Nellie with relatives? Perhaps Harriet out working?
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK61-X4F8

Not sure if your posting of family with eight children... but will post the link to it for others looking in
http://gwulo.com/atom/17742

[seemex]

Anyone's guess on some of this. With the father in the army, maybe the mother went to live with some friends to have the baby? I'm also not familiar with places and their relationship to each other as far as distance, counties etc. I'm relying heavily on Google Earth! I'd be lost without it! I don't recognize any of the other names on that list with Nellie.
Good idea on searching the name Mitchel further back

[J.J.]

You can send for the exact information for the birth of Ellen listed in FREE BMD Medway district  registered March quarter 1881 as THOMSON, Ellen Harriet J -Medway- volume- 2a   page-574

http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/search.pl

Have you sent for the marriage cert? registered March quarter 1880 Woolwich district  1d   1194
There will be more information in there such as father's names, whether alive or deceased, & possibly occupations.

If they are both Scottish these middle names should all have ancestral significance.