INDIA: Nichol Family (Military and Survey of India)

[DNichol]

Hi,

I was wondering if anyone has researched the Nichol family in India during the 1800s and early 1900s

I was especially wondering if anyone had any information or could point me in the right direction with a gentleman I believe to be my 4 x GGrandfather. William Nichol.

The only information I have is from a record of birth for his son John Henry Nichol (b.1840 Karnal, Bengal) which states JHN was baptised 24th Dec 1840 to William Nichol (Pvt 44th Regiment of Foot) and his wife Charlotte. I am struggling to find anything on William and his wife.

One thought I did have is that the 44th Regiment of Foot was involved in the First Afghan War in 1841-42, and its possible William could have been killed.

Anyone researching Nichol in India?

Donald Stewart Evans Nichol (1898 -?) (Indian Army) - Married Alice Mabel Noel (1907 - ?)
John Henry Nichol (1867 - 1928) (Survey Of India) - Married Mary Evans Judd (1870 - 1905)
John Henry Nichol (1840 - ?) - Married Catherine Margaret Spinks (1845 - 1938)
William Nichol (44th Regiment of Foot) - Married Charlotte

[Ashtone]

John Henry Nichol (1840 - ?) - Married Catherine Margaret Spinks (1845 - 1938)

The 1861 marriage record (in Bombay) gives the father's name as John Nichol (which may be an error).

Not seeing father William Nichol (44th Regt) in the British Army, Worldwide Index 1841.

[DNichol]

Hi, Thanks for the reply.

Indeed it does, I have John as an alternative father for John Henry. It's very hard to make any inroads with records from India. I can't seem to find anything on either John or William.

[Ashtone]

Did John Henry remain in India all his life?

If father William died shortly after his birth did wife Charlotte remarry? 

[DNichol]

So very strange, the image i downloaded from FindMyPast a few months ago stating father is William does state he was a private in the 44th

I can't find any records for a Charlotte Nichol in India at that time.

JHN I believed stayed in India his whole life, then his son JHN (Survey of India) also did, and his son DSEN stayed in India his whole life (became an alcoholic after serving in WW2) but yet to find a death record. It was my grandfather that returned to the UK in the 1950s.

[Ashtone]

The 1840 baptism for JHN shows father is William (44th Regt).
His 1861 marriage record gives his father as JOHN Nichol.

[Andy J2022]

I'm not sure if you are interested in the activities of the 44th in India more generally in the 1840s, but if you are, you can read that part of the Regimental History* via GoogleBooks.


*Carter, Thomas (1864). Historical Record of the Forty-Fourth, or the East Essex Regiment of Foot. London: W. O. Mitchell.

[Ashtone]

Sticking with the British Army, Worldwide Index 1841, several of the other fathers with the 44th are serving in Jellalabad & Afghanistan by 1841. These would be the soldiers found on those late 1840 baptism records.

Sadly, some of the other fathers with the 44th aren't in this 1841 Index.

Nichol and the others probably perished in the Battle of Gandamak.
NOTE: Capt Thomas A Souter is one of the fathers found in the 1840 baptism records. He survived.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Gandamak

[ShaunJ]

The British Army, Worldwide Index 1841 has a William "Niclos" of the 44th which seems likely to be your man, mistranscribed. Number 1026.