Military Chat

My 3 x Gt. Grandfather was a Benjamin Holland born in Bedfordshire c1786. he joined the Army in 1803, fought during the rest of the Napoleonic wars and was awarded the Waterloo Medal. He then went to India with his regiment and served there until 1828. I believe that he married in India as his only child, Mary Ann, was born there in 1819. Benjamin's wife was named as Johanna on Mary Ann's Christening record. Johanna died in 1828 and was buried in India just before Benjamin and Mary Ann returned to this country.
Does anyone else know of Benjamin and his family, please? Or can anyone point me in the right direction as to websites I can try to find the answer, please.
I have been looking for about two years now and my family and I would really love to know who she was.

Do not know where you live, but the British Library has extensive Indian/Army records.

More children?

on family search:

https://familysearch.org

Name: Benjamin Holland
Gender: Male
Christening Date: 27 May 1821
Christening Place: Hyderabad, Madras, India
Birth Date: 06 May 1821
Birthplace:
Death Date:
Name Note:
Race:
Father's Name: Benjamin Holland
Father's Birthplace:
Father's Age:
Mother's Name: Joan
Mother's Birthplace:
Mother's Age:
Indexing Project (Batch) Number: C00067-1
System Origin: India-EASy
GS Film number: 521837
Reference ID:

Name: William Holland
Gender: Male
Christening Date: 30 Aug 1823
Christening Place: Secunderabad, Madras, India
Birth Date: 19 Aug 1823
Birthplace:
Death Date:
Name Note:
Race:
Father's Name: Benjamine Holland
Father's Birthplace:
Father's Age:
Mother's Name: Joanna
Mother's Birthplace:
Mother's Age:
Indexing Project (Batch) Number: C00067-2
System Origin: India-EASy
GS Film number: 521838
Reference ID: v 9 p 27

Anything to do with Joanna'a death?

Name: Elizabeth Holland
Gender: Female
Christening Date: 09 Mar 1828
Christening Place: Poonamallee, Madras, India
Birth Date: 08 Mar 1828
Birthplace:
Death Date:
Name Note:
Race:
Father's Name: Benjamin Holland
Father's Birthplace:
Father's Age:
Mother's Name: Johannah
Mother's Birthplace:
Mother's Age:
Indexing Project (Batch) Number: C00067-2
System Origin: India-EASy
GS Film number: 521838
Reference ID: v 10 p 214

I guess a lot of children died young in India so these may not have survived.

Note Johanna was buried the same day as child Elizabeth was born in my post above. In the climate I would imagine immediate burial was probably desirable.:

Name: Johannah Holland
Gender: Female
Burial Date: 08 Mar 1828
Burial Place: Poonamallee, Madras, India
Death Date:
Death Place:
Age: 31
Birth Date: 1797
Birthplace:
Occupation:
Race:
Marital Status: Married
Spouse's Name: Benjamin Holland
Father's Name:
Father's Birthplace:
Mother's Name:
Mother's Birthplace:
Indexing Project (Batch) Number: B00200-4
System Origin: India-EASy
GS Film number: 521838
Reference ID:

Looking at the image of his army records, I can't quite read whether he was in the East Indies from 7th June 1810, or 7th June 1818. if the latter, he might have married elsewhere than India?

Mary Ann's birthdate is given as 1st April 1819, and she seems to be the first of the children born in India. If Benjamin did start his India service in early June, might he have married Joanna back in England, in order to be allowed to take her with him?

Name: Mary Ann Holland
Gender: Female
Christening Date: 18 Apr 1819
Christening Place: Secunderabad, India
Birth Date: 01 Apr 1819
Birthplace:
Death Date:
Name Note:
Race:
Father's Name: Benjamin Holland
Father's Birthplace:
Father's Age:
Mother's Name: Johanna
Mother's Birthplace:
Mother's Age:
Indexing Project (Batch) Number: C00067-0
System Origin: India-EASy
GS Film number: 521880
Reference ID: v 7 p 73

If the date is June 1810, then he may well have married in India.


British Army Service Records 1760-1915 Transcription

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First name(s): Benjn
Last name: HOLLAND
Calculated year of birth: 1785
Parish of birth: Covendon
Town of birth: Bedford
County of birth: Bedfordshire
Age at attestation: 18 years
Attestation date: 25 December 1803
Attestation corps:
Attestation soldier number:
Discharge rank:
Discharge corps: 30th Foot
Discharge soldier number:
The National Archives reference: WO97

Waterloo Medal Roll1815 (Find My Past)
Name: Benjn Holland
Rank: Private
Regiment: 2nd BATTALION OF THE 30th REGIMENT OF FOOT
Sub unit: Captain Robert Douglas's Company


British nationals armed forces births 1761-2005 (Find My Past)
Name:HOLLAND, Mary
Mother's name:Not available before 1966
Regiment:30th Foot
Place :Secunderabad
Country:Indian Subcontinent
Year:1819
Volume :1133
Page:16
Record source:GRO Regimental Birth Indices (1761 to 1924)

(above Birth Cert. can be ordered from GRO)


http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/

Chris :)

http://search.fibis.org/frontis/bin/aps_person_search.php


http://indiafamily.bl.uk/ui/Advancediscovery.aspx

(worth a look round on above also)

Hi All,
Thank you so much for your very quick replies, they are most helpful. Although I only knew about Benjamin's parents and siblings, Army record, daughter Mary Ann, the death of Johanna and what happened to him when he returned to England I had no idea about the other children. What an idiot I am to have missed them. As you can see I have been a member since 2002 and didn't think to ask if anyone could help before - so stupid of me.
The other children did, probably, die in India or, perhaps, some of them stayed there with Johanna's family - who knows! It does give me something else to have go at.
So, again, Many thanks for all your very valuble help - happy researching to everyone. :-D
Brenda

Just one more thing. Benjamin went to India in 1818 not 1810. But I still can't find a marriage for him anywhere.

One death as an infant

Name: William Holland
Gender: Male
Burial Date: 11 Aug 1824
Burial Place: Secunderabad, Madras, India
Death Date:
Death Place:
Age: 1
Birth Date: 1823
Birthplace:
Occupation:
Race:
Marital Status: Single
Spouse's Name:
Father's Name:
Father's Birthplace:
Mother's Name:
Mother's Birthplace:
Indexing Project (Batch) Number: B00200-4
System Origin: India-EASy
GS Film number: 521838