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Hi,
Does anyone have any information or hints on how to find out more info on the person below. Any help would be much appreciated.I have a copy of his discharge papers:
Private James Ballance
1830 Born Aberdeen
1847 Joined 74th Regiment in Belfast
1851 Fermoy & Cork, Ireland and at sea (Not sure where I got this from)
? Married Elizabeth Bridget (surname unknown) (Used Bridget as first name). Maybe in India?
1855 Based in India
1858 Birth of daughter Margaret in Coonor, Tamil Nadu, India
1858 Birth of son William in Jakatalla, Neilgherry Hills, Madras Presidency, India
1861 Birth of son James in Bellary Karnataka, India
1863 Birth of son John in Bellary Karnataka, India (Died 1864)
1866 Birth of daughter Ellen in Madras, India (Died 1866)
1867 Discharged from the 102nd Foot Regiment due to illness in Cannamore, India. Intended place of residence stated as Belfast
Probably died in India, at sea, in Belfast or Dublin some time between 1867 and 1871.
In 1871, his wife and 3 surviving children seem to appear in Dublin. Both boys attended the Royal Hibernian Military School and later became Royal Engineers.
Questions
Any additional information be useful, but I would really like to find answers to the following:
1. Where and when he married, and the maiden name of Elizabeth Bridget Ballance
2. The names of his parents
3. Where he was based in the 8 years before being India
4. What illness he had when he was discharged (I can’t decipher the handwriting)
5. Any insight of what he might have experienced with the army in India
6. His profession is shown on the discharge papers as a weaver. Presumably that was what he was working as before he signed up rather than something they may need in the army?
7. Were there military bases in Fermoy and Cork in 1851?
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Reference to 1851/61 as below...(google search can often be useful for Regiments etc.)
Chris :)
British Army, Worldwide Index 1851 Transcription (Find My Past, Genes)
First name(s) James
Last name Ballance
Name as transcribed James
Year 1851
Service number 2800
Rank Private
Regiment or unit 74th (Highland) Regiment Of Foot
Period 01/01/1851-31/03/1851
Location Fermoy & Cork, Ireland and at sea
The National Archives reference WO 12/8103
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2467940
(Reference: WO 12/8103)
British Army, Worldwide Index 1861 Transcription
Record set British Army, Worldwide Index 1861
First name James
Last name Ballance
Service number 2800
Rank Private
Unit or Regiment 74th Foot (Highland)
Regiment stationed at Bellary East Indies
Year 1861
National Archives reference WO12/8113
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2467950
(Reference: WO 12/8113)
(looks to be below, where you have Discharge Record)
British Army Service Records 1760-1915 Transcription (Find My Past)
First name(s) James
Last name Balance
Birth year 1830
Birth parish Aberdeen
Birth town Aberdeen
Birth county Aberdeenshire
Birth country Scotland
Service number 4779
Rank PRIVATE
Regiment Royal Dublin Fusiliers - 102nd & 103rd Foot
Year 1847
Attestation date 20 Oct 1847
Attestation age years 17
Attestation age months 11
Discharge corps 102nd Reg Of Foot
Discharge service number 4779
Document type Discharge
(would say Cannanore, for those Burials)
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Thanks Chris,
I hadn't seen the 1861 one. It has the same service number as 1851 so proves he was around cork at that time.
Will look around Cannanore for the deaths as you suggest.
Do you know anything about military weddings? I am thinking that he probably married in India as I can't find uk records. Possibly to another soldiers daughter? He could have married in cork I suppose but no record of children until a few years after he arrives in India.
Best Regards
Clive
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If India, they are usually online on Find My Past, but not seeing...
(originals held at British Library, London, India Office Collection)
Had a look on below, another very useful for India, but nothing other than a Baptism.
http://search.fibis.org/frontis/bin/
(Families in British India Society)
So perhaps it was Ireland...
Chris :)
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