78th Foot again.....

annpa · Post by **annpa** » Mon May 01, 2006 8:08 pm

I keep coming back to this regiment. My husband's great-grandfather's brother, Christmas Sparks, was in the 78th foot, stationed for a time at Ardersier (Fort George?). B 1871 census he was an army pensioner at the age of 43 in Ardersier.
In 1860 he married at Edinburgh Castle age 33(ish) as a serjeant.

There are three periods I cannot find him, and wonder what he was doing then.
A) His son John was born in 1861 in Farnham (1837online). Where would Christmas have been stationed for his child to be born there?
B) In 1863 his son William Robert was born at Ardersier, and in 1868 his daughter Ann Isabella was born,also in Ardersier,as were all subsequent children.
But between William and Ann there were two children born in Castle Eden (Eastington) in Durham, George in 1865 and Maria Margaret in 1866. Where would Christmas have been stationed for them to be born there?

and C) I cannot find him on the 1851 census. I presume that at the age of around 22/23 he could have been posted overseas. How would I go about finding out?
Thanks in anticipation!!
The other thing that keeps niggling is why a Norwich boy would join a Highland regiment?? (no apparent connection with Scotland until his marriage).
Cheers
Annpa

Post by **Liz Turner** » Fri Jul 14, 2006 7:52 pm

Anyone got any suggestions/ideas for Annpa?

If you've found out more since you posted Annpa, let us know.

Cheers.

liz

annpa · Post by **annpa** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 2:18 pm

Thanks Liz, for taking up my case. I've been away in France for a while and have not done any searching. I had hoped someone might have had some ideas in the meantime, but this is one tall and substantial brick wall. As is my own great-uncle who served in the first world was and was invalided out of the Dardanelles. Can't find hide nor hair of him either since the 1901 census.
Oh well, back to real life now and my trawls through all those on-line databases.
Cheers
Annpa

DavidWW · Post by **DavidWW** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 2:50 pm

Hmmmm..... must have missed this one.........

See - http://www.regiments.org/deploy/uk/reg-inf/078-1.htm , the various dates and places fit to an extent, but don't fit "B", although he could easily have been part of the cadre that remained based at regimental HQ at Fort George. Durham I can't explain !

The TNA site at http://www.catalogue.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ has no entries for this Christmas but it has 3 entries for exactly that name for an earlier generation, all born Norwich. The fact that the index doen't have an entry does not mean that there isn't a record waiting there to be found as the coverage is as yet far from 100%.

Depending on the level of detail that interests you the same site www.regiments.org recommends the following:

MacVeigh, James. The historical record of The 78th Highlanders, or Ross-shire Buffs (now 2nd Battalion Seaforth Highlanders), from 1793 to 1887, from official and authentic sources. Dumfries : J. Maxwell & Son, 1887.
(2nd hand copies available on abebooks.co.uk but pricey at £145 and £185.)

Davidson, Hugh. History and services of the 78th Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs), compiled from the manuscripts of the late Major Colin Mackenzie and other sources. Edinburgh : W & A K Johnston, 1901. [2 v.; issued also in remainder as 2 in 1 v.]

The other thing that keeps niggling is why a Norwich boy would join a Highland regiment?? (no apparent connection with Scotland until his marriage).

If his papers exist at Kew, then the place he signed up could explain things. It was normal back then for a regiment to send recruiting parties all over the country. They will also explain why he was back in Ardesier when the regiment was overseas, and why he spent some time in Durham.

David

momat · Post by **momat** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 9:00 am

There is a General Discussion currently on line regarding unusual names.
I think they would enjoy your GG Fathers's Brother's name.

annpa · Post by **annpa** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 7:50 pm

Thanks to all and especially David for your answers. You would think that one could find someone with such an unusual name!
Yes, I have found the earlier Christmas Sparks(es). The name seems to have gone down the generations. I am also interested that several of them were in the Army. Is it possible that someone could have joined two different regiments at different times? (This re the repeated Christmases about the same ages.

What is the website address for the Unusual Names??
Cheers
Annpa

DavidWW · Post by **DavidWW** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 8:23 pm

annpa wrote:Thanks to all and especially David for your answers. You would think that one could find someone with such an unusual name!
Yes, I have found the earlier Christmas Sparks(es). The name seems to have gone down the generations. I am also interested that several of them were in the Army. Is it possible that someone could have joined two different regiments at different times? (This re the repeated Christmases about the same ages.

What is the website address for the Unusual Names??
Cheers
Annpa

Quite possible for one person to have joined different regiments at different times !

See http://talkingscot.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5737 for the given names thread here.

David

momat · Post by **momat** » Fri Aug 04, 2006 4:58 am

The unusual names is a topic on this site.
Go to Forum, Search General Discussions.

Cheers.

annpa · Post by **annpa** » Fri Aug 04, 2006 5:28 pm

Thanks all, found it!!
Annpa