William Cox

[lukerwhite]

Dear Sir or madam,

I am researching an ancestor named William Cox b. 1831 in Stoney Stratford, Buckinghamsire.

He was married to a Maria Dart (also refferred to as Betty of Bertha). On their sons Birth cert on the 11 Feb 1875 his occupation is Private of the 7th Royal Fusiliers (the number is difficult to read. It definately ends with _th). I have tried to find out more info on what or where he may have served or what he may have done and have only managed to find a possible 1871 Census for him as a Private (Soldier) stationed in Portsea, Hampshire. There are no details of regiment.

I know he had left the army 1881 because on the census he was living at Peters Street and was a pensioner as well as a whitesmith (ie someone who works with tin or light metals). He is only 50 so i imagine he comleted enough years to gain a pension or he was injured in someway? Could the occupation of Whitesmith be a clue for what he may have don in the Royal Fusiliers? Could he have made bullets or done something that involved metal work?

I would appreciate any help you could give me or any pointers as to where to look. Are there any clues in the information i have given above that could indicate he was definately in the 7th Royal Fusiliers or what regiment he was in. The family lived in Chatham, Kent after eventually moving to London and then Surrey.

Would you be able to tell me if Portsea in Hampshire was a common place for Royal Fusiliers to be based?...for training possibly? And did you have any thoughts on what kind of position in the Royal Fusiliers would have given the skills of a whitesmith.

Any info would be great as i have struggled to find anything on the net!

[sotonmate]

LW

It's tough finding the record you want for that time ! Here is where it might be,but you either need to go to Kew or get someone to look for you ! This series of papers in WO97 is for old soldiers so you need to go through the Catalogue and hope to find possible links. In the earlier records you need to know the unit for sure,later it is sufficient to know the full name and place of birth etc so that you can be sure it's your man.

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalog...se&MARKER=0

I live along the coast from Portsea and there were barracks there for a very long time in the past.

Sotonmate

[lukerwhite]

I know this post isn't really WW1 related but I was wondering if any one could help me out with the following?;

I have discovered that my partners ancestor was a soldier in 1871 at Anglesea Barracks in Portsea. Does anyone know what regiments were stationed there at that time. In particular the 7th Royal Fusiliers????

[lukerwhite]

I have answered my own qustion - found this on the web;

Timeline for the Royal Fusiliers-

1869 December HQ & 6 Companies to Aden : 3 Companies to Poona-Aden

1870 January 15th. Aden

December England: Portsmouth - Anglesea Barracks

1872 September 14th. Aldershot

1873 August 28th. Dover

September 6th. Citadel Barracks

This has now prooved that it is definately him! can anyone tell me any more on William Cox whilst he was with the Royal Fusiliers?

[lukerwhite]

I was wondering how long a service do you have to give to gain a pension because William is a Whitesmith and pensioner in the 1881 census - he is only 50. He could have been envolved in any of the following in the trimeline. He is missing from census in 1841, 1851 and 1861 so I wonder if he was abroad on the latter two or maybe i just haven't found the barracks yet? Should be Portsmouth 1851 but Peshuwar in 1861.

1839 November 11th. Left Cork November 22nd. Gibralter: Town Range - King's Bastion

1844 December St.Ann's Barracks,Carlisle Bay West Indies - St.Lucia-Berbice- Demerera-St.Vincent-British Guiana-Barbadoes

1848 March 31st. South Barracks,Halifax Novia Scotia April Annapolis - Windsor Novia Scotia-Cape Brereton- Prince Edward Island 1850 July 24th. England : Spithead - Winchester

1851 January 29th. Clarence Barracks,Portsmouth

1852 August 13th. Citadel Barracks,Plymouth

August 22nd. Granby Barracks,Devonport - Dartmoor Prison -Pendennis Castle

1853 May 14th. Plymouth

July 15th. Windsor Castle - Chobham

August 13th. Salford Barracks, Manchester

1854 April 4th. Southampton : Embarked on "Orinoco" for Turkey

April 22nd. Scutari

CRIMEAN WAR 1854 - 1856

1854 September 20th. BATTLE OF THE ALMA

November 5th. BATTLE OF INKERMAN 1855

September 8th.-11th. SIEGE OF SEVASTOPOL

1856 June 27th. England : Portsmouth - Aldershot

1857 April 28th. Portsmouth - Cambridge Barracks- Hasslar Barracks

June 14th. Anglesea Barracks

July 14th.- 20th. Kurachee,India

December 14th. Kotree

1858 January 27th. Mooltan - Meean Meer

September 20th. Dehra Ishmael Khan - Meean Meer

1859 April 21st. Jhelum

October 25th. Peshuwar

1861 April Nowshera - Peshuwar 1862 February Peshuwar - Nowshera

1863 February Ferozepore

October Meean Meer

December UMBEYLA

1864 Ferozepore

1865 January 11th. Saugor

1869 December HQ & 6 Companies to Aden : 3 Companies to Poona-Aden

1870 January 15th. Aden

December England: Portsmouth - Anglesea Barracks

1872 September 14th. Aldershot

1873 August 28th. Dover

September 6th. Citadel Barracks

1874 Dover

1875 Colchester Camp 1876 November 30th. Kingstown, Ireland - Richmond Barracks, Dublin

1877 August 14-16th. Lurgan - In aid of Civil Power

1878 April 20th. -1879 Templemore,Cork

1881 July 1st. Numbering of Regiments abolished and Terittorial System introduced 7th.Regt. became ROYAL FUSILIERS [THE CITY OF LONDON REGIMENT]