HERITAGE PLUS Posted 30 September , 2018 Share Posted 30 September , 2018 Assistance needed on identification of this photo please. The subject of the photo is believed to be Hubert/Herbert/Bertie M. Higgins from Skeen. Is he wearing RIC uniform with a Royal Visit to Ireland Medal? Thanks in advance Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corisande Posted 30 September , 2018 Share Posted 30 September , 2018 A "Herbert M Higgins" joined RIC on 9 Sep 1902. He was a Protestant farmer from Co Sligo He resigned 6 Jan 1908 because of "severity of duty" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corisande Posted 30 September , 2018 Share Posted 30 September , 2018 If it were him, then it presumably would be "Skreen" rather than "Skeen" to be in Sligo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HERITAGE PLUS Posted 30 September , 2018 Author Share Posted 30 September , 2018 (edited) Thanks Corisande. Yes my typo should read Skreen. Dave Edited 30 September , 2018 by HERITAGE PLUS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corisande Posted 30 September , 2018 Share Posted 30 September , 2018 He is in 1911 census in Skreen http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Sligo/Skreen/Farranyharpy/769754/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corisande Posted 30 September , 2018 Share Posted 30 September , 2018 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visit_to_Ireland_Medal_1903 He was in RIC at the correct date for that medal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corisande Posted 30 September , 2018 Share Posted 30 September , 2018 And he seems to have been in Coldstream Guards before that Name: Hubert Michael Higgins Enlistment Age: 18 Birth Date: abt 1879 Birth Place: Skiern Sligo Enlistment Year: 1897 Regiment: Coldstream Guards Regimental Number: 2909 Attestation Paper: Yes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corisande Posted 30 September , 2018 Share Posted 30 September , 2018 And a sad end Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HERITAGE PLUS Posted 30 September , 2018 Author Share Posted 30 September , 2018 Many Many thanks for all your help. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lorraine Lang Posted 2 October , 2018 Share Posted 2 October , 2018 On 9/30/2018 at 10:10 PM, HERITAGE PLUS said: Many Many thanks for all your help. Dave Hi Dave, Hubert Michael Higgins was my great grandfathers brother, the story is that he was gassed in the war and when he came home he was just not the same. Family folklore says that the Land Commission took his farm from him and put him into a hospital as he was "mentally affected". My great grandfather took him out to live with him where he went down to his bedroom and shot himself after he lost the farm. At present we can not find any proof that he did in fact serve in the war. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corisande Posted 3 October , 2018 Share Posted 3 October , 2018 (edited) Lorraine Welcome to the forum. I cannot see any record of him serving I think that given he shot himself in 1918, that it is unlikely that the Land Commission would have confiscated his farm by then You have two obvious avenues to research 1. Irish newspaper records - click for them - it is quite expensive, but you can probably get a free link from you local library. His suicide should be reported, plus any eviction. 2. Land Commission records will give any history for the farm Unless you know what regiment he served with, I think it unlikely that you can get him that way Edited 3 October , 2018 by corisande Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HERITAGE PLUS Posted 3 October , 2018 Author Share Posted 3 October , 2018 Hi Lorraine Welcome to the Forum and Thanks for your response. Have you been on touch with Simone Hickey? Dave Thanks again Corisande Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lorraine Lang Posted 3 October , 2018 Share Posted 3 October , 2018 8 hours ago, corisande said: Lorraine Welcome to the forum. I cannot see any record of him serving I think that given he shot himself in 1918, that it is unlikely that the Land Commission would have confiscated his farm by then You have two obvious avenues to research 1. Irish newspaper records - click for them - it is quite expensive, but you can probably get a free link from you local library. His suicide should be reported, plus any eviction. 2. Land Commission records will give any history for the farm Unless you know what regiment he served with, I think it unlikely that you can get him that way Thank you, that is just the story that was told down through the family, perhaps they thought when he was in uniform that he was in the war or that the fact the he was in the Coldstream Guards and that they were the oldest continuously serving regiment in the British Army. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lorraine Lang Posted 3 October , 2018 Share Posted 3 October , 2018 5 hours ago, HERITAGE PLUS said: Hi Lorraine Welcome to the Forum and Thanks for your response. Have you been on touch with Simone Hickey? Dave Thanks again Corisande 5 hours ago, HERITAGE PLUS said: Hi Lorraine Welcome to the Forum and Thanks for your response. Have you been on touch with Simone Hickey? Dave Thanks again Corisande Yes, it was Simone that showed me that he may not have served, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HERITAGE PLUS Posted 3 October , 2018 Author Share Posted 3 October , 2018 Lorraine Thats great- Simone is doing a great job - and I am helping her. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Mc Posted 16 October , 2018 Share Posted 16 October , 2018 Hubert Michael Higgins 60559 was stationed in Bunbeg, Dungloe District, Donegal. I suspect he was one of a number of men selected for Guard of Honour duties in Londonderry for the occasion of the King's Visit in 1903, which would tie in with the photograph. He was awarded a certificate of the St John Ambulance Association for training completed as a recruit at the Phoenix Park Depot in July 1902, prior to being allocated to Donegal. He also received a Favourabke Record for good police duty. He had attested for service in September 1899 (preference the R. Irish Fusiliers) but was discharged the same month, I think he had lied about his age. That is a nice photo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lorraine Lang Posted 12 November , 2018 Share Posted 12 November , 2018 (edited) Thank You Peter, that is great information, fair play to you for finding it and posting it. I do appreciate it but it makes me wonder what really happened, my father was told by his grandfather that Bertie's ear was missing due to the shell mmmmm or was this a better story to tell, we may never know. Edited 12 November , 2018 by Lorraine Lang Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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