"Ramparts Battery" Portsmouth

[walrus]

Ladies and Gentlemen,

This is by way of an appeal for help.

My Grandparents wedding certificate (November 1914) gives the groom's occupation as "Gunner Royal Artillery" at what appears to be "Ramparts Battery, Portsmouth"

Does this ring any bells with anyone (I'm assuming that it's a location) and does anyone have any idea how I can find which battery (batteries?) were stationed there?

Thanks in advance.

Tom the Walrus

[Jim Clay]

Tom

See my post on your other thread. Could this be a mis-reading of 'Hampshire Battery'?

Jim

[T8HANTS]

Some of the Victorian fortifications around Portsmouth had a section called The Ramparts, I think it was in the area generally known as the Hillsea Lines. What level manning and equipment was in place for WW1, I don't know, but it was the back door into the dockyard so there must have been somebody there.

Gareth

[HERITAGE PLUS]

Tom

This map may be of interest.

Dave

http://www.palmerstonforts.org.uk/map/pomap.htm

[walrus]

Dave,

Thanks for the map.

There's nothing there that 'leaps out at me', but then again, it does eliminate some possible false trails and shows the area Gareth mentioned.

Gareth,

Thanks for the 'Ramparts' - 'Hillsea Lines' connection, it is possible that the "Ramparts Battery" might have been a mis-hearing or misinterpreted note on the part of the vicar.

Again, Hillsea lines gives me another place to look.

Gentlemen, Thank you.

Tom the Walrus.

[Medic7922]

This thread brought back memories for me, I grew up in the shadow of the Hilsea lines

and it was a great place for us kids to explore, there was old underground ammo stores

and the gun emplacements were great for climbing all over and with the old moat by the

hilsea lido had a smashing time mucking about in the boats throwing each other in to the

water, it was known as the Ramparts in my day

I do remember back in the late 60s/70 when the building of the M27 motorway commenced

that a number of old war ordnance was found a long the Portscreek which separated Portsea

island from the mainland and run parallel with the Hilsea lines moat.

http://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/visiting/3643.html

[FullerAmesbury]

This rang a bell with me as I wrote a booklet about an ex-artilleryman who, in Amesbury Wiltshire during 1905, murdered his six children and then comitted suicide. At the inquest, reference was made to his having "had a fall off the ramparts at Portsmouth" eight years earlier and it having affected his head.

Jim Fuller