As MaryA says, this is genealogy but it's also a great success story.
Got a newsletter the other day from FMP telling me that Chelsea Pensioners British Army Service Records were now available. There are approximately 289,783 records of men who were pensioned out of the British Army between 1883 and 1900.
Having sought for years, without success, a maternal g.g.father missing from the 1881 census, I finally found a clue on a birth cert that said he was a soldier in 1877. That was over 5 years ago and I hadn't been able to find his service record. A friend even did a search at Kew for me without success. Until today!
Used FMP's new Chelsea Pensioners database and after a fruitless search with his real age, widened the age span and BINGO! There he was, with all of 11 [!} pages of his life from 1876 to 1988. From Liverpool to Ireland to St Helena to India and back!
What a great start to the weekend!
Dickiesam
New Research Resource! Chelsea Pensioners available on FMP
New Research Resource! Chelsea Pensioners available on FMP
DS
Member # 7743
RIP 20 April 2015
Emery, McAnaspie/McAnaspri etc, Fry, McGibbon/McKibbion etc, Burbage, Butler, Brady, Foulkes, Sarsfield, Moon [Bristol & Cornwall].
Census information is Crown Copyright http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/
Member # 7743
RIP 20 April 2015
Emery, McAnaspie/McAnaspri etc, Fry, McGibbon/McKibbion etc, Burbage, Butler, Brady, Foulkes, Sarsfield, Moon [Bristol & Cornwall].
Census information is Crown Copyright http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/
Dickiesam, so very very pleased for you 
Fantastic find and a great georgraphy lesson.
Made up for you.
Tina
Fantastic find and a great georgraphy lesson.
Made up for you.
Tina
- Tina
Cornthwaite,Milburn,Coll,Gaffney,Pearce,Singleton,Hazlehurst,Cuthbert,Mackintosh,McAllister,Morana, Corfield
Any census/bmd information within this post is Crown Copyright from http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/
Chelsea Pensioners available on FMP
Hi Tina,
Yes, I was 'over da moon' at finding Robert Emery's Army service records. Now I am thinking Hmmm... have I stumbled on something that could alter the course of family history?
You were instrumental in finding the very elusive Thomas Emery, a maternal g.father, for me in the 1881 with the surname McAnaspie, aka McAnaspri, aged 2. His birth cert says his father was James McAnaspie with whom Mary Emery, Robert's legal wife, was living in 1881. Tommy later took the name Emery and named Robert as his father in 3 marriage certs.
Looking at Robert's service record, it appears that he was stationed on the island of St Helena in the Atlantic when Tommy was conceived. Indeed, he may well have been in Ireland when a daughter Ellen was conceived in 1876, although, Ellen's birth cert names Robert as her daddy. Did Robert 'jump ship', sign up for 12 years and desert the family because the wife was up to no good with James McA?
So, I ponder, was my g.father a McAnaspie after all? And my mother never knew? Did Tommy adopt the name Emery, and Robert, so he wouldn't be considered a bastard child when he married in 1898?
Tommy Emery was a big man. I remember him well. Over 6 ft and broad-shouldered. A lot like me really. Robert Emery was, according to his Army records, 5 ft 6 tall, and had a chest measurement of 35 inches! He was a skinny fellow! At age 19 I was 6 ft 2 with a 44 inch chest! So do the genes have the answer and I'm not an Emery any more? Suggestions on a postcard please!
It's back to the keyboard, I think!
Cheers,
Dickiesam
Yes, I was 'over da moon' at finding Robert Emery's Army service records. Now I am thinking Hmmm... have I stumbled on something that could alter the course of family history?
You were instrumental in finding the very elusive Thomas Emery, a maternal g.father, for me in the 1881 with the surname McAnaspie, aka McAnaspri, aged 2. His birth cert says his father was James McAnaspie with whom Mary Emery, Robert's legal wife, was living in 1881. Tommy later took the name Emery and named Robert as his father in 3 marriage certs.
Looking at Robert's service record, it appears that he was stationed on the island of St Helena in the Atlantic when Tommy was conceived. Indeed, he may well have been in Ireland when a daughter Ellen was conceived in 1876, although, Ellen's birth cert names Robert as her daddy. Did Robert 'jump ship', sign up for 12 years and desert the family because the wife was up to no good with James McA?
So, I ponder, was my g.father a McAnaspie after all? And my mother never knew? Did Tommy adopt the name Emery, and Robert, so he wouldn't be considered a bastard child when he married in 1898?
Tommy Emery was a big man. I remember him well. Over 6 ft and broad-shouldered. A lot like me really. Robert Emery was, according to his Army records, 5 ft 6 tall, and had a chest measurement of 35 inches! He was a skinny fellow! At age 19 I was 6 ft 2 with a 44 inch chest! So do the genes have the answer and I'm not an Emery any more? Suggestions on a postcard please!
It's back to the keyboard, I think!
Cheers,
Dickiesam
DS
Member # 7743
RIP 20 April 2015
Emery, McAnaspie/McAnaspri etc, Fry, McGibbon/McKibbion etc, Burbage, Butler, Brady, Foulkes, Sarsfield, Moon [Bristol & Cornwall].
Census information is Crown Copyright http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/
Member # 7743
RIP 20 April 2015
Emery, McAnaspie/McAnaspri etc, Fry, McGibbon/McKibbion etc, Burbage, Butler, Brady, Foulkes, Sarsfield, Moon [Bristol & Cornwall].
Census information is Crown Copyright http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/
Dickiesam.
You could be on to something there?
On the on ther hand, My Maternal Grt-Grandmother was under 5ft (family legend has it that she was: 4ft 6ins in her Slippers (which she always wore).
Her son, My Maternal Grandfather was said to weigh @ 14Lbs at birth & He grew up to be a Barrel-Chested Broad Shouldered Carter (who thought nothing of Lifting His Cart on His Back (2 wheels anyway), he apartly looked so much like his Father that it cause some friction in the family (his parents being seperated).
My Father was 5Ft 8ins, My Mother @5ft 7ins.
All of their offspring are Male 6ft, Female 5ft 10ins & 2 of My Sisters boys are 6ft 4ins + (their Dad is 5ft 6ins).
What I have thought about all this is that Genes sometime Mis a Generation, and then throw up some Anomlies that are otherwise Unexplainable! 
You could be on to something there?
On the on ther hand, My Maternal Grt-Grandmother was under 5ft (family legend has it that she was: 4ft 6ins in her Slippers (which she always wore).
Her son, My Maternal Grandfather was said to weigh @ 14Lbs at birth & He grew up to be a Barrel-Chested Broad Shouldered Carter (who thought nothing of Lifting His Cart on His Back (2 wheels anyway), he apartly looked so much like his Father that it cause some friction in the family (his parents being seperated).
My Father was 5Ft 8ins, My Mother @5ft 7ins.
All of their offspring are Male 6ft, Female 5ft 10ins & 2 of My Sisters boys are 6ft 4ins + (their Dad is 5ft 6ins).
What I have thought about all this is that Genes sometime Mis a Generation, and then throw up some Anomlies that are otherwise Unexplainable!
Searching for:
Bennett, Brown, Brunn, Collins, Critchley, Dickinson, Dodd, Duffy, Eaton, Edwards, Hertzberger, Highton, Holland, Humphreys, Melling, Morgan, Murphy, Walker, Webster, Wright, Owens, Prudon & Speed.
Bennett, Brown, Brunn, Collins, Critchley, Dickinson, Dodd, Duffy, Eaton, Edwards, Hertzberger, Highton, Holland, Humphreys, Melling, Morgan, Murphy, Walker, Webster, Wright, Owens, Prudon & Speed.
Hi Dickiesam
Don't know what to suggest...
I do remember McAsp...
Would you believe I've just been researching St Helena for a friend. She has always had a hunch there was some African blood in the family.
I was reading up about the slave trade.
As for genes...
Tina avagoodweekend
Don't know what to suggest...
I do remember McAsp...
Would you believe I've just been researching St Helena for a friend. She has always had a hunch there was some African blood in the family.
I was reading up about the slave trade.
As for genes...
Tina avagoodweekend
- Tina
Cornthwaite,Milburn,Coll,Gaffney,Pearce,Singleton,Hazlehurst,Cuthbert,Mackintosh,McAllister,Morana, Corfield
Any census/bmd information within this post is Crown Copyright from http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/