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Any (Royal Artillery) genealogists on here please?


Metr0Land

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Guys, I'm looking for help please with William James MORTLOCK prob born 1846, soldier number 474 Corporal/Bombardier with the 2nd Royal Artillery and trying to add some more detail to his military service.

 

 

On my nan's side there was a lot of military service with the Empire, mostly with artillery, though never above corporal or warrant officer level AFAIK. I had stories from my youth of her being born on one of the forts in the Solent 1888 and have traced this (her father was also in the RA). Also I had stories of her mother (my great grandmother) being born in China.

 

I wasn’t sure if this was true, and initially records seemed to show Hong Kong/China as though in 1865 people weren’t sure how to record Hong Kong (was it China or Hong Kong in it’s own right etc). However that’s a red herring as we’ve tracked her down being born in the British Consulate in Canton 8th April 1865 – Alice Lavinia Maud MORTLOCK.

 

You’d think that was a pretty unusual name but there was another Alice Lavinia Maud Mortlock who died tragically in Dover Nov 1863 aged 18 months or so. However it seems quite typical for the Victorians to name another child who comes along with the same name as one who died.

 

The parents of Alice Lavinia Maud Mortlock (the 2nd) are almost certainly:

William James Mortlock born 1846ish (no other details) as noted at the top and

Emily Alice Popplestone born 1845ish Kingsford, Devon

 

(Just to make the tracing more troublesome there are lots of Emily’s and Alice’s in the famly. Emily Alice Popplestone married at least 3 times, and her daughter Alice Lavinia Maud Mortlock also married at least 3 times. She’s my great-gran and lived until her early 90’s so a result of sorts).

 

Now the trouble I’m having with William James Mortlock is that his military service shows Alderney, Jersey and Dover, which fits. He and Emily Alice Popplestone/Mortlock have to be together around 1864 to conceive the 2nd Alice Lavinia Maud Mortlock

 

He’s too young to have taken part in the 1857 action in Canton (2nd Opium War?) but would just have been old enough to be in Canton 1864/5 on eg embassy duties and/or ‘keeping the peace’ out there. However the military duty that we can find online doesn’t show this. Also he must have died 1864-1871 (maybe overseas?) between conceiving his daughter, and Emily Alice Popplestone/Mortlock (widow) marrying a Thomas O’Hara 1871 in Dover.

 

As I live in west Wales it’s not possible to visit eg Kew or IWM or anywhere that may have paper records to view. Does anyone know how I might track down online some more details about soldier 474 please?

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'Findmypast' has records (military) for a William Mortlock stationed in the British Isles in 1861 (no middle name given) - can't see any other Williams listed, although in this case he should appear in the 1861 census, unless, possibly, he was stationed on one of the islands eg Jersey

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Thanks - the Islington connection has some strong possibilities but needless to say raises some more questions.

 

William J Mortlock is only 16, and there's an older brother who are both listed as commercial/colonial. If William J Mortlock is indeed the William James Mortlock who's the father of Alice Lavinia then his military service would have been very short eg 4 years max.

 

He could then have gone into colonial trade which would take him to Canton. However, given the dates we have his military service would have to have been 4 years at the absolute maximium, taking in Alderney, Jersey and Dover.. At that time (1861) I don't know what minimum length of service lads could sign up for. Other family members have signed up for eg 12 years with an option for another 12.

 

Do we have any experts who can say what the minimum term would have been for an oik?

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In 1861 it would have been 10 or 12 years. Short service wasn't introduced until 1870

 

He could have been discharged....medical or disciplinary......I am not sure when the opportunity to buy out of a regular engagement started.....it wouldn't have been cheap.

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