I like a good mystery detective novel so when I began looking for my husband's Great grandfather George Bambury born c1851 at Castlebar Barracks, Ireland (entered on 1861 Census as Castlebay Barracks, Ireland ) I was hooked, and it's been a huge brickwall I've worked on and off for 10 years or more.
The next Census 1871: George is still living in Burslem, Stoke on Trent recorded as a Boarder of the head householder. 1881 Census George is married, still in Burslem but 'place of birth' given as Coventry not Ireland as previous records, which intrigued me so I began looking at Coventry when I discovered a George Bambury, possible father( as named on Marriage Certificate as 'name of father' George Bambury born c1851) born c 1821, on the 1871 Census for Coventry, Warwickshire, England living with his wife Harriett and step children from Harriett's previous marriage; Occupation Pensioner out Recruiting Staff. This record remained in my file for 5 years until I was contacted by a distant cousin of my husband Jim and using her research and mine and the help of census records and DNA , I believe I have found George's Father. I discovered two records using forces-war-records.co.uk Collection: 1871 Worldwide Army Index and 1851 Worldwide Army Index to verify my thinking.
The first record: 1851 Worldwide Army Index names: George Banbury, Date 01/01/1851 - 31/03/1851, Rank Private, Service Number 2144, Duty Location : Castlebar, Ireland. Primary Unit:41st(The Welch) Regiment Of Foot. Secondary Unit:Depot. and Second record 1871 Worldwide Army Index for George: Date army index started 04/1871 ends 06/1871. Rank Private. Service number Paid Pensioner Recruiters. Duty Location: Birmingham. Regiment: Depot-Birmingham Recruiting District (5).
Back to 1861 Census Record. It gave me more information as well as listing George Bambury born c1851age 10, he was living with his mother Ellen Bambury, married, age 28, born c1833, Ireland, Boarder of head householder, address Burslem, Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire. Ellen disappeared for a while until I discovered a death record for an Ellen Bambury. From the Death Certificate I read that Ellen died on the 14th of May, 1872 at the County of Stafford Lunatic Asylum Hopton and Coton, age 40 years, wife of George Banbury a Soldier (at Stafford) .? Cause of Death: Disease of the Brain and Acute Mania, Informant: staff member.
I have not been able to find a marriage for Ellen and George, neither can I find a birth record for George. I don't know where in Ireland Ellen was born neither do I know her surname. I think Ellen said she was married to save face because George snr was a 'batchelor' when he married Harriett as entered on their Marriage Certificate OR he was a bigamist.
Using a search on church records.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords I came across a baptism record for Michael Bambury of Ballylongford on 1 January 1850 (assumed) Father George Bambury, Mother Ellen McOwen, Sponsor Margaret McOwen. Ballylongford is a Parish of Kerry (RC) Record Identifier KY-RC-BA-73581. Is this my Coventry George and Ellen? Did they have a child born before George jnr (possible). One other point of interest is using a DNA shared match search on Ancestry places and Jim's give Ethnicity as 50% Scotland, 33% Ireland and England several hits give the area as Eyrecourt which I understand is In County Galway which is an area of emigration during the Famine.
So George born c1851 died 1897, Collier, married Ellen Dawson in 1873, stayed in Burslem, Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire had 6 children including Mary Hannah born 1883, Jim's Grandmother, who married twice. She had several children with her first husband who died during WW1 at Gallipoli. Married James Higney born in Scotland of Irish Parents and they had two children, Jimmy and Elsie Jim's Mother.
So my husband's story, featuring a couple of his ancestors, is one hell of a mystery novel.
