Find Ancestors

Dear Friends,
I am hoping that this note can be read by all of you who have spent so much of your time trying to help me identify and thus find to find my grandfather, Henry Lee, born according to the East India Railway Company on or about 1 January 1841. Thanks to you I have added a number of possible "runners" for that doubtful privilege but then face the problem of making the right choice or simply adding one more to the "possibles". So, refreshed by Christmas and New Year spent with my son in Dubai (he lives in a delightful house on Frond L of the Palm Jumeirah and runs Desert Group, the largest landscaping business in the middle east) it is time to make a plan!
Subject to any advice you may have to offer I intend to complete the Lee part of my family tree so far as I am able and you will then know as much about the family as I do. I will include all the clues that may help anyone who is remotely interested or challenged and include the one and only relative I have found who is descended from an uncle, Eustace Osmond Lee born 5 September 1870. He - R.W. Tennant - born Feb 1952, was unable to give any new details.
So, put me in the pending tray and I really will try to complete all I know in tree form as quickly as my age ( 85 on the Ides of March this year) will allow!
Thank you all for your great support, Patrick lee

Patrick, I may have missed this somewhere in the thread, but do you have Henry's marriage certificate (if such a thing existed for Indian marriages)? He names his father, but does he say whether he is deceased, or does it give his father's occupation?

There was another earlier child to George/Bridget - buried in 1840 in IoM, George the infant son of George, soldier.

The only chance of finding Henry would be 1851 - but if this is the right family they were likely to be abroad, as the regiment served in Ireland/China/India. Whether the parents survived is another matter, I believe casulties were very high mainly from desease.

Morning all and a happy new year. I had a pm from Patrick too in which he said he didn't know of any connection to Devon prior to his father Percy living there.

Flip I also found the Isle of Man Henry on the 1941 but couldn't find any of them on future census's. I wonder if this is a clue to the irish connection that Patricks mum mentioned.

Happy New Year everybody and my thanks for all your help so freely given to a computer novice. Patrick Lee

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/98th_(Prince_of_Wales's)_Regiment_of_Foot

Bit more info on the regiment here, although I've no experience in checking military history.

If the above christening/census is your Henry, there was an older child christened the previous year:

Fanny Lee
Baptism Date: 29 Mar 1840
Baptism Place: Malew, Isle of Man
Residence: Castletown
Father: George Lee (soldier 98th Regt.)
Mother: Bridget Lee
Biography: Parents: George Lee (soldier 98th Regt.) & Bridget Lee.
URL: http://www.imuseum.im/FamilyHi..

But I'm guessing she may have died as she did not appear on the census record.

Thanks Jude, she's great - but then again most grandmothers say the same!

Happy New Year to you - and to you Patrick - hope this latest lead may prove fruitful.

Like Jude, I don't know where the time goes, but this year has flown past.

Flip - HNY - Patrick HNY too - looks good....well as good as it is going to get I think!

Flip - don't have (don't want yet) grandchildren - but she looks wonderful! All have a marvellous New Year!

I do not know where 2013 has gone. One year ago today I was trying to organise my mum's affairs and a funeral. I have said more than a few prayers this week.

The 1841 census was completed 6 June 1841 so a six month old is likely for your Henry born December 1840. You only have the age from the EIR records in year/months - so this is the nearest I can find.

And there is this:

Henry Lee
Baptism Date: 30 May 1841
Baptism Place: Malew, Isle of Man
Residence: Castletown
Father: George Lee (soldier 98th Regt.)
Mother: Bridget Lee
Biography: Parents: George Lee (soldier 98th Regt.) & Bridget Lee.

Added the 98th regiment was stationed in IoM from 1838 - in 1841 there were just 66 soldiers stationed there.

Maybe someone with a bit more savvy on military history can help?

Just had another PM from Patrick, he's finding it difficult to manoever round the site and his computer!

However, I've just looked at this record and wonder if relevant?

Henry Lee
Age: 6 Mo
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1840
Gender: Male
Where born: Isle of Man, Isle of Man

Civil Parish: Malew
County/Island: Isle of Man
Country: Isle of Man

Street Address: View Image
Occupation: View Image

Registration District: Isle of Man
Sub-registration District: Isle of Man
Neighbors: View others on page
Piece: 1464
Folio: 46
Book: 5
Page Number: 13
Household Members: Name Age
George Lee 28
Bridget Lee 20
Henry Lee 6 Mo

It looks like father's occupation is "armey", he was born England, mother born Ireland. If it really means army, then it could account for the family being in India?

Hi Flip I looked at all the people in the workhouse on the 1851 census and there was also William aged 5. Possibly Henry's brother. I think this Henry is still around in later census's he marries and on one his mother Jane is living with them.

Yes Tenerife Sun, my thoughts exactly - was there a family connection to Devon? I don't think the workhouse records have survived, and the parish of Halberton is not transcribed on the opc project for Devon, but I think more research is needed there.

The Halberton family history society may be able to check local records. Just google to find their contact details.

Also Henry's son Percy Herbert1874 returned to the UK married and lived and died in Devon in Paighnton. I don't know where to look next but feel there may be a Devon connection.

Trouble is, this could be the same child and the father's name is wrong according to his later marriage - although not unusual for someone to invent a father if they didn't know him:

Henry Lee
Age: 1
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1840
Gender: Male
Where born: Devon, England

Civil Parish: Halberton
Hundred: Halberton
County/Island: Devon
Country: England

Street Address:

Occupation: View Image

Registration District: Tiverton and Dulverton
Sub-registration District: Uffculme
Neighbors: View others on page
Piece: 222
Book: 1
Folio: 2
Page Number: 1
Household Members: Name Age
Robert Lee 25
Jane Lee 25
Henry Lee 1

I think TenerifeSun mentioned this 1851 census, and I think it may be worth checking out.

Henry Lee
Age: 11
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1840
Relation: Pauper
Gender: M (Male)
Where born: Halberton, Devon, England

Civil Parish: Tiverton
Ecclesiastical parish: Tiverton
Town: Tiverton
County/Island: Devon
Country: England

Street Address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Disability: View Image

Registration District: Tiverton
Sub-registration District: Tiverton
ED, institution, or vessel: Tiverton Union Workhouse
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Schedule Number: 1
Piece: 1889
Folio: 357
Page Number: 7

Also on the record, born in same place is William Lee, age 5. Wonder if Devon records office has the workhouse admission records?

No just searched on the probate records on Ancestry

You may well be right but worth a try. Where have you looked? At the British Library??

Yeah Annie..if there was a will - which I have not found - suspect it will mention only descendants :-)

I realise that but a Will might mention his siblings, with addresses, for example