Genealogy Chat

Nell, - thanks for your reply. Will do what you did, and keep fingers crossed I get some result. How marvelllous for you getting all that extra info about your rellie, - all from one little bit of info on a census too !! You must have been really chuffed! Regards, Cath.

Paul, many thanks for checking for me. Yes, have posted several posts on Curious Fox,- various names,-but never had ANY response!! The name has been fairly easy to track - but as you can imagine it gets LOTS if mistransciptions ! All adds to the fun of searching! Regards, Cath.

Catherine My gt X 3 grandfather John Purvey was a Chelsea pensioner. BUT the only references I have were on ONE census, all the others just say he was an ag lab, and on his death cert which states 'ox man and army pensioner'. His name was on The National Archives website - I just put 'John Purvey' into the searchbox on the home page. I paid £10 to get his records and another document. The army records were 3 pages A3 and gave me his recruitment details, medical history and his pension records. He was invalided out after only a year, having gone blind in one eye through an infection. nell

Just recieved a marriage cert and says fathers occupation Naval Schoolmaster Tried to find out about this and came across my gggrandad in 1871 census and occupation Pensioner Hospital only recieved cert today 'what a coinsidence'

Well, I just checked the list of names on the National Archives Trafalgar website and he doesn't appear. However, such an unusual name should be much easier to research. I see you posted on the Curious Fox Website a couple of months ago.

Sorry Paul, had a phone call and couldn't get rid of them !! Hope you're still around. His name was Marshall Heavisides born c1782 in Aycliffe Durham. Thanks, Cath.

You missed the important bit...' By the 19th century it was found preferable to pay out pensions and in 1869 the Hospital closed.' In other words, he wasn't living in the hospital, he was drawing a pension from them. What was his name and we can see if he was present at Trafalgar?

Thanks very much for very interesting reply Paul. I'll have to look into it in more depth. Can't see how he was ever in the hospital, as he shows on every census in Darlington with his family, and he died there in1862. Cath.

Just as Chelsea Hospital was instituted for soldiers who had been injured or grown old in the service of the crown, Greenwich Hospital was built for seamen in 1695. Seamen contributed sixpence a month from their pay towards the upkeep of the hospital. Pensioners were admitted from 1705 and originally wore a uniform of dark gray with a blue lining and brass buttons. The colour of the uniforms changed to brown and then blue. Families of pensioners were not allowed to live with them in the Hospital so many lived in the Greenwich area. By the 19th century it was found preferable to pay out pensions and in 1869 the Hospital closed. Records of Greenwich Pensioners are held at The National Archives, Ruskin Avenue, Kew, Richmond, Surrey. The timescale suggests he was in the Napoleonic wars and if he was at the battle of Trafalgar there will be a record. He would have been 25 at the time.

On 1861 census, my gr x 3 grandfather is listed aged 83 as a Greenwich Pensioner. He lived in county Durham , but at his marriage in 1816 it states he was 'late RN' (Joiners Index). Never said this on any other census, - he was a labourer! Any ideas?? Cath.