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1881 census RG11/4521..Thomas Clark born Ireland and proffession general labourer..at the side of this is written Chelsea pensioner...
Can anyone help me please to find records for him..I have tried on the military but no luck..not unless I am doing it wrong..
All suggestions and help greatly appreciated ..as usual..Thank you....Wanda..

Updated further down..can any one help please..

Have you tried sending an enquiry form to the Royal Chelsea Hospital which houses the pensioners:

http://chelsea-pensioners.co.uk/contact.asp

No I havnt Colin..have just found this so it is all new to me..thank you for the suggestion...

Very interesting fmamily .............. they're born all over the world!!

1881 Census (from ancestry ... for reference)

Name: Thomas Clark
Age: 42
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1839
Relation: Head
Spouse's Name: Mary
Gender: Male
Where born: Ireland

Civil Parish: Leeds
County/Island: Yorkshire
Country: England

Street address: 14 East Grove Street
Condition as to marriage: Married

Occupation: General Labourer (Chelsea Pensioner)

Registration district: Leeds
Sub-registration district: North Leeds
ED, institution, or vessel: 59
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
Anthony Clark 19 b.ca 1862, At Sea, Labourer
Edward Clark 11 b.ca 1870, Isle of Wight, Hampshire
Francis Clark 7 b.ca 1874, East Indies
James Clark 9 b.ca 1872, Woolwich, Kent
John Clark 15 b.ca 1866, East Indies
Joseph Clark 4 b.ca 1877, East Indies
Martin Clark 4 mos b.ca 1880, Leeds, Yorkshire
Mary Clark 36 b.ca 1845, Ireland
Thomas Clark 42
Thomas Clark 13 b.ca 1868, At Sea


Currentl living in Leeds, Yorkshire.



May help to find them on another earlier census (if they happen to be in the UK!!) to find out which branch of the services he is in ...... that would narrow the search for his records.



sylvia

here are some of the fmaily in 1871

1871 Census

Name: Thomas Clarke
Age: 34
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1837
Relation: Head
Spouse's Name: Mary
Gender: Male
Where born: Ireland

Civil Parish: South Shoebury
Town: South Shoebury
County/Island: Essex
Country: England

Registration district: Rochford
Sub-registration district: Great Wakering
ED, institution, or vessel: Artillery Barracks
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 1
Household Members: Name Age
Edward Clarke 1 b.ca 1870, Freshwater, Isle of Wight
John Clarke 5 b.ca 1866, East Indies, Aden
Mary Clarke 27 b.ca 1844, Ireland
Thomas Clarke 34 Serjeant - Royal Artillery
Thomas Clarke 3 b.ca 1868, O H M S Mallabar Lugets

Address:- District Artillery Barracks, South Shoebury, Essex




So he was in the Royal Artillery



sylvia

I wonder if this is the eldest child Anthony in 1871??


1871 Census

Name: Anthony Clarke
Age: 8
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1863
Relation: Patient
Gender: Male
Where born: East Indies

Civil Parish: St Marylebone
Ecclesiastical parish: All Souls
County/Island: London
Country: England

Registration district: Marylebone
Sub-registration district: All Souls
ED, institution, or vessel: Middlesex Hospital
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 1
Household Members: Name Age
.
.
.
.
Charles Cherratt 60
Anthony Clarke 8 Scholar, British subject
Owen Connor 34
George Cox 20
.
.
.
.
.




sylvia

Mary is a widow by 1891 ........ Thomas must have died somewhwere between about 1883 and 1891

1891 Census

Name: Mary Clarke
Age: 50
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1841
Relation: Head
Gender: Female
Where born: Ireland

Civil Parish: Leeds
Ecclesiastical parish: All Saints
County/Island: Yorkshire
Country: England

Registration district: Leeds
Sub-registration district: South East Leeds
ED, institution, or vessel: 34
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
Francis Clarke 16 b.ca 1875, Dayerling, India, General Lab
George Clarke 7 b.ca 1884, Leeds, Scholar
James Clarke 19 b.ca 1872, Woolwich, Painters Lab
John Clarke 25 b.ca 1866, Aden, Arabia, General Lab
Joseph Clarke 14 b.ca 1877, Callutta, India, Boot Rivetter (???Calcutta)
Martin Clarke 10 b.ca 1881, Leeds, Scholar
Mary Clarke 50 b.ca 1841, Ireland, Head, Widow

Address:- 60 Ascot Street, Leeds



You can get some idea of where he served from the birth places of the children.



sylvia

The one born on the Isle of Wight is a bonus, as the IOW Family History Society website has their entire BMD index online, and the births index includes mother's maiden name. The website is: http://www.isle-of-wight-fhs.co.uk/

From that, this looks like Edward's birth - if so then Mary's maiden name was WALTER:

CLARKE, Edward 1869 WALTER Calbourne Ca11/E409


Also, in the GRO Regimental births indices (available on www.familyrelatives.com) are:

Clarke, John, 1866, Aden, RA, 1397, 231
Clarke, James, 1871, Woolwich, RA, 1397, 231
Clarke, Francis W, 1875, Darjeeling, RA, 1397, 231
Clarke, Joseph, 1877, Calcutta, RA, 1397, 231

Note that all the above are on the same volume and page, so must all be the same family (that is how the regimental birth registers are arranged, apparently). You can order these from the GRO in the same way as UK certs - just select "Overseas Event" on the order form. Any one of these regimental birth certs will tell you Thomas's rank & battalion within the RA, and maybe even his service number. With that info, you should be able to find his service records at Kew.

Cheers
Richard

Possibly Anthony's birth/christening (IGI):

Antony Clark
Birth: 06 AUG 1862
Christening: 23 NOV 1862 Kirkee, Maharashtra, India
Parents:
Father: Thomas Clark
Mother: Mary
Batch No: C001721

Here's an article & picture of the HMS Malabar (the ship on which Thomas junior was born in 1868, according to the 1871 census):

http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=8604

All soldiers in receipt of pensions in those days were classed as Chelsea pensioners, as the Royal Hospital Chelsea adminstered pensions in those days. The majority of the pensioners were classed as out-pensioners and received their pensions but lived at home. Others who lived at the RHC were classed as In-pensioners.

Nicki

Nicki

Hi there - take a look at this page - it tellsyou a little about being a in-pensioner.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chelsea_pensioner

The term Chelsea pensioner is used to refer to an in-pensioner at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, that is, a former British soldier who lives within the Royal Hospital.

Em

I remember vaguely watching this documentry - aired in Nov 07.... here is a bit of detail if you are intrested?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/documentaries/features/chelsea-pensioners.shtml

CHELSEA PENSIONERS: ONCE A SOLDIER
One episode of this series, Not Forgotten, will be showing as part of Armistice Night on Monday 12 November 2007 12.10am-12.30am (Sunday night)


The Royal Hospital Chelsea opens its doors to cameras for the first time for this intimate portrait of the Chelsea Pensioners. The eight-part series meets some of the 300 'Men in Scarlet' at the barracks who, like three centuries of retired soldiers before them, call this Grade I listed building in the heart of London home. Whether being re-united with old comrades, parading in front of the Queen, or debating moves to modernise their quarters, the old boys, whose average age is 83, cope with the changing face of the Royal Hospital Chelsea united.

The Service Records of your Thomas Clarke will be held at the National Archives, it will require a visit to see them, or mean getting someone else to go for you to search.

Jennifer

Heavens above..I thought my only answer was Colins!!!Thank you all ever so much..Sylvia,Richard,Nicola,Emma and Jennifer..
Now my other problem is..can anyone help me find James Clark from this family.
I have the marraige cert dated 7Nov 1891..

James Clark age 19 102 York St Leeds..a labourer. father Thomas Clark..a paviour.

Ellen Garth age 19..same address father John Garth an auctioneer..

I am trying to find out if this James is the same James born Woolwich Kent..

All help greatly appreciated..thank you..

Hi

My ancestor was a out Chelsea pensioner after serving 25 years in the 17th Lancers as a Private. I dont think the pension alone was much, so ex soldiers had to have a job as well. I think the army pension was simply in aid of earnings. My rellie later became a soap boiler, carman, labourer etc.

Ben

The James Clark with wife Ellen in 1901 was born in Leeds.

I can't find an Ellen Garth yet on the 1891


sylvia

Even these days soldiers & officers leaving the Service with pensions have jobs to subsidise their pensions. Most soldiers are pensioned by aged 40 following 22 years and officers aged 55.

Nicki

Hi Sylvia.. just found out the childrens names match the James and Ellen on the 1901 all born Leeds..my cousin who is in Canada is giving me the info bit by bit..she said that the chelsea pensioner was the only Thomas she could find with a son James..thank you for helping..Wanda.x

I would say that the James Clarke born Woolwich is most probably the same person as the one who married Ellen Garth, despite the fact that the latter said he was born in Leeds, according to the 1901. After all, we know that Thomas & Mary had moved to Leeds by 1881, as their children Martin & George were born there. James would have only been 9 or 10 at the time, so he probably considered that he was "from" Leeds, since that is where he grew up.

I've found with my army lot that they moved around so much, they never really seemed to know where they were from! My ggm, daughter of a soldier, claimed to be from Sussex, Ireland and India on successive censuses! Eventually I did track down her birth (via the regimental birth register as it happens) - it was in Ireland.

Cheers
Richard