In 1820, in Calcutta, my 4 x great grandfather Joseph Bodycote, a soldier in HM 17th regiment of Foot (later the Leicestershire Regiment, married Elizabeth Beckwith, born 1803 in Madras. I have a copy of their marriage entry, which does not give the names of their parents.
I can only find a birth entry for Ann Elizabeth Beckwith in Madras in 1803 and I cannot tell whether she and Elizabeth are the same person. Other people researching this line have decided she is, apparently without any confirmation. There again their research is unreliable in that they are attributing other children to the family who are manifestly not theirs, although probably nephews of Joseph.
In 1821, their oldest child Charles (my 3 x great grandfather) was born in Berhampore in the presidency of Bengal. A daughter Amelia, who appears to have died young, was born before the family left India.
In 1824 Joseph left the army and returned to the English Midlands - probably Leicester. He was invalided out with chronic Hepatitis and Rheumatism and I 'm not sure how long he survived afterwards. His wife Elizabeth however lasted until 1884, when she died in Leicester Workhouse. She is described on the censuses as having been born in Madras, but is not stated to be a British Subject, unlike her son Charles. I have been advised that the Workhouse records are unlikely to take me any further.
Through another branch of the family two conflicting stories have come down. One is that Elizabeth was in fact an Indian woman. The other is that her father was an army officer of high rank. Either way she was apparently unused to having to dress herself when she first came to England. I am sceptical about the second story as I am not sure a high ranking officer would want his 17 year old daughter to marry a common soldier. I am simply not sure about the first and I can't find any evidence either way.
The whole thing is complicated by the fact that Joseph's granddaughter Ann was married in Leeds in 1881 by someone named Beckwith and in the presence of a witness named Beckwith - could they be relatives?
This is such a brick wall for me and I would love to find some answers. I would really welcome have any ideas how I can take this forward.
Thanks
D
I can only find a birth entry for Ann Elizabeth Beckwith in Madras in 1803 and I cannot tell whether she and Elizabeth are the same person. Other people researching this line have decided she is, apparently without any confirmation. There again their research is unreliable in that they are attributing other children to the family who are manifestly not theirs, although probably nephews of Joseph.
In 1821, their oldest child Charles (my 3 x great grandfather) was born in Berhampore in the presidency of Bengal. A daughter Amelia, who appears to have died young, was born before the family left India.
In 1824 Joseph left the army and returned to the English Midlands - probably Leicester. He was invalided out with chronic Hepatitis and Rheumatism and I 'm not sure how long he survived afterwards. His wife Elizabeth however lasted until 1884, when she died in Leicester Workhouse. She is described on the censuses as having been born in Madras, but is not stated to be a British Subject, unlike her son Charles. I have been advised that the Workhouse records are unlikely to take me any further.
Through another branch of the family two conflicting stories have come down. One is that Elizabeth was in fact an Indian woman. The other is that her father was an army officer of high rank. Either way she was apparently unused to having to dress herself when she first came to England. I am sceptical about the second story as I am not sure a high ranking officer would want his 17 year old daughter to marry a common soldier. I am simply not sure about the first and I can't find any evidence either way.
The whole thing is complicated by the fact that Joseph's granddaughter Ann was married in Leeds in 1881 by someone named Beckwith and in the presence of a witness named Beckwith - could they be relatives?
This is such a brick wall for me and I would love to find some answers. I would really welcome have any ideas how I can take this forward.
Thanks
D
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