Source
Source for: James Bird Hill, BEF 1 MAR 1801 - 31 JUL 1839
Index
Name source: S260 Megan Tilley and others, WebSearches - LDS, RootsWeb, etc, Web/Internet, Date of Import: 27 Nov 2005.
Text: Date of Import: 27 Nov 2005 Megan Tilley and others, WebSearches - LDS, RootsWeb, etc, Web/Internet, Date of Import: 27 Nov 2005.
Birth source: S130Page: Hill-Sarah.FTW
Birth source: S260 Megan Tilley and others, WebSearches - LDS, RootsWeb, etc, Web/Internet, Date of Import: 27 Nov 2005.
Text: Date of Import: 27 Nov 2005 Megan Tilley and others, WebSearches - LDS, RootsWeb, etc, Web/Internet, Date of Import: 27 Nov 2005.
Birth source: S130Page: Hill-Sarah.FTW
Text: Date of Import: 22 Feb 2004
Birth source: S47Text: Date of Import: 22 Feb 2004
Christening source: S130Page: Hill-Sarah.FTW
Christening source: S260 Megan Tilley and others, WebSearches - LDS, RootsWeb, etc, Web/Internet, Date of Import: 27 Nov 2005.
Text: Date of Import: 27 Nov 2005 Megan Tilley and others, WebSearches - LDS, RootsWeb, etc, Web/Internet, Date of Import: 27 Nov 2005.
Christening source: S130Page: Hill-Sarah.FTW
Text: Date of Import: 22 Feb 2004
Christening source: S47Text: Date of Import: 22 Feb 2004
Event source: S416Page: Discharge paper - Private John Bird (discharge 7 July 1823) (TNA Document via FindMyPast)
Text: Seventeenth Regt of Foot
whereof General J Champagne is Colonel
Private John Bird born in the Parish of Burton Overy in or near the Town of Burton Overy in the County of Leicester was enlisted for the aforesaid Regiment at Hinkley in the County of Leicester on the 4th day of October 1810 at the age of twenty one for unlimited service.
That he hath served in the Army for the space of 12 Years and 291 Days, after the Age of Eighteen, according to the subjoined
In what corps - 17th Foot
Period of Service - from 4 Oct 1810 to 22 July 1823 Private 12 yrs 291 days Total Service 12 yrs 291 days
In East of W Indies - 27 Nov 1811 to 27 May 1823 Total Service 11 yrs 182 days
That by authority of the Commander in Chief dated 4th July 182 HE IS HEREBY DISCHARGED in consequece of "broken consitution from repeated tropical fevers: St George Ardley Surgeon 17Foot
That he is not o my knowledge, incapacitated by the Sentence of a General Court Martial, from recieving Pension
That his general Conduct as a Soldier has been Good
That he has received all just Demands of Pay, Clothing, &c,. from his Entry into the Service to the date of this Discharge, as appears by his Receipt underneath.
I Pvt John Bird do hereby acknowledge that I have received all my Clothing, Pay, Arrears of Pay, and all just Demands whatsoever, from the time of my Entry into the Service to the time of this Discharge.
Certiffied by G Romney Capt 17th Regs Signature of the Soldier John X Bird (his mark)
To prevent any inproper use being made of this Discharge, by its falling into other Hands, the following is a Descritoin of the said Private John Bird. Hi is about thirty four years of age, is 5 feet 4 inches in height, Black Hair, Grey eyes Swarthy Complexion, and by Trade or Occupation a Labourer
Given under my Hand, and the Seal of the Regiment at Chatham this 7th Day of July 1823
Signature of the Commanding Officer H Duprand Major 17th Regt
Horse Guards 22 July 1823 Confirmed George [D'Lenilon] Leiut Cl [AKU]
Page: Discharge paper - Private John Bird (discharge 7 July 1823) (TNA Document via FindMyPast)
Text: Seventeenth Regt of Foot
whereof General J Champagne is Colonel
Private John Bird born in the Parish of Burton Overy in or near the Town of Burton Overy in the County of Leicester was enlisted for the aforesaid Regiment at Hinkley in the County of Leicester on the 4th day of October 1810 at the age of twenty one for unlimited service.
That he hath served in the Army for the space of 12 Years and 291 Days, after the Age of Eighteen, according to the subjoined
In what corps - 17th Foot
Period of Service - from 4 Oct 1810 to 22 July 1823 Private 12 yrs 291 days Total Service 12 yrs 291 days
In East of W Indies - 27 Nov 1811 to 27 May 1823 Total Service 11 yrs 182 days
That by authority of the Commander in Chief dated 4th July 182 HE IS HEREBY DISCHARGED in consequece of "broken consitution from repeated tropical fevers: St George Ardley Surgeon 17Foot
That he is not o my knowledge, incapacitated by the Sentence of a General Court Martial, from recieving Pension
That his general Conduct as a Soldier has been Good
That he has received all just Demands of Pay, Clothing, &c,. from his Entry into the Service to the date of this Discharge, as appears by his Receipt underneath.
I Pvt John Bird do hereby acknowledge that I have received all my Clothing, Pay, Arrears of Pay, and all just Demands whatsoever, from the time of my Entry into the Service to the time of this Discharge.
Certiffied by G Romney Capt 17th Regs Signature of the Soldier John X Bird (his mark)
To prevent any inproper use being made of this Discharge, by its falling into other Hands, the following is a Descritoin of the said Private John Bird. Hi is about thirty four years of age, is 5 feet 4 inches in height, Black Hair, Grey eyes Swarthy Complexion, and by Trade or Occupation a Labourer
Given under my Hand, and the Seal of the Regiment at Chatham this 7th Day of July 1823
Signature of the Commanding Officer H Duprand Major 17th Regt
Horse Guards 22 July 1823 Confirmed George [D'Lenilon] Leiut Cl [AKU]
Death source: S260 Megan Tilley and others, WebSearches - LDS, RootsWeb, etc, Web/Internet, Date of Import: 27 Nov 2005.
Text: Date of Import: 27 Nov 2005 Megan Tilley and others, WebSearches - LDS, RootsWeb, etc, Web/Internet, Date of Import: 27 Nov 2005.
Death source: S687Page: Bird, James - Statement of Accounts from the 2nd or Queen's Royal Regiment Muster Books
Text: Transcription of document
2nd or Queen's Royal Regiment (DSC04057) Bird- 1839 July-Sept
Statement of the accoutns of Private James Bird of [No] 2 or Captain Gillard's Comapany who became non effective by Death at Ghuznee
on the 31st day of July 1839. Born in the Parish of Tarlangton [Tur Langton] County of Leicester by trade a woolcomber
[in columns - column heading]
[Date 1839]
July 31
[Dr] [R] [A] [F]
[to] Daily Pay2""
Family Remittance4""
Company charges"2"
31 days Hospital stoppages 712"
Balance CR23"8
_________________
36148
[Date 1839][R][A][P]
July 1By Balance CR brt forward172
July 31By 31 Days pay1475
Cash in possession33"
Compensation for [trowsers]364
Sale of Necessaries
3 linen shirts, 2 Flannel Shirts, 3 pr blue trowsers
313"
1pr cloth trowsers, 1 red jacket, 1 stock
"6"
2 picker's & brushes, 2 cap covers
"7"
1 black cap cover, 1 forage cap"46
1 towel, 5 pair socks"26
1 cap ball, 1 handkerchief"4"
1 save all, 1 bag trappings"49
2 pr braces, 3 brushes"89
1 cloth brush, 1 towel"33
4 hanks cotton, 1 box blacking"46
2 Boxess Blacking, 1 Plate"59
1 [Button] stick & brush""3
1 pair boots112"
1 Pr ditto"8"
1 pr shoes"49
1 Great Coat37"
1 Blanket, 1 [Suterenge]1"9
1 mess tin, 1 tin pot"5"
1 save all""3
_________________
1469
Total36148
[whether married or single] married
[whether entitled to any and what prize money] Entitled for Prize Money for Ghuznee
[whether entitled to any and what compensation for clothing] None
[if not willed, who is the next of kin] Wife Ann Bird
I do hereby certify upon honor that the above is a full and true statement of the particulars of the Accounts of Private James Bird hwo died at
Ghuznee on the 31ts day of July 1839, that the whole of the necessaries and other effects were sold by public auction for the items opposite each being
the highest Price that could be obtained for them, I further declare that I have carefully examined all the particulars this above statement and found them to be correct-
signed
G N George Limb [?]
(2nd or Queens Royal Regt)
Company Detachment
Event source: S81Page: Enlistment data James Bird Hill 4 generation picture A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE LIFE OF JAMES BIRD HILL1 Born: March 1, 1801 Died: July 31, 1839 James Bird Hill was born March 1, 1801 (although his army record says he was born March 1, 1800). He was born at Tur Langton, Parish of Church Langton, Leicestershire, England. His parents were James and Catherine Bird Hill. James Bird Hill was the first of 12 children. As a youth he worked as a woolcoomber. On January 4, 1819, when James was almost 19 years old, he enlisted for unlimited service (for life) in the Queen’s 2nd Royal Regiment of Foot at Birmingham, England. He was 5 foot, 8 inches tall and had grey eyes, light brown hair, oval face, and a fresh complexion. He had had no previous service. By the time he was 24 years of age his height had increased to 5 foot, 8 3/4 inches tall. James Bird Hill was called James Bird while in the army. When his family returned to England after his death they were called Hill. On May 3, 1819, James Bird joined the 2nd Regiment Depot at Albany Barracks from Birmington Hospital. He was in the military hospital in June 1819. On November 25, 1819 he marched for Birmingham on the recruiting service and remained until September 1821. In October and November of 1821 he was in he recruiting service at Towcaster. While in Birmingham, James Bird Hill Married Ann Jarvis on September 18, 1820. Ann was born June 2, 1803 at Birmingham, Warwick, England to James and Sarah Bullock Jarvis. Apparently Ann was able to go where James was assigned most of the time because it seems that the children were born where James was stationed. On December 4, 1821, James Bird rejoined the Regiment at Brighton where he joined Captain J. R. Kells co., no. 8. While at Brighton, England their first baby, Ann Bird Hill, was born. She died shortly after, on March 6, 1822. On April 25, 1822 James Bird Marched with the regiment to Liverpool and from there sailed to Dublin, Ireland where he remained in garrison until October 3, 1823. On August 11, 1822 James wrote a letter to his parents in England. This more than [180] year old letter is a treasured keepsake in the Measom family. On October 3, 1823 he marched for 4 days o Athlone where he stayed for 7 months to May 1824, and then her returned to Dublin. I don’t know whether Ann went with him to Athlone or remained in Dublin until his return; but 2 months after James left Dublin, Ann gave birth to another baby girl, Catherine Bird Hill, who died December 12, 1823. Twenty days after the regiment returned to Dublin they returned to England. In August 1824, they sailed for Chatham and stayed there on leave for 5-6 months. On February 5, 1825 they sailed for India on board the ship Inglis and landed in Bombay (Colaba) on June 5, 1825. They remained in Garrison there until December 1825. Their first son was born at Colaba (Bombay) on June 5, 1825. They named him John. From Bombay, Pvt. Bird moved with the regiment to a camp near Poona, India and remained in garrison there until December 1830. While living in Poona, two more children were born: a boy named James, born August 2, 1827; and a girl named Sarah, born August 19, 1829. In February 1829, James Bird Hill was in the hospital for a short time, but otherwise was present and fit for duty the rest of the time. In December 1830, they moved from the camp near Poonah to Fort George, Bombay and from there to Colaba, Bombay and stayed there most of the time until 1833. Here baby Esther was born March 4, 1832. From Colaba they moved again to a camp near Poona and remained until may 1836. Here another son, David, was born on November 4, 1834. He died in 1836. Pvt. Bird moved with the regiment from Poona to Ft. George, Bombay, and remained there until December 1836 when the regiment moved to Belgium and remained there until October 1838. Their last son Thomas was born December 27, 1836 at Bombay. In October 1838 Private Bird moved with the regiment from Belgium to Bombay and from thence (by sea to the mouth of the river Indus), moved northward to the First Afghan War. From there there were several moves of the regiment until Private James Bird was at Khelat-i-Ghilzai on July 7, 1839. When the regiment left Ghazni, Pvt. James Bird was left behind sick. He died at Ghazni, Afghanistan on July 31, 1839 of a disease (probably dysentery). He had taken part in the famous storming of Ghazni and was entitled to his share of the Ghazni Prize money, which was given to his widow, Ann Bird Hill, who was residing at Poona. One month later Ann once again suffered heartache when her son Thomas died on August 21, 1839, at Poona. Ann had given birth to eight children, four of whom had died. Surely Ann’s life as the wife of a soldier must have been very difficult. But now she must look ahead, and she longed for her native England. The army sent her and the four children to Burton Overy, England to live with James’ parents. They were four months and fourteen days on their tedious, worrisome ocean voyage. Anne never remarried. She reared her family and made a living by serving as a midwife for many years. Her daughter Sarah married Thomas Measom in December of 1847, and they lived only a short distance from Ann’s house in Burton Overy. In later life Ann became blind and Sarah’s family helped her. One of the nice things they did was to take a special meal to her each Sunday. Thomas and Sarah heard the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ from the Mormon Elders and Joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In September 1870 they immigrated to America. They wanted Ann to go with them but she had so disliked the ocean voyages to and from India that she said she never wanted to sail the ocean again. Ann Jarvis Hill died December 21, 1878 at the age of 76 years at the Union Workhouse, Billesdon Dist, Leicestershire, England. The cause of death was Senectus. LETTER FROM JAMES BIRD HILL TO HIS PARENTS IN ENGLAND Dublin, 11 August 1822 Dear Father and Mother, This comes with our love to you, hoping to find you all in good health, as this leaves us at this time. Thank God for that. Dear mother, Ann was very sick coming over the water, for we had a very rough passage, but very quick, for we were only twenty-four hours on board ship. We landed safe but very wet for it rained all the time we were on board and all the day after we landed and then we had to march 10 miles in the wet. But we like Dublin very well, for everything is very cheap indeed, for we can get the very best of beef and mutton at 2d (pence) per pound and a quarter loaf for 3d, eggs for 6d, butter for 4d per pound and everything accordingly, and as many potatoes as you can carry away for 2d. But the worst of all is we have such very hard duty and so many field days before the General. There are twelve regiments of us live all in one barracks, and we have hardly one moment to call our own, for we have only one night in bed at a time. That is all we dislike Dublin for. If it was not for that I would like Ireland very well, as well as England. In regard to the people all you need in Ireland is a civil tongue, and that will carry anyone through the world. I do not care where I go for that, for I know I have a tongue in my head that will carry me through the world for good behavior. As we have to go to the East Indies very soon, I am not afraid but I have behaved very well. Before I go I will have a furlough as soon as we get the orders to meet the regiment at Ch---. The Captain is a very good friend to me and Ann and we will go with them to wait on his lady. I will have all my victuals with them. They have been very good to us indeed, for everything we want, we have it. Dear mother, I had a letter from my brother Henry yesterday morning. He is very well dear mother. I saw Wm. Smith in the First Dragoons the Sunday after we came. We had a fine talk with him and he desired to be remembered to you all and to his father and mother. They went on board ship the Wednesday after for England. So I conclude your loving son and dtr., James and Ann, Direct Js. Bird Hill Private Soldier, Captain Kell’s co. 200 Queen’s Royal Barracks Dublin or elsewhere James included a drawing of himself and Ann which included the verse: Art thou not dear unto my heart, O search thy heart and see, And from thy bosom tear that part that beats not true to thee But to my bosom thou art dear, more dear than tongue can tell And if a fault is cherished there tis loving thee too well. Had I the wings of yonder dove I’d soon fly o’er the sea Once more behold the friend I love who is so dear to me. **--** James and his wife apparently left Ireland shortly after writing this letter. They were later stationed in India when their daughter Sarah was born at Poona, India where they were when later James Hill died. Upon his death Ann and children were sent to Burton Overy, Leicestershire, England to stay with his parents.
Text: On January 4, 1819, when James was almost 19 years old, he enlistedfor unlimited service (for life) in the Queens 2nd Royal Regiment of Foot at Birmingham, England. He was 5 foot, 8 inches tall and had grey eyes, light brown hair, oval face, and a fresh complexion. He had had no previous service. By the time he was 24 years of age his height had increased to 5 foot, 8 3/4 inches tall. James Bird Hill was called James Bird while in the army. When his family returned to England after his death they were called Hill. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~amyandscottancestry/index_files/JamesBirdHill.htm