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Sorry Catherine didn't see this last message! I am also checking out this other 'Henry Neal' who was born same qtr same year!! I found him on the 1861 in a place nearby called Hadlow and he is definitely on the 1881 in a place called Sevenoaks. Before I did think that was mine, until the story but even then didn't have any proof that mine had been overseas. however after the newspaper article it confirmed the story and all this other stuff fits in, was so thrilled I was able to get the image, and surprised I could get it as I don't have a subscription.
Glad to hear you are having lovely hot sunny weather, and gay Paree! never been there, one on my 'bucket' list! at least it is winter here so can't complain, although a nearby town where I used to live Nelson, have had awful flooding and a good friend had her lounge/garage/toilet flooded out! Thanks once again :-D

Hi Catherine well that one was part along with the 50th of foot that were re named in 1881 to west kents!. also found a site of it (also known as Earl of Ulsters reg) for the 97th and they went in 1877 to Nova Scotia and then 3 yrs later on to Gibraltar and then South Africa! they were sent to SA in 1881 to clear up after the aftermath of Rorke's drift according to another person here who left messages.

.................................hang on have just found this:-

97th (The Earl of Ulster’s) Regiment of Foot

this link will take you to the full article:-
http://www.nam.ac.uk/research/famous-units/97th-earl-ulsters-regiment-foot

but what's interesting is the end bit:-

In 1873 the regiment was overseas again, garrisoning Jamaica and then Bermuda. It was posted to Nova Scotia once more in 1877, followed three years later by service in Gibraltar and South Africa.

In 1881 the regiment amalgamated with the 50th (The Queen's Own) Regiment of Foot to form The Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment).

.............so it did eventually become the Royal West Kent Regiment so the military record does look to be him after all.
:-D

Sorry it's cold and wet where you are, it's sunny and hot here in the western suburbs of Paris, but probably shouldn't say that. ;-)

EDIT:-
Sorry Ricochet just been rereading and just realised that you had already posted about the regiment. :-S

Hi Dawn, thought the military record was worth posting as name, date and place of birth all fit and the date of enlistment was also the same as that you gave (1875). As far as I can see the 97th Foot didn't serve in S.A. so it's probably just a coincidence but I think it may still be worth keeping on file, just in case.

Thanks again Catherine, I found that link you gave me about Henry Neal and his enlistment and to my amazement I was able to see the image and save it to my computer! It said he was %ft 11ins at 18, well yes he was a big man and would of grown taller, some of his sons ended up being well over 6ft!! :-)

Wow thanks! Marie Celeste for that info but when I try and subscribe I fill in card details then next step it just doesn't contine just asks again to fill in card details and there isn't anywhere to do it just is it for you or gift and then promotion code and that's it! then the sessions expired try again???

The British Newspaper Archives ahas an offer on at the moment where you can get a 1 month subscription for £1.

Use discount code SECRET. Offer ends 27/06/2014

Thank you everyone, I have all info about re parents marriage etc just this army enlistment and now we have some proof that he was in Africa....the 1881 sounds good (he wasn't on the 1881 census) as he must of been at Rorke's drift at some stage, as the painting they had of it and referring to it as the place 'Dad' had been! my Dad didn't know his grandfather as he was only 3 when he died butt knew his grandmother very well with her living until 1964 and telling all the stories!
Thank you so much also Ricochet for all the info on the regt.
Do you know where I can look for any records of his? I do have an army record of his wife's father George Greener and he was in the RA from 1859 to 1881, mostly in Ireland.
Thanks Catherine yes I did know there was a Henry Neal born same time T/Wells!! he was a gardener in Sevenoaks in 1881...but mine is actually reg as Joseph Henry, but always known as Henry! That info about Henry Neal joining in 1875, it says 'Canada British Regimental registers of service, that's not just Canada is it? as that seems very likely as he was named as Henry in the 1871 and always known as that?
This is all so appreciated as it has been wondered about for a few years now.
So my evening on the computer in a cold/wet rural place on the west coast of the south island of NZ has been very fruitful wil\th the help of researchers from t'other side of the world :-)

the regiment was formed by:

"amalgamation of the 50th (Queen's Own) Regiment of Foot and the 97th (Earl of Ulster's) Regiment of Foot"

So your relation actually would have enlisted in one of the regiments named above, but it would have been the RWK by the time he left

The regiment were sent to SA in 1881, to clear up the aftermath of Rorke's Drift, but they were not involved in the battle

If parents are correct then this would be him in 1861:-

1861 England Census about Henry Neal
Name: Henry Neal
Age: 4
Estimated birth year: 1857
Relation: Son
Father's Name: Job Neal
Mother's name: Mary Neal
Gender: Male
Where born: Tonbridge, Kent, England
Civil Parish: Tunbridge Wells
Ecclesiastical parish: Trinity
Town: Tunbridge Wells
County/Island: Kent
Country: England
Street address:

Registration district: Tunbridge
Sub-registration district: Tunbridge
ED, institution, or vessel: 18e
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 81
Piece: 493
Folio: 43
Page Number: 13
Household Members:
Name Age
Job Neal 44
Mary Neal 42
William Neal 20
Amos Neal 14
Georgiana Neal 10
Henry Neal 4

and in 1871:-

1871 England Census about Henry Neal
Name: Henry Neal
Age: 14
Estimated birth year: abt 1857
Relation: Son
Father's Name: Job Neal
Gender: Male
Where born: Tunbridge, Kent, England
Civil Parish: Tonbridge
Ecclesiastical parish: Trinity
Town: Tunbridge Wells
County/Island: Kent
Country: England
Registration district: Tunbridge
Sub-registration district: Tunbridge Wells
ED, institution, or vessel: 20
Household schedule number: 158
Piece: 929
Folio: 109
Page Number: 27
Household Members:
Name Age
Job Neal 54
Henry Neal 14

.................can't see him in 1881 so could be that he was in S.A.

Kent Regiment

The fact that the name changed in 1881 was probably not thought of by the journalist who wrote the article

The regiment would have been the royal west kent within his lifetime, so that's what he called it

Name: Joseph Henry Neal
Birth Date: 1858
Birthplace: null
Age: 32
Spouse's Name: Fanny Louise Greener
Spouse's Birth Date: 1869
Spouse's Birthplace: null
Spouse's Age: 21
Event Date: 24 May 1890
Event Place: Tunbridge-Wells, Kent, England
Father's Name: Job Neal
Mother's Name: null
Spouse's Father's Name: George Greener
Spouse's Mother's Name: null
Race: null
Marital Status: null
Previous Wife's Name: null
Spouse's Race: null
Spouse's Marital Status: null
Spouse's Previous Husband's Name: null
Indexing Project (Batch) Number: M01691-5
System Origin: England-EASy
GS Film number: 1866586
Reference ID: P 12 L 24



.

Just had a thought where the obit says he enlisted in the 1st royal West.....what does it say after 'West'? as I have been checking as it says that the royal west kent regiment started with that name in 1881! and yet Joesph Neal enlisted in 1875? thanks again

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Rorke's_Drift

Scanning the article quickly, I can't see anything to suggest that the West Kents were involved, but you may discover more than I have

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/24th_Foot

As he used both his names in census records,and there are 2 possibles, if you wish to find him in earlier census records then best buy his marriage certificate to find out the name of his father and his occupation or his birth certificate which will also give you his mother's name.

EDIT:- A tree an ancestry has this:-

Birth: 10 May 1856 - Kent, England
Death: Aug 1927 - Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England
Parents: Job Neal, Mary Haddock
Spouse: Fanny Louise Greener

............so parents Job and Mary.

From his age, and the date of his enlistment you'd have to assume he was in the First S A War . He would have been 45 or thereabouts when the second conflict started in 1899. And he's on the censuses, you say, so obviously wasn't abroad

From the BBC website:-

The first Boer War of 1880-1881 has also been named the Transvaal Rebellion, as the Boers of the Transvaal revolted against the British annexation of 1877. Most scholars prefer to call the war of 1899-1902 the South African War, thereby acknowledging that all South Africans, white and black, were affected by the war and that many were participants.

Forgot it says 6 sons in his obituary as a son died by drowning at Cape Helles Dardenelles in 1917 as did most of his coy from the T/Wells area, rammed by a Navy ship in fog and most on board drowned....

1891 he is using the name Neal:-

1891 England Census about Henry Neal
Name: Henry Neal
Age: 34
Estimated birth year: abt 1857
Relation: Head
Spouse's Name: Fanny Neal
Gender: Male
Where born: Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England
Civil Parish: Tunbridge
Ecclesiastical parish: St James
Town: Tunbridge Wells
County/Island: Kent
Country: England
Street address:
Occupation:
Registration district: Tunbridge
Sub-registration district: Tunbridge Wells
ED, institution, or vessel: 24
Neighbors: View others on page
Piece: 679
Folio: 92
Page Number: 25
Household Members:
Name Age
Henry Neal 34
Fanny Neal 20

So maybe this could be relevant?

Canada, British Regimental Registers of Service, 1756-1900 about Henry Neal
Name: Henry Neal
Age: 18
Birth Date: abt 1857
Birth Place: Tunbridge Wells, Kent
Military Date: 14 Jan 1875
Unit: 97th Foot Soldiers

................although there is another Henry Neal born 1857+/- Tonbridge Wells
England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915 about Henry Neal
Name: Henry Neal
Registration Year: 1856
Registration Quarter: Apr-May-Jun
Registration district: Tonbridge
Parishes for this Registration District: View Ecclesiastical Parishes associated with this Registration District
Inferred County: Kent
Volume: 2a
Page: 3576

.........................so this may relate to him.

Hi Catherine, It's a long story but my Dad and I came to a conclusion that when his grandmother pointed to a painting of rorke's drift, and said 'That's where Dad was" that she was actually talking not about her Dad (George Green he absconded from his family and there were 2 train of thoughts a he had gone back into the army and died in one of the Boer wars!...eliminated or run off with a woman from the workhouse in pembuty where he worked...most likely...never found death or in fact a birth!!!) but she was talking about her husbad as was the turn of phrased husband and wife calling each other 'Mother/Dad'
Now coming across this article it was so Joseph did join up and go to south Africa!!
I was hoping it was going to say a bit more than it did like 'how long, he was in it which battles etc.
However this is another step!

Thank you for that. He was my Ggrandfather, his daughter my paternal grandmother and I knew his wife fanny my Ggrandmother, vaguely she lived on to 1964. I have him on the 1891/1901/1911 census He married in 1890. So I know that from at least 1890 he wasn't in the army. You mentioned it said about the south African war...hmm I wonder which one? just googled and it said it was part of the Zulu war! Many thanks again anyway.