Cpl. Henry Elphick (2686)

being researched by Phyll Clover.

mailto:pclover@inhb.co.nz

Before 1852? Henry must have started as a private, but have not found this information yet.

July 1852 - March 1853 Cpl. 2686 Henry ELPHICK was at the Depot, Jersey, Channel Islands.

April - June 1853 at Jersey then Fermoy, Ireland.

July - Sept 1853 Fermoy. Henry in hospital at 2nd muster (Aug).

Oct - Dec 1853  Clonmell.

Jan - March 1854 musters missing.

Apr - June 1854 Henry at East Dereham, Norfolk (recruiting from 1 March).

July - Sept 1854 Clonmell.

Oct - Dec 1854 Now in Gibraltar, listed as "Draft" probably means he had just been drafted from "Home"
battalion to the the Overseas Battalion.

Jan - June 1855 At Gibraltar.

July - Sep 1855 CRIMEA. Henry ELPHICK promoted to Sgt.on 1st June.

Oct - Dec 1855 Crimea. 2686 Henry ELPHICK, Sgt.

Jan 1856 Crimea.  Henry paid to 31 Jan. Transferred to LTC 1st Feb. (this Corps arranged transportation, whereas Military Train carried out the transport. i.e. supplied horses etc., There were 14 different Battalions of LTC in 1856, with 6   muster books to cover part of a year, so my researcher skipped to the Military Train* he listed several WO12 numbers starting in Oct 1856)  *Henry's is given the "Saddler Sergeant Military Train" when his son Edwin was born in 1857, at Aldershott Camp (sic). Military train & Horse Transport, 1st Battalion, Aldershot Camp.

Oct - Dec 1856 Saddler as Sergeant, ELPHICK Henry, 5 Dec - 31st. Sergeant Henry Elphick joined 12 Nov. to Saddler Sgt. 12 Dec. ( It appears that Henry transferred from the LTC in Nov., when he returned from the Crimea.)

Jan - Aug 1857 at Aldershot as Saddler Sgt.

Sep - Dec ditto and Shorncliffe.

Jan - Mar 1858 Shorncliffe.

Apr - Nov. 1859 Shorncliffe and Aldershot.

19 Nov 1859 - 24 Mar 1860 at sea, passage to China.

25 - 31 Mar 1860 at Hong Kong. Still 1st Battalion Military Train, Saddler Sergeant Henry ELPHICK.

Apr - June 1860  Battalion at Rechalee(?) North china, but Henry marked "Garrison Employ". Separate musters for Hong Kong shows him there on Garrison Duty April/May,  then embarked on ships 10-30 June, the "Jamsitju Jajenhoy" ( difficult to decipher) then Jul - Aug same ship to 4th July, then on the "Albura" 24 July to 11 Aug.

Sept - North China.

Oct - Dec Pekin and Tientsin, North China.

Jan - Mar 1861 Tientsin.  Henry ELPHICK in hospital at January muster.  His name crossed out. Note added that he was invalided to England on 1st FEBRUARY 1861. Henry does not appear in WO/10951 at Aldershot and Woolwich, so it looks as if he invalided out of the Army on his return from China. (By the way the saddler Sergeant at Aldershot 1861/62 was Sgt. William GARDEN)

That is all I have on the movements of the 13th Foot and 1st Battalion Military Train with Henry Elphick.

If anyone has further information, I would love to hear it.