John Land and Loveday Flew

West Street, Bampton
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Derek Harper - geograph.org.uk/p/2450185

There's no record of a marriage, anywhere, between John Land (bap. 29 May 1791 in Bampton, Devon), son of John Land and Sarah Melhuish and Loveday Flew (bap. 14 Oct 1804 in Rackenford, Devon), daughter of Richard Flew and Jane Wright (Loveday Flew, was therefore the great-aunt of William Flew, who married Jane Middleton), but they must have got together by 1823.

John Patchett has written here that, John Land, "Joined the Royal Marines in 1810 and served to 1814 then discharged for being undersize at 5ft 2.3/4 when he was 19 and 5ft 4 in 1822. Joined the 46th regiment of foot in 1815 and served in Australia and India until 1822 when discharged with chronic hepatitis. Total service 10 years 48 days. On leaving the army was given a pension of 6d per day which he received until death." John Land had joined the 46th Regt Of Foot on 14 Nov 1815, and the record of his discharge from that service in 1822, in consequence of the chronic hepatitis, confirms his previous service in the Royal Marines from 4 Sep 1810 until 14 Jul 1814.

It seems obvious that while John was useful to the Royal Marines during the Napoleonic Wars they kept him, but once they no longer needed the numbers, his height was used as an excuse to select him for discharge. Of the 46th (South Devonshire) Regiment of Foot, "When peace came in 1814, the regiment was sent to garrison New South Wales for three years and escort convicts. It moved to India for the first time in 1817 ..."

John Land already had two children from a previous relationship with Sarah (b. 1794). Again, it hasn't been possible to locate a record of a marriage:

1. Richard Land b. 6 Oct 1816 At Sea, off the coast of Botany Bay, bap. 5 Jan 1817 at St Philip's Church, Sydney, Australia
2. Jane Land b. 25 Apr 1818 also born At Sea, off Botany Bay, bap. 3 Aug 1818 at Christ Church Cathedral, Newcastle, New South Wales

Likewise, there are no records that explain what happened to Sarah.

John Land had a further nine children with Loveday Flew:

3. John Land b. 1823
4. Harriet Land b. 1827
5. James Land b. 1828
6. Elizabeth Land bap. 25 Jun 1830 at the Church of St Michael and All Angels, Bampton, Devon
7. Loveday Land b. 1833. Died at 18 in 1851 J Quarter in TIVERTON Volume 10 Page 191.
8. George Land b. 1836
9. Eliza Land b. 1839 D Quarter in TIVERTON Volume 10 Page 239. Died at 19 in 1859 S Quarter in TIVERTON Volume 05B Page 291.
10. Maria Land b. 1841 D Quarter in TIVERTON Volume 10 Page 249. Died at 25 in 1867 J Quarter in TIVERTON Volume 05B Page 298.
11. Eleanor Land b. 1845 D Quarter in TIVERTON Volume 10 Page 249, bap. 26 Nov 1845 in Bampton, daughter of John and Loveday. Address given as Westgate and John was described as a Pensioner.

The birth registrations for Eliza and Maria confirm the mother's maiden name as FLEW. On Eleanor's it is merely mis transcribed as FLEX. 

In 1841, living in Gate Street, West, Bampton, were John Land (50) Loody Land (sic) (35), Jane Land (20), John Land (18), Harriet Land (14), James Land (13), Elizabeth Land (9), Loody Land (8), George Land (5) and Eliza Land (1).

In 1851, in West Street, Bampton, Devon, we find John Land claiming to be 46 (he was 60) Pauper (ag lab), Loveday Land (47), James Land (23) Ag Lab; Loveday Land (18) Invalid; George Land (14) Ag Lab; Eliza Land (11), Maria Land (9) and Eleanor Land (5) the last three all at school. 

Loveday Land died at 47 in 1851 J Qtr in TIVERTON Vol 10 Page 191.

John Land died on 22 Sep 1857 (S Qtr in TIVERTON Vol 05B Page 275) from chronic bronchitis, with his age at death over estimated to 71 (66). 

Charles Hockley, 10th Hussars

Royal Arsenal Gatehouse
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Derek Harper - geograph.org.uk/p/6020048

Charles Hockley (23) Groom from Great Dunmow, Essex, son of George Hockley and Eliza Crow, enlisted in the 20th Hussars at London, on 2 Jul 1877. At that time being 5ft 6in, with a fresh complexion, grey eyes and brown hair. He transferred to the 10th Hussars (Prince of Wales's Own) on 31 Oct 1879, which ultimately meant he saw action at the Battle of El Teb, 29 Feb 1884 (First and Second Battles of El Teb) during the Mahdist War in what was then Mahdist Sudan. This action earned him the Sudan Medal 1884 (Egypt Medal) with clasp El Teb, as well as a Khedive Star 1884.

From 11 Dec 1879 to 18 Feb 1884, Charles had been in the East Indies, first in Rawalpindi and then Mian Mir: "The four-week march was arduous and hampered by lack of healthy camels. They had to cross the rivers Jhelum and Chenab, and camped several days at Shaddera near Lahore." In November, they were ordered to re-locate again, to Lucknow, where the 10th were located near the ruined Dilkusha Palace. "There was a large European population at Lucknow during the cooler months so that a good social life was enjoyed." [Source] And in Nov 1881, in Lucknow, Charles was treated for a dose of that well-known soldiers' "recreational hazard", Gonorrhea.

The 10th travelled to Sudan aboard HMS Jumna 1884 and disembarked on 19 Feb 1884, where Charles' record locates him until 21 Apr 1884.

Amongst sprains and dislocations, Charles also suffered Jaundice in 1879, ague (malaria or another illness involving fever and shivering) on no less than four occasions in 1880 and 1881 and Dysentery while in Suakin in 1884.

Charles' next of kin is listed as his mother, Eliza Bloomfield at Glengall Road, Poplar - the address of her eldest son, William Hockley (born Crow).

After leaving the army in 1885, in 1891, Charles Hockley (35) from Great Dunmow, was working as a Valet and residing in Arlington Road, St Pancras, London, an area where several of his sisters had also lived and worked.

In 1901, Charles Hockley (46) from Great Dunmow, Essex was a Boarder in the household of Robert Bailey a Cadet servant (military academy) at 10, James Street, Woolwich, London. Charles was working as an Arsenal labourer (Royal Arsenal, Woolwich). Robert Bailey, from Huddersfiled, Yorkshire had served, from 1867 to 1888, in the 109th Regiment of Foot (Bombay Infantry). They may have met in India, or at least had that in common.

Charles Hockley died, at 50, in 1904 in the London Borough of Southwark.