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Charles Davis

Charles Davis

Male 1787 - 1859  (71 years)

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  • Name Charles Davis 
    Born 23 Sep 1787  Westminster, London Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    Gender Male 
    Occupation Between 1800 and 1825 
    Drummer and then Colour Sergeant in the 9th Foot 
    Military Enlistment 20 Jun 1800  Bagshot, Surrey Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Occupation Aft 1825  Bridge, Kent Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    Grocer and Chelsea Out Pensioner 
    Census 1841  Bridge Street, Bridge, Kent Find all individuals with events at this location  [2
    Census 1851  Bridge, Kent Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    Died 19 May 1859  Bridge, Kent Find all individuals with events at this location  [3
    Cause: Diseased lungs and haemoptysis 
    Buried 24 May 1859  St Peter, Bridge, Kent Find all individuals with events at this location  [4
    Person ID I1089  Main Tree
    Last Modified 2 Jan 2018 

    Family Frances Staines,   b. Abt 1791, Canterbury, Kent Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 28 May 1866, Bridge, Kent Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 75 years) 
    Marriage License 19 Dec 1818  Canterbury, Kent Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Married 20 Dec 1818  St Mildred, Canterbury, Kent Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Children 
    +1. Sarah Davis,   b. 27 Dec 1819, Dominica, West Indies Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1870, East Ashford Registration District, Kent Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 50 years)  [natural]
     2. Ann Davis,   b. 26 Feb 1821, Dominica, West Indies Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1878, Bridge Registration District, Kent Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 56 years)  [natural]
     3. Eliza Davis,   b. 10 May 1828, Kent Find all individuals with events at this location  [natural]
    +4. Charles Davis,   b. 21 Oct 1829, Bridge, Kent Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1898, Portsea Registration District, Hampshire Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 68 years)  [natural]
    +5. John Davis,   b. 4 Sep 1831, Bridge, Kent Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1912, Rotherham Registration District, Yorkshire Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 80 years)  [natural]
     6. Jane Louisa Davis,   b. 21 Dec 1835, Bridge, Kent Find all individuals with events at this location  [natural]
    Last Modified 2 Jan 2018 
    Family ID F251  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsOccupation - Grocer and Chelsea Out Pensioner - Aft 1825 - Bridge, Kent Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsCensus - 1851 - Bridge, Kent Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDied - Cause: Diseased lungs and haemoptysis - 19 May 1859 - Bridge, Kent Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 

  • Photos
    Ninth Foot
    Ninth Foot

  • Notes 
    • On 20 June 1800 at an army camp at Bagshot, a 12-year old boy enlisted as a private in the 9th Regiment of Foot. He was my 4x great grandfather, Charles Davis. He may have been fired with enthusiasm for the army (not so common), eager to establish some stability in his life or just attracted by the £.s.d.

      His age was recorded with military precision - 12 years and 271 days - and his place of birth was given as Westminster, London. No baptism has been located in any of the registers of Westminster parishes which fits with a date of birth of 23 September 1787. It is possible, however, that the young Charles did not know his actual date of birth and was guessing his age as was the case with many people at that time. If this is so, possibly the most likely baptism for him took place in the church of St Martins in the Fields on 21 November 1786 - the parents were John and Elizabeth Davis.

      One source suggests that Charles also lived in Camberwell, Surrey prior to enlisting. A search of the Camberwell parish registers at the London Metropolitan Archives may reveal baptisms of Davis siblings and thereby point to his parents. This search is yet to be carried out.

      Charles seems to have been a model soldier. He was made a Drummer in 1805 about the time he was believed to be 18. This was a more distinctive role in the regiment than that of a Private. He was involved in the following battles in the Peninsular War: Roliça - 17 Aug 1808; Vimiera - 21 Aug 1808; Corunna - 16 Jan 1809; Fuentes d'Onor - 3-5 May 1811; Salamanca - 22 Jul 1812; Vittoria - 21 Jun 1813; San Sebastian - 25 Jul-31 Aug 1813; Nivelle - 10 Nov 1813; Nive - 9-13 Dec 1813. His military wanderings also included service in Ireland, the Netherlands and Canada. He was promoted to Corporal on 16 November 1815 and to Serjeant on 24 August 1816.

      On 19 December 1818, Charles applied for a marriage licence and the next day he and Frances Staines were married in St Mildred's Church, Canterbury. The 9th Foot had been based in Canterbury on numerous occasions in the early 1800s and the relationship between Charles and Frances may have been longstanding. The trigger to marriage was probably the news that the 9th Foot was to be stationed in the West Indies for a lengthy period.

      In early 1819, the 9th Foot, with Frances presumably on board too, set sail to the West Indies. Charles and Frances were to remain there for six years. It must have been an extraordinary experience for Frances who had probably not ventured far beyond Canterbury during the previous 27 years.

      Charles and Frances are known to have had two daughters while stationed on Dominica. It may be that further children were born there but died in infancy.

      Charles landed at Chatham on 20 July 1825 and was formally discharged from the army on 22 August 1825. Although he was discharged on medical grounds, he lived a long life as a grocer in Bridge, Kent, dying some 34 years later as a result of diseased lungs and haemoptysis.

  • Sources 
    1. [S102] 1851 Census Returns of England and Wales, Home Office, (30 March 1851;), HO 107/1623 f.205 pp.12-13 (Reliability: 3).
      Bridge Village
      Charles Davis, Head, Mar, 63, Grocer & Out Pensioner of Chelsea Hospital, Middlesex London
      Frances Davis, Wife, Mar, 59, - - Wife, Kent Canterbury
      Ann Davis, Daur, U, 30, - Daur, West Indies Dominica
      Jane Davis, Daur, U, 15, Grocers Daur, Kent Bridge
      Clara Gould, Grand Daur, 2, Grocers Grand Daur, Kent Chartham


    2. [S101] 1841 Census Returns of England and Wales, Home Office, (6 June 1841;), HO 107/465/10 f.5 p.3 (Reliability: 3).
      Bridge Street, Bridge
      Charles Davis, 50, P, N
      Frances Davis, 45, Y
      Sarah Davis, 20, N
      Anne Davis, 20, N
      Charles Davis, 11, Y
      Eliza Davis, 13, Y
      John Davis, 10, Y
      Jane Davis, 5, Y


    3. [S121] Death certificate for Charles Davis.

    4. [S308] Parish registers of St Peter, Bridge, Kent, Burials 1813-88, p.52 (Reliability: 3).
      Burials in the Parish of Bridge in the County of Kent in the Year 1859
      No.411, Charles Davis, Bridge, May 24th 1859, 72 years, Isaac Smith Curate.