William Nicholls: from Devon to India

Blackawton, Devon A view of the King's Barracks, Fort St George, India

My Great Great Great Grandfather, William Nicholls, was born in 1846 in the tiny Devonshire
village of Blackawton, six miles west of Dartmouth.
His future wife, Ellen Pyne, was also born in Blackawton in around 1845. In the 1851 Census she is
listed as being 6 years old, and living with her parents William (30) and Sarah (34), and her four
siblings: William (b1841), George (b1843), Elizabeth (b1848) and James (b1851).

In 1867 William and Ellen were married in Blackawton - they were both around 20 years old. By
the beginning of the following year their first child, Elizabeth, had been born and baptised in
Blackawton. On the Baptism Certificate William's occupation is recorded as 'Day Labourer'. On 4
February 1870 their first son, William was born in East Allington, Devon. By this time William (the
father) is a 'Farm Labourer'.

Sometime between the birth of William in February 1870 and April 1871 (the date the Census was
held), William Nicholls joined the Royal Artillery. The return for the 1871 Census shows he and his
family are living at 1 Earth Pit Avenue, South Shoebury, Essex. (The British Army had come to
Shoebury in 1845, building permanent barracks in the 1850s.) William and Ellen are both 25,
Elizabeth is 3 and William Jnr is 1 year old.

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 The main barrack gates, South Shoebury, in the late 1800s

The next mention of William and Ellen is on the Baptism Certificate of their third child, Charles. He
was born on 13 April 1874. However, they are no longer in England, William having been posted
with the Royal Artillery to Fort St George, Madras, India. Fort St George was the first British
fortress in India, founded in 1639. It was completed on April 23rd, coinciding with St. George's Day,
celebrated in honour of St. George, the patron saint of England. The fort, hence christened Fort St.
George faced the sea and a few fishing villages, and soon became the hub of merchant activity.

On 2 March 1876 William and Ellen had a fourth child, whom they called Henry. He was baptised in
the Church of St Mary, Fort St George on 22 March 1876.

The church of St Mary, Fort St George, Madras, India

So far it is unclear as to when the Nicholls family returned to England, but there is a letter from the
Royal Chelsea Hospital addressed to William and dated 28 June 1893, which states:

'William Nichols, late of Dep/Eastern Dn R A 6th Temp,

I am directed to aquaint you that the Lord and others, Commissioners of this Hospital, after a
careful consideration of the official report regarding your state of health have been pleased to
award you a permanent pension of sixpence a day from the expiration of your last grant.
Signed: G Stewart, Leiutenant Governor and Secretary.
Dated: 28 June 1893.'

There are a few clues as to the date of William's return to his home country: in his son William's
Identity Card of 1916 he lists his previous Forces experience as:
"Trumpeter in the Royal Garrison from 21 Jan 1884 to 30 July 1889".

And there is a Certificate of Good Service presented to William Jnr on 9 June 1905, signed by the
Commanding Officer and Adjutant of the 1st Cinque Ports Royal Garrison Artillery Volunteers*
(Dover) which states that William Jnr had "served with credit" from February 1892 to June 1905,
and "at his own request ceased to be a member of this corps".

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I would hazard to summise from this that William and Ellen returned from India to England some
time between August 1889 and February 1892.

What is known is that William did not live long after he was awarded his 'Chelsea Pension'. His son
William was married to Susannah Kingsnorth on 30 October 1895, and on the certificate he records
his father's details as "William Nichols (deceased), gunner in Royal Artillery ".

I have so far been unable to determine the dates of death of William or Ellen.
There are no known surviving photographs of William Nicholls; however, an image of Ellen was
captured on film towards the end of her life. Here it is:

[*The 1st Cinque Ports Royal Garrison Artillery Volunteers were founded in 1859 as the 1st Cinque
Ports Artillery Corps, changing to the 1st Cinque Ports Artillery Volunteers in 1887. In 1902 they
changed name again to the 1st Cinque Ports Royal Coast Artillery Volunteers and only a year later
in 1903 to the 1st Cinque Ports Royal Garrison Artillery Volunteers. In 1908 the old militia and
volunteers system was reorganised as the territorial system we have today and the unit became
the 1st (Home Counties) (Cinque Ports) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. This changed to the 75th
(HC)(CP)B, RFA in 1920. It was disbanded in 1956]

© Paul Willis, TheWillisTree.me.uk

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