John Whitty, - amongst his children was an Elizabeth Whitty, she was my Great Grandmother. She became a Meeson after marrying Thomas Meeson in Salford Lancs in 1881. Thomas at that time was serving in Salford barracks. One of their sons James Meeson was my Grandfather. To go back to John Whitty though, as we know born in 1836, he joined the Wexford Militia as a volunteer in February 1855. He then joined the 1st Battalion 11th Deveonshire Foot Regiment in April 1879. Private John Whitty no 231. I beleived he served for 11 and a half years, a lot of the time being spent in East India, where at least half the family were born. I had difficulty tracking down the birth of Elizabeth, and whilst it was in Ireland it was under the Britiah Army Records. Just prior to her marriage to Thomas in 1881, according to the 1818 Census she was working as a "servant for an indepedndant lady" in the Whalley area of Manchester.
John married a Mary Deake in January 1860, the record fers to the 11th Reg in the notes but I can't make out the detail.
It did get a bit confusing at one point, as one of John Whitty's other children, although he was called Micheal, his middle name was John, and he also served in the Army. Plus John Whitty's father I beleive was also called John, and I beleive he married a Bass Hayes. My plan at some point is to get over to Ireland and take a look at the locations
Ian Meeson
