Ellen Harris (scoperto @t supanet.com) of Hailsham, East Sussex, writes: I have been trying to trace my Great Great Grandad's death certificate for a while now with no luck and also the regiment he was in when he died. James Wright was born in Tring approx 1837 but I can't find his birth cert on the 1837 online. (I think he must have been born before the start of registration.) He married Mary Jones (also born approx 1837) in New Mill chapel in Tring in December 1866. They were particular Baptists. I have their marriage cert which has James down as a 'private in the rifle brigade'. I am very keen to know which regiment he served with so that I can get his records. I have tried to find out his regiment without luck. I was told that he died 3 months before my Great Grandfather was born. (Also known as James Wright. Born 13th July 1875) I obtained James Wright junior's birth cert and he is down as deceased. I was told that he died abroad in the services but not in a war, he had an infection/ bug. They had another child Elizabeth (1868 Tring) and I also obtained her birth cert to see what his occupation was but he is down as a jobbing labourer. I have looked on the census for 1881, 1891 and 1901 and his wife Mary moved in with her brother in Aston Clinton. She never re married. I have been to Chapel Street in Tring which is the address on their Marriage cert. It would be great to be able to go to the National Archives at Kew to look up his records and to see how/why he died. I understand that you need a regiment before you can do this.

I am afraid that the main part of your question falls outside my area of expertise but I can make a few comments.

Births, marriages and deaths overseas were recorded in separate registers, which are held at the Family Resource Centre. They do not form part of the main series of registers, and I have no idea whether they are accessible online. However James's death in 1875 should be recorded there. This will have the place of death, and may well identify the regiment. If not at least you will know where he was stationed - which should narrow it down considerably.

However I may be able to make some suggestions about his links with Tring. The name James Wright is too common to be certain but at the time of the 1851 census the following family were living at Tring Ford (between the town of Tring and Marsworth, adjacent to the reservoirs for the Grand Junction Canal.

This would suggest that James was born just before civil registration started. It could be worth checking the 1871 census at the address given on the 1868 birth certificate you have, and at the address you have for the 1881 census. After all James may not have joined up until after the 1871 census - or may have been away in the army, leaving his wife at home.

April, 2005

Bob Badrick (bobbadrick @t xtra.co.nz) of New Zealand writes: William Wright was my Gt-gt-gt-Grandfather. His daughter Ellen or Helen was of course my gt-gt-Grandmother. She married Uriah Badrick of Long Marston. She had four sons William, Arthur, James and Thomas. She died in 1860 of typhus in Wilstone. Thank you Chris for the 1851 census read out. I have recently been looking for some link to the Wrights. William Wright was born in Aston Clinton.

There are web pages for Tring

If you can add to the information given above tell me.

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