Charles Randall, gunner in the Royal Marines Artillery

Charles Randall (1784-1849) and his second wife Mary Ann Allpress (1786-1830) baptised 8 children together in Huntingdon, England. Their first child, born in 1814, was named Charles after his father and grandfather. This “Charles Jr” is my 3rd great-granduncle and the older brother of my 3rd great-grandfather John Henry Randall. Charles’s life began in Huntington, but where it ended remains a mystery.

H.M.S. Queen, Flagship of Vice Admiral Sir Edward Rich Owen, Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean fleet 1841-1845, leaving Malta by the artist Robert Strickland Thomas (in the public domain)

Military Service

In February 1836, at the age of 21, Charles enlisted in the Royal Marines. I was able to get a digital copy of his attestation papers from the National Archives of the UK (record ADM 157/352/344). These papers include a physical description of him (5 feet 8¼ inches tall with a dark complexion, blue eyes, brown hair, and no distinguishing physical marks), a surgeon’s certificate deeming him fit for service, his signed oath of allegiance, a receipt of 2 shillings upon enlistment, and a record of his service. The papers also note his trader/calling as “butcher.” 

Interpreting his service record has been a challenge, as military history is not my forte, and these early records are frustratingly brief. But his record states that Charles was a Gunner in the 2nd Artillery Company. He served on the following ships: HMS Dido (1836-1839), HMS Speedy (1839-1840), and HMS Queen (1840-1841). The latter ship is depicted in the painting above.

Charles later served on the HMS Styx (1845-1847), HMS Spiteful (1849-1852), HMS Odin (1853), and HMS Dragon (1854). The Dragon participated in the Baltic campaign of the Crimean War in Spring 1854. According to Charles’s service record, his exact dates on this ship were 4 February 1854 to 27 July 1854, under which is scribbled “still serving.” But on the cover of his attestation papers is the note DD, which apparently means “discharged dead.” 

The cover of Charles’s attestation papers, with the annotation DD for “discharged dead” (National Archives record ADM 157/352/344).

If Charles was alive and well in the fall of 1854 he surely would have participated in the Siege of Sebastopol, but I haven’t found any record of him after July 1854. I haven’t been able to find his death or burial record either. Perhaps he died on board the HMS Dragon and was buried at sea?

It’s also interesting to note that his service record shows he was promoted from Gunner to Bombardier in 1848 and then to Corporal in 1850. But in 1851 his rank was once again listed as Gunner. So he must have been demoted, but I haven’t found any explanation of why.

Soldiers of the Royal Marine Artillery and Rifle Brigade who served in the Crimean War, photographed by Thomas Richard Williams in Portsmouth, Jun 1855 (in Crimean Portraits, 1854-1856, Royal Collection Trust)

Family Life

In the 1841 England Census (taken in June 1841) Charles was enumerated as a Royal Marine Artillery (RMA) Gunner at the “Royal Marine Gunwharf Barracks” in Portsmouth. This is the only census record I have for him. In Oct 1841 Charles married a woman named Martha Loader in Portsmouth. They had two children: Mary Ann Elizabeth Randall in 1842 and Edwin Charles Randall in 1847. 

In the 1851 England Census, Martha is recorded as a married “needle woman” living in Portsmouth with her two children. Charles was presumably on a ship at this time. In the next England Census (1861), Martha is recorded as a widow, with the occupation “dealer in sweetmeats.” Perhaps this is a euphemism for a different sort of occupation, but Collins Dictionary defines sweetmeats as “any sweet delicacy of the confectionery or candy kind, as candied fruit, sugar-covered nuts, sugarplums, bonbons, or balls or sticks of candy.” In 1869 Martha remarried a man named Henry Godding (England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915).

What happened to the children of Charles and Martha? Mary Ann Elizabeth married twice, each time to an RMA gunner, and gave birth to at least 8 children. Edwin Charles became an apprentice in the Merchant Navy at the age of 15 and was indentured for 4 years to master M H Burgoyne on the ship Charlotte Jane (The National Archives of the UK at Kew; Collection: Registry of Shipping and Seamen: Index of Apprentices; Class: BT 150; Piece Number: 9, Ancestry.com). I have no record of Edwin Charles after 1862.

If you think you might be descended from this line of Randalls, please let me know!

Henry Randall, schoolmaster of Huntingdon

This is the first post in a series on the offspring of Charles Randall (1784-1849) of Huntingdon, my 4th great-grandfather. A few of his children stayed in Huntingdon, but most left at some point and settled elsewhere. Unfortunately, I don’t have any photos of this generation of Randalls, but I’ve enjoyed researching them and seeing where they all ended up. I’ll start with Henry.

Henry Randall (1807-1876) was the oldest surviving child of Charles Randall and his first wife Mary Pattison (1787-1810). From what I can surmise, he was level-headed, conscientious, and intelligent. He became a teacher and ran a small tuition-based school for young men. This 1834 newspaper clipping advertises his “Commercial Academy” and room for 2 boarders. 

(Huntingdon, Bedford, & Peterborough Gazette, and Cambridge and Hertford Independent Press, 28 Jun, 1834)

In 1832 Henry married Sarah Carter, also a teacher, in Cambridge (England, Select Marriages, 1538–1973, Ancestry.com). In 1839 Sarah opened a day school for young ladies, presumably in the same building as her husband’s school for boys. Instruction covered reading, English, grammar, history, geography, and needlework. Additional courses included writing and arithmetic, geography with the use of globes, music, French, and drawing. 

(Huntingdon, Bedford, & Peterborough Gazette, and Cambridge Independent Press, 12 Jan, 1839)

If my arithmetic is correct, the total for the first two courses was 17 shillings, which was equal to 4 days’ wages of a skilled tradesman (Currency Converter: 1210-2017 at the UK National Archives). I’m not sure how many families could afford to pay for those courses or for the additional courses such as French. But it seems the schools were successful, because in 1840 Henry and Sarah Randall announced that they had moved to a larger, more comfortable space, in the Old Jail (Gaol) on Orchard Lane.

(Cambridge Weekly News, 18 Jul, 1840)

Census records give us a bit more insight as to the size and ages of the student body. In the 1841 England Census, Henry and Sarah are recorded in St Mary’s parish, Huntingdon, as schoolmaster and schoolmistress living with 2 additional schoolmistresses, 1 female servant, and 8 female pupils between the ages of 7 and 15. In the 1851 England Census, Henry and Sarah are recorded with 1 schoolmistress, 2 female servants, and 15 female pupils between the ages of 12 and 18.

At some point, Henry decided to leave teaching. In 1855 he was elected to the Town Council. In the 1861 England Census, his occupation is listed as “merchant clerk.” His wife continued teaching and the couple still had servants but no pupils boarding on site. 

Henry’s wife Sarah died in 1864 (Cambridge Weekly News, 1 Oct, 1864). Two years later he married a widow named Harriet Waddington (nee Marshall; England & Wales, FreeBMD Marriage Index: 1837-1915). When Henry died in 1876 he left most of his estate to Harriet and her son Thomas Edward Waddington, but he also gave £200 and all of his “wearing apparel” to his younger half-brother Phillip Allpress Randall (will proved 13 May, 1876, at Peterborough, available on FamilySearch).

(Cambridge Weekly News, 6 May, 1876)

Henry’s obituary paints a picture of someone who was very well regarded in the town of Huntingdon, noting that many of the local tradesmen and farmers were “indebted to him for their education” (Cambridge Weekly News, 6 May, 1876). He was active in his church (Trinity Church, a dissenting/nonconformist congregation), serving as a deacon and as Superintendent of the Sunday school. He was also a member of the Cromwell Lodge of Good Templars and a supporter of the Temperance Movement, which promoted abstinence from alcohol and drugs. Later in life, he was elected to the Huntingdon Union Board of Guardians, which was in charge of the workhouse and administering relief to the poor (Huntingdon Union: Clerk to the Board of Guardians Minute Books, 1872-1876, available on FamilySearch). While serving on this board, he initiated many improvements at the workhouse, including the installation of pipes and hydrants to supply drinking water (Board of Guardians Minutes, 27 Nov, 1875) and the creation of a sick ward (Board of Guardians Minutes, 1 May, 1875). 

As stated in his obituary, “Mr. Randall faithfully and diligently served his fellow citizens. As a steadfast Nonconformist and Liberal he manifested a great public spirit, and when these sentiments were less popular than they now are was ready to suffer for conscience sake.”

Henry lived a life of service. Although he didn’t have any children of his own, he clearly had a positive impact on the town of Huntingdon and contributed much to the well-being of its citizens.