William Ginn of Newfoundland & Hertford d. 1865

William here, the eldest illegitimate son of Bet Ginn (see Joe Ginn's post of today's date) was pretty much left to fend for himself after the death of his mother, finally deciding that his best bet was to join the army.

Thus on 3rd May 1833 Bill enlisted with the 66th Foot (the Berkshires). He was said to be 17, a groom and born at Brickendon, near Hertford.

Billy did not serve abroad with the 66th, spending less than three years with them.  The army was maintaining a low strength at the time, and it may have been the threat of an early discharge that led him to volunteer to serve with the Royal Newfoundland Companies at the close of 1835.

These companies, as their names suggests, were a battalion of men recruited from various regiments for garrison duties in Canada.  The British had had a series of confrontations with the Americans over the position of the border, so it was felt necessary to maintain a permanent garrison around the St Lawrence seaway.

                     St Johns Newfoundland in 1844

Bill spent the next twenty damp, cold and generally uneventful years in Newfoundland. The men were largely on garrison duty in St Johns and in various posts around, and it is known that it was so cold in some of the outposts that it was not that unusual for men of the companies to freeze to death whilst on guard duty.

 The battalion was not dignified with a regimental number until 1858, when they became the sixth regiment to be numerated as the 100th Foot (Prince of Wales's Royal Canadians).

Bill Ginn was a sound soldier, of reasonably good character and earning four good conduct badges over the years.  But like many of his contemporaries he was fond of a drink.  Thus in an early escapade he floored the commander of the escort sent to arrest him for drunkenness, having time in prison to sober up.

Indeed it was the booze that indirectly put an end to Bill's martial career.  In early 1856 he was so drunk (off duty) that he fell over and badly smashed his forehead.  The swelling was so bad that he was taken to hospital.  Whilst there the medical staff noticed chronic rheumatism, caused by the island's damp climate; sufficient to make him virtually "legless" even when sober it seems.  He was therefore listed for discharge and sent home.

William Ginn was discharged (to pension) from the army at Chatham, on 23rd September 1856.  He was 5ft 9ins tall, with light brown hair, hazel eyes and a fresh complexion.  Oh yes, he was still carrying a very prominent swelling on his forehead!

Bill stated that he was returning to Hertford, and did, being close by (and name mistranscibed) in 1861.  I was astonished to find that he came home with a wife, Hannah, born Newfoundland St Johns.  The St Johns Record Office kindly researched for me, but could find no record of any marriage or children. He died at Hailey Lane, Gt. Amwell which is still there(stated to be a groom) on 20th May 1865; he was 48.  There is no trace of Hannah.