Julius Fricke (abt. 1830 - 1864)

Died 17 Sep 1864 at about age 34 in Cachar, Assam, India

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Biography

Julius Fricke was born about 1830.^[1]. He was the son of Kantor Johann Conrad Julius Fricke and his wife Wilhelmine Ahlers.

Little is known about Julius' life, but it is likely that he was recruited to join either the army of the East India Company or perhaps the German Legion of the regular British army in support of the Crimean war.

Family history relates that "Julius was a director of music in the English army and went to India. During the persecution of the Christians in 1857 [the Indian Rebellion against the rule of the East India Company in India] he fled from Delhi to Calcutta, leaving behind him all that he possessed. Later on, he planted a tea plantation. Through a stroke he fell from his horse and died. The Indian Government commandeered all his possessions."^[2]

Julius died on 17 Sep 1864, aged 34, in Cachar, India. His death record confirms his occupation as a tea planter. He was buried on 18 Sep 1864.^[3]

Research Notes

If you are UK-based, can you help??

It is unclear when Julius enlisted, but research at the British Library and National Archives in the UK should be able to establish more about his life, as military records and muster rolls have all been preserved.

Given that he was already in India at the time of the Indian Rebellion in 1857, it is most likely that he was recruited by the East India Company to serve in its overseas dominions. Its archives and muster rolls are preserved at the British Library: Asian and African Studies. A useful starting point might be:

• IOR/L/MIL/10/130-185, Title: Bengal Army Muster Rolls and Casualty Returns, which cover detailed muster rolls (MRs) and casualty returns (CRs) compiled for the East India Company, Date: 1716-186 - see: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/43dfa08e-aa5e-4a1e-b974-52796aaa98aa for details
• IOR/L/MIL/9 - Entry to the military, medical and nursing services of the East India Company's Army (1753-1861) and the Indian Army (1861-1940) - see: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/browse/r/h/4f3b19a5-4dca-4e41-a965-3f951af74538

If Julius was not engaged by the East India Company, he may have been recruited to the British German Legion in support of the Crimean War. The Enlistment of Foreigners Act 1854 allowed the government to recruit foreign mercenary troops to make up the low number of British men being recruited during the Crimean War. These mercenaries formed the British German, British Swiss and British Italian Legions, often collectively called the British Foreign Legion. Recruitment began at the beginning of 1855, and eventually 14,000 men joined the legions. None of these men saw active service, although a number of regiments had arrived in Turkey when peace was signed. At the end of the War in 1856 the Legions were disbanded. Men were encouraged to emigrate to the colonies and many from the British German Legion went to Cape Colony, but Julius may have re-enlisted to join one of the Army Battalions on their way to India. In that case, he would only have been in India for a short time before the Indian Rebellion in 1857.

Useful starting points for research might be:

• War Office: Foreign Legions muster rolls, service records and attestation papers for the British German and British Swiss Legions, Reference WO15.^[4]
• East Indies: Battalion:2, Company:Detachment East Indies, Reference: WO 10/2079, Date: Apr 1851 Apr - Dec 1858.^[5]

Sources

1. ↑ "India Deaths and Burials, 1719-1948", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FGLC-22L : 5 February 2020), Julius Fricke, 1864.
2. ↑ THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JULIUS LOHMEYER - written after his eightieth birthday and not completed at the time of his death, private publication by Clamor and Dora Lohmeyer, printed in Mount Barker, South Australia December 25, 1936 by the Courier” Print. A copy of the original booklet was transcribed, edited and annotated by Dr. Matt. Lohmeyer in September 2005.
3. ↑ "India Deaths and Burials, 1719-1948", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FGLC-22L : 5 February 2020), Julius Fricke, male, age 34, Death Date: 17 Sep 1864, Birth Year (estimated): 1830, Marital Status: Unknown, Occupation: Tea Planter, Event Type: Burial, Event Date: 18 Sep 1864, Event Place: Bengal, India, Event Place: Cachar, Bengal, India. [Cachar is in what today is part of Assam province].
4. ↑ Available at the UK National Archives, details at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14226 - accessed 21 May 2023.
5. ↑ Available at the UK National Archives, details at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C615825