Christopher Rowland Richardson Jun. (1826 - 1900)

Born 9 Dec 1826 in Chelsea, London, England

Ancestors

Husband of Frances Annie (Yearsley) Richardson — married 11 Dec 1852 in Chatham , Medway, Kent, England

Died 6 Feb 1900 at age 73 in Avon Lodge, Hillsbough Crescent, Southsea, United Kingdom

Profile manager: Phil Richardson [send private message]

Lt. Colonel Christopher Rowland Richardson ( Jun )

Col. Christopher Rowland Richardson was born in 9 Dec 1826, his father, Christopher Rowland Richardson Sen, was 52 and his mother, Martha, was 47. He was Christened on 24 Aug 1827 at Saint David, Exeter, Devon, England.^[1]

He married Frances Annie Yearsley and they had three children together. He was raised and served in India, where he gained rapid promotion. He also had one daughter with Lydia Bulsowe.

He died on 6 February 1900 in Southsea, at the age of 73.^[2] He was buried at Highland Road Cemetery, Portsmouth, England.^[3]

Feb 1844: Enlists as Ensign, 9th Foot (East Norfolk; nicknamed The Fighting Ninth, The Holy Boys), which had been in India since 1839. Jun 1844: Sails for India to join Regiment.

1st. Sikh War - Sutlej Campaign 1845-1846 Dec 1845: Promoted to Lieutenant – transfers to 62nd Foot (Wiltshire) at Ferozepore; which had been in India since 1830. Dec 18th 1845: Battle of Moodkee (Mudki). Dec 21st-22nd 1845: Battle of Ferozeshah (the 62nd loses 300 men - half its strength - in ten minutes. The 9th loses 330; the entire British forces suffer 2,400 casualties). Jan 28th 1846: Battle of Aliwal. Feb 10th 1846: Battle of Sobraon. 1846: Regiment sails for England; Christopher is one of 237 men who volunteer to remain in India and transfer to another regiment. Jul 1846: Transfers to 61st Foot (South Gloucestershire) at Cawnpore, which had arrived in India in November 1845, and loses 250 men, women and children to disease between February and August 1846.

2nd Sikh War - Punjab Campaign 1848-1849 Sep 7th 1848: – Jan 22 1849 Battle of Mooltan (Multan). Oct 22nd 1848: Battle of Ramnagar. Dec 3rd 1848: Battle of Sadulapur. Jan 13th 1849: Battle of Chillianwallah (11 men killed; 3 officers and 79 men wounded). The Duke of Wellington later remarks that: “the feat of the 61st on that day was one of the most brilliant exploits ever performed by any Regiment of the British Army”. Feb 21st 1849: Battle of Goojerat (Gujarit). Mar 14th 1849: Sikhs surrender at Rawalpindi. Regiment subsequently pursues Sikh and Afghan auxiliaries across the Chenab River to Peshawar & the Khyber Pass; then settles down to garrison duty at Peshawar. Feb 1852: Christopher sails to UK. Dec 1852 Married Frances Annie Yearsley born 1837 - ( first Wife) Chatham, Strood, Medway, United Kingdom : They had four children . 1. Maud b 1858 2. Frances Ann b 1861 3. Louis 1856 Jul 1853: Rejoins Regiment in India. Sep 1855: Promoted to Captain.

Indian Mutiny – 1857 - 1858 May 9th 1857: At the outbreak of the Mutiny, the 61st Regiment is on garrison duty at Ferozepore, together with a European Light Field Battery, the 45th and 57th Bengal Native Infantry and the 10th Native Light Cavalry. The native regiments join the mutiny, burning down several buildings and the Officer’s Mess before deserting to join the rebels at Delhi. The 61st pursues them, and on Sep 14th takes part in the assault on the city, which falls several days later. Surgeon Reade wins the Regiment’s first VC. In 1858, after the Mutiny is suppressed, the Regiment ships out for Mauritius. Christopher transfers to another regiment. Son Louis Born 1857 Daughter Frances Ann Richardson born 1861

Nov 1858: Transfers to 2nd Battalion, 11th Foot (North Devonshire; nicknamed The Bloody 11th). Dec 1858: Regiment returns to England (Aldershot), where Christopher receives his Indian Mutiny medal. Jan 28th 1861: Applies for promotion to Major.

Daughter Maud born 1861 ( Father may have been William Edward Durand Deacon Due to Adultery)

Divorced First Wife Frances Annie Because of repeat Adultery with WILLIAM Edward Durand Deacon MARCH 20th1861 Jan 1863: Regiment returns to India. Nov 30th 1863: Marries Lydia BULSOWE in Calcutta. , W Bengal, India Feb 1864: Promoted to Brigade Major 82nd Foot (South Lancashire). Sep 6th 1864: Daughter, Lydia Constance RICHARDSON, born at Subathoo (Sabathu), Punjab, in the foothills 15 miles SW of Simla; the British Army summer station in the Simla Hills. She married William Henry Farmer Aug 1866: Onto ½ pay as Major.

HALF-PAY. Captain Christopher Rowland Richardson, from the 82d Foot, to be Major, without purchase. Dated 14th August 1866. May 1867: Returns to UK.

Jun 3rd 1868: Transfers to 76th Foot (Hindoostan; nicknamed The Immortals, The Pigs, The Old Seven and Sixpennies) which had been raised in India in 1787, returned there in 1865, and was then posted from Bangalore to Burma in January 1868. Sep 1868: Joins Regiment in Burma at Thayemyoo & Tonghu (Thayetmyo & Toungoo) as Major. Regiment remains there until 1870 March 1870: Regiment returns to England. 1871: Regiment transferred to India at Secunderabad (near Hyderabad). Jan 11th 1875: Medical report recommends Christopher‘s return to England. He presumably ignores it. Oct 11th 1876: Promoted to Lt. Colonel. 1880: Regiment returns to England and is posted to Ireland. Oct 1876: Christopher promoted to Commanding Officer of the 76th Regiment of Foot. July 1st 1881: The 76th amalgamates with the 33rd (Duke of Wellington's Regiment), forming the 2nd Battalion of the present-day Duke of Wellington's Regiment (West Riding). Christopher remains CO of the Battallion. 10th Nov. 1887: Retires from service. Feb 6th 1900: Dies at Avon Lodge, Hillsborough Cresc., Southsea; and is buried at Highland Road Cemetery. Jan 23rd 1904: His wife Lydia dies and is buried with him.

Sources

1. ↑ Baptism: "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975"
   FamilySearch Record: N5DT-MFS (accessed 19 August 2022)
   Christopher Rowland Richardson baptism on 24 Aug 1827, son of Christopher Rowland Richardson & Martha Anne, in Exeter St David, Exeter, Devon, England, United Kingdom.
2. ↑ Death Registration: "England & Wales General Register Office"
   GRO Online Indexes - Death (accessed 19 August 2022)
   Richardson, Christopher Rowland (Age at death: 74).
   GRO Reference: 1900 Jan-Feb-Mar in Portsea Island Volume 02B Page 452.
3. ↑ Memorial: Find a Grave (has image)
   Find A Grave: Memorial #30172448 (accessed 19 August 2022)
   Memorial page for Christopher Rowland-Richardson (unknown-6 Feb 1900), citing Highland Road Cemetery, Portsmouth, Portsmouth Unitary Authority, Hampshire, England; Maintained by julia&keld (contributor 46812479).

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