Nelson, Joseph – ROYAL SAPPERS AND MINERS in Western Australia

PERSONAL DETAILS
Name/Alias	Joseph NELSON
Birth date and place	1819 Welton, Hull, Yorkshire, England.
Baptism date and place	5 Dec 1819 St Helen’s, Welton with Melton Church, Yorkshire, England.
Civil Census Residences	2 Spray’s Alley, St Mary’s, Greenwich, Kent (1851).
Trade	Blacksmith.
Physical Description	Height: 5 ft. 8¾ ins. Complexion: fair. Eyes: hazel. Hair: brown. Marks or Scars: Small scar under right eye.
Marriage date and place	3 Dec 1848 Gibraltar.
Spouse	Ruth JACKSON.
Children	Catherine b. 1850, Gibraltar. Joseph Ambrose b. 1851 (d.? possibly at sea), Woolwich, England. Joseph Ambrose b. 1852 (d.1852), Toodyay, Western Australia. Nathaniel b. 1853, Fremantle, Western Australia. Alfred b. 1855, Fremantle, Western Australia. Stillborn Male b. 1857, Fremantle, Western Australia. Ruth b. 1858 (d.1859), Perth, Western Australia. Martha b. 1858 (d.1859), Perth, Western Australia. Charlotte b. 1859, Perth, Western Australia. Ruth b. 1862, Albany, Western Australia. Joseph b. 1867, Albany, Western Australia.
Death date and place	10 Nov 1907, Broomehill near Katanning, Western Australia.
Burial date and place	November 1907, Edicup Cemetery near Katanning, Western Australia.
Will and Probate	None.
Death/Funeral Notices	Albany Advertiser 20 Nov 1907.
ARMY SERVICE DETAILS
Corps and Company	Royal Engineers 20th Company (formerly Royal Sappers & Miners).
Service No. and Rank	#684 Sapper.
Attestation date and place	28 Oct 1842 Rochester, Kent.
Service/Campaigns	Gibraltar 4 years 186 days. Western Australia 8 years 304 days.
Musters	WO11-126 20th Company, Woolwich (1851) WO11-130 (1851) to WO11-183 (1860) Western Australia.
Promotions	Sappper to 2nd Corporal 29 Apr 1847. 2nd Corporal to 1st Corporal 1 Mar 1849. 1st Corporal to Sergeant 23 Feb 1854.
Medals, Clasps and Badges	Two Good Conduct Badges.
Casualty/Medical	None.
Courts Martial	None.
Discharge date and place	19 Oct 1860 Fremantle, Western Australia. Granted a Free Discharge with 12 months pay, with the right of Registry for a Deferred Pension of 6d. per day on attaining 60 years of age.
Length of Service	17 years 357 days.
Chelsea Pension Reference	WO97-1855-8.
Post Discharge Residence	Albany, King George Sound, Western Australia.
Pension	29 Dec 1879 in receipt of Deferred Pension of 6d. per diem.
ARRIVAL IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Ship	Anna Robertson.
Departure and Arrival dates	Dep. Woolwich 10 Sep 1851. Arr. Fremantle 18 Dec 1851.
Occupations post-arrival in WA	Instructing Warder [Barker p. 159]. Toodyay Convict Depot Jan 1852 to May 1853. In charge of Blacksmith Shop, Fremantle Convict Establishment June 1853. Supervising building of Breaksea Island Lighthouse 1857. Assistant Lighthouse Keeper, Breaksea Island 1858. After Army Discharge: Lighthouse Keeper, Point King Oct 1860 to 1867. Clerk of Works, Albany 1867. Storekeeper, York Street and Stirling Terrace, Albany, June 1867. Tinsmith 1869. Innkeeper at Chorkerup 1872. Farmer and Blacksmith, Eticup. Broomehill Road Board 1892 to 1895.
Subscriptions to Funds	Nightingale Fund 1857. Indian Relief Fund 1858.
Land Acquisition	Eligible for £10 remission on 20 acres of land [CSR499-15]. 1853 Toodyay 10 acres (purchase). 1864 & 1867 Town Lots, Albany (purchase). 1868 Town Lots, York (purchase). 1872-1877 Chorkerup 40/60 acres (lease). 1877 Old Albany Gaol (rented £5 per annum). Sources: Musters & Pay Lists, WO11-130, 134, 138, The National Archives, Kew. Bicentennial Dictionary, Rica Erickson. Aspects of Old Albany, Bonnie Hicks. A Superior Body of Men, M S James. Albany History Collection, ed. Roy & Beatrice Little. Warders & Gaolers’ Dictionary, David J Baker. Fremantle Prison Website.