On 1 Nov 2010 at 20:46, Charani wrote: > Roy Stockdill wrote: > > > Charles Rabbitts must have joined the army soon after the marriage > > and been sent to India, for he was a recipient of the Indian Mutiny > > Medal (Indian Mutiny Medal Roll 1857-59 at the Friends of British > > India website). He was a sergeant in the 3rd Battalion the Rifle > > Brigade and presumably took part in the Relief of Lucknow. > 8>< > > [...] However, the passenger lists at Findmypast of people leaving > > England between 1890-1960 have a J. S. Rabbitts, single man, joiner, > > born about 1875, sailing for South Africa aboard the ship GAIKA from > > Southampton on 20 Aug 1904. I think this was very likely Jonathan > > Stephen Rabbitts and I wonder whether, with his father being a > > long-serving professional soldier, he might also have joined the > > army and been in the Boer War in 1901 (which accounts for many men > > missing from that census), returned to England and then decided to > > go back to South Africa? > > Have you had a look on Kevin Asplin's site? It's not quite as easy to > navigate as his old one but all the information has been transferred. > > www.britishmedals.us/kevin/intro.html > > I'm not sure if we have any South African members but I do know one > who might be able to help (and not the one I've semi throttled on > GenBrit either!) > Many thanks, Charani. I will most certainly look at the website you suggest, though I am unsure as to who it was you "throttled" on Genbrit ! Thanks again for your response. I still believe that there must be a number of YOUNG and RABBITTS researchers out there, considering the extraordinary numbers of people of both names who appear at Frome in the Victorian censuses. If you look at, say, the 1841 and 1851 censuses, you get the impression almost half the town were Youngs and Rabbitts! -- Roy Stockdill Genealogical researcher, writer & lecturer Newbies' Guide to Genealogy & Family History: www.genuki.org.uk/gs/Newbie.html "There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about." OSCAR WILDE