LYDIA YOUNG, born at Wotton-under-Edge, Glos, c1827-9, and CHARLES RABBITTS, born Cloford c1830-1, married at St John's, Frome, on 23 July 1854. Both were then of the parish of Frome (information from Stella Young's website "YOUNG marriages in Frome", http://www.fromeresearch.org.uk/) Lydia was the daughter of JOSIAH YOUNG, weaver, and Charles was the son of JOHN RABBITTS, wheelwright. The witnesses were ANDREW and SARAH YOUNG, who were my great-grandparents (Andrew YOUNG and Sarah MEAD, married at Rodden on Apr 12 1852). Lydia was Andrew Young's elder sister, so she was a great- great-aunt of mine. 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. I have not found the couple in either 1861 or 71 but the IGI shows that they had a son, JONATHAN STEPHEN RABBITTS, born at Lucknow, West Bengal, India, on 5 Nov 1874 - some 20 years after their marriage and when Lydia must have been in her early 40s. I have found no other children. By 1881 they were back in England and living in Brandy Lane, Frome. Charles was described as an iron founder's labourer and a pensioner of the 40th Regiment and Jonathan S Rabbitts was then aged six. Charles Rabbitts died at Frome in 1885, aged 54, and his widow Lydia must have gone up to Bradford, Yorks, to be near her brother Andrew, who had moved there for work in the 1870s. She appears in Bradford with her son John, then 16, in the 1891 census. Lydia died at Bradford in 1897 and I can find no trace of Jonathan (or John) in either 1901 or 1911. 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? Both YOUNG and RABBITTS were very prolific families at Frome (there were 68 Youngs and 74 Rabbitts, including variants, there in the 1851 census). I have chapter- and-verse on the Youngs and the Meads of Frome, but I am intrigued to know what happened to my distant cousin Jonathan Stephen Rabbitts, the son of Charles and Lydia? Did he die in South Africa, was he married out there and are there any descendants? I've checked out a few South African websites and not found him as yet. I just wondered whether there are any YOUNG and / or RABBITTS researchers here? Given the number of Youngs and Rabbitts at Frome, there surely must be! Many thanks, in hopeful anticipation. With apologies for the length of this message but I always like to spell out in full what I already know. -- 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

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!) -- Charani (UK) OPC for Walton, Greinton and Clutton, SOM Asst OPC for Ashcott and Shapwick, SOM http://wsom-opc.org.uk http://www.savethegurkhas.co.uk/