Thought this book may be of interest.Rosemary Cahill Blood, Mike Cahill, Catu-ualos Publishing, 2010. ISBN 978-0-9564457-0-4, Hardbound, 272 pages, £15 - Mike Cahill inherited two swords and a medal from an aunt and this lead him to research his family history, the subject of the book. It covers three generations of Cahills between the early 19th century and the mid 20th. Thomas Cahill, born around 1796 in County Kildare Ireland, joined the British army in 1817 and died of cholera in India in 1830. His wife and family accompanied him in India and after his death Thomas’s son Patrick joined the regiment (49th foot) as a boy soldier even though he may only have been only 13 years of age. Patrick fought in the Chinese, Indian Mutiny and the Crimean campaigns and rose through the ranks to become a major, and died in 1881. His son Joseph was born in Ireland in 1850 and spent his childhood with the 49th Foot but did not go into the army. He became a policeman, first with The Metropolitan Police and then with the East & West India Docks Police, which is where the East London connection arises. He became head of the PLA police force retiring in 1912. He was a long time resident of Poplar, serving as All Saints Vestryman from 1881 and Mayor of Poplar 1905-6. The book gives lots of background into army life in the 19th century and the history of the docks and dockland Poplar. A very interesting read.