The Chick family in Kamptee

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William Chick (Cheek)
My earliest and incidentally only British ancestor in India was William Chick. Born William Cheek at Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, on 7th September 1800, the army changed the spelling to Chick when he joined the 54th regiment of Foot just after his nineteenth birthday on 17th September 1819, from the personal details in his soldiers book we see that he was 5ft 5 ¾ inches tall with fair hair and grey eyes.
The 54th Regiment fought in the First Burmese War and William was present at the taking of Karhattie, Marhattie, and Arracan in 1825. He served with the 54th until 28th February 1840 when he transferred to the 4th Regiment of Foot, he was discharged at Poonmallee a year later as medically unfit for further service after having served 21 years 166 days and as there were no promotions recorded in his soldiers book it is presumed he had stayed a private for his entire service. Upon retirement he travelled back to England and married Matilda Cordy at Bristol and then returned with her to Kamptee. He is recorded in the register of Christ Church, Kamptee as 'L/Corporal H M 4th foot' at his son Frederick William's baptism in 1846, Fredrick William died in 1847 and William died in 1857 and was buried at Poonmallee. His wife Matilda's history is somewhat more "interesting", on Dec 15th 1847 her daughter Mary was christened, the parents are shown as William and Matilda Chick however the profession of the father is shown as " with the Regt late L/Corporal..." this was somewhat pre-emptive as he didn't actually become late for another ten years, this didn't deter my great grandmother from calling her self a widow and marrying one James Hasel in Madras in March that year. Oh Dear my Great granny was a bigamist. Incidentally James Hasel was a comrade of William in the 4th regt having signed Fredrick's baptism entry in the parish register as a witness. A short time later James Hasel retires from the army returns to Wales with Matilda and Mary and eventually becomes a solicitor and they live happily ever after.



EXTRACTS FROM THE REGISTER OF THE CHURCH AT KAMPTEE
BORNBAPTISMNAMEPARENTS CHRISTIAN NAMES SURNAME ABODEPROFESSION
12 July 18465th August 1846Frederick Williamson of William and Matilda Chick KampteeL/Corporal H M 4th Regt