"Was he shot to death?"

[LesleyB]

Hi Adam
I sent you a PM a wee while ago regarding war memorials.
(apologies for interrupting post)

Best wishes
Lesley

[Currie]

Hello Sheryl,

It may be worth considering whether the reference to Stirling Castle was to the Castle or to a ship of the same name. There were several ships with that name. For example, there was the Stirling Castle which was wrecked off the coast of Queensland in 1836 and there was another lost at sea in 1873 as well as probably several other privately owned vessels. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eliza_Fraser

Then there was HMS Stirling Castle, launched in 1811, she was converted to a prison ship in 1839, was at Devonport until 1844 and subsequently at Portsmouth before being broken up in 1861. The Assistant-Surgeon was murdered by a convict there in 1856 and a warder almost suffered the same fate later that year. http://www.plymouthdata.info/Prison%20Ships.htm

Hope this helps,
Alan

[derekfrom france]

HI maybe the term hunted to death means that he was not shot but AWOL and he was a fugitive always thinking the next knock on the door was them looking for him and that he thought all through the years he was still a wanted man until death just my tuppence worth
cheers derek from france NOW 7 DAYS WITHOUT RAIN

[Montrose Budie]

Scotlands people lists 5 Robert Sharps who died in 1865 unfortunately they are all listed as age unknown.

BLACKFORD,PERTH Gros Ref 333/00 0010
FOSSOWAY AND TULLIEBOLE,KINROSS Gros Ref461/00 0007
HUTCHESONTOWN,GLASGOW Gros Ref 644/10 0340
KEIR,DUMFRIES Gros Ref 833/00 0014
FOSSOWAY AND TULLIEBOLE,KINROSS Gros Ref 461/00 0019

That's simply a function of the fact the original index created in 1866 for the 1865 deaths didn't include the age at death, - the full register entry will include the age as reported to the registrar by the informant.

This age at death info in the indexes was restored a few years later, and has continued up to the present day.

GROS are slowly but surely adding this missing age at death info to the indexes in the late 1850s and early/mid 1860s where it is missing.

mb

[ktp]

I'm a bit late on the scene Sheryl and all.

Robert Sharp jr. a miner, died a pauper aged 49 in Feb 1867. Cause of death was Organic disease of the heart and emphysema. He was said to be worn out by privation and exposure having been literally hunted to death as a deserter
from Stirling Castle. So he wasn't shot.

His father Robert (Rab) Sharp died in July 1867 of old age, 89yrs. He was a miner (when he wasn't fishing or enjoying nature)
Rab's only other son John also died earlier the same year.
I've recently found a story about Rab in a book printed in 1902, titled Auld Rab, a Blairingone Worthy.
It paints a vivid picture of life in a mining village in the 1800s. Rab and his wife Nell were wonderful characters.
According to the story they had 13 children. It's just as well then, that Rab had the local Lairds approval to fish and catch rabbits etc. 'for the pot,' for as long as he lived, after saving him from the swollen river after a fall from his horse.

I expect the story has been embellished a bit. I can just picture Rab in his moleskin coat with ample pockets, a roeskin vest (a poaching trophy), corduroy trousers, and a red cravat. His cap was home made in the form of a skull cap, and composed of the fur of a fox. A colorful character indeed.

Katrine.

[Lorna Allison]

Hello Katrine

I just have to congratulate you. Absolutely amazing that you would have found and enjoyed that book and then up comes a request for info on exactly that family. TS is just the most amazing site.

Regards

Lorna

[ktp]

Hi Lorna,
Robert Sharp snr. was my 3x great grandfather. My late uncle originally found the story about him in the Alloa library
when he first started researching the family history. At the time he mentioned a French lady miner from the 1700s.
She turned out to be Rab's wife Nell. (Helen Jack from Blairingone.) She was a very 'tough cookie.'
I haven't been able to confirm the French connection, as the story suggests that her French ancestor was a prisoner of war sent to work in the local mine. Said to have been taken during the peninsular wars. he later married a Scottish woman and settled in the area.
The date of the wars is more than 20 years later than Nell's birth!! I've found her Jack ancestors back to the early 1700s.
Her grandfather Alexander Jack c1716 was born in Coalsnaughton only a couple of miles from Blairingone.
No Monsieur Jacques so far! Perhaps he arrived with Bonny Prince Charlies army when he was on the rampage!
Who knows!

Katrine.

[Hibee]

Hmmm.........French prisoners were taken at Battle of the Boyne (1690) and during the 1715 uprising.

Hibee

[ktp]

Hi Hibee,
I have only managed to trace the Jack ancestors to 1716 so far.

More digging needed! If the name was Jacques pre 1700, the only ones I found were around Midlothian.
I've no idea how to solve that puzzle.

Katrine