HOLTE Henry

Four line infantry regiments with the numeral 96 were raised and disbanded between 1761 and 1818.A fifth 96th was raised in February 1824 at Salford Barracks, Manchester. It was later allowed to carry the battle honours awarded its predecessor – Peninsular, Egypt and the Sphinx.

Over the next decade, the regiment spent eight years in Halifax, Nova Scotia and two in the West Indies. It then garrisoned in Britain until 1839, when it was tasked with guarding its first of many convict ships bound for Australia. Some of these are profiled on this website’s Ships page.

During the regiment’s time in Australia, the 96th served in Windsor, Sydney and Parramatta, New South Wales; Hobart and Launceston, Van Diemen’s Land; and Adelaide, South Australia. In VDL many of the troops were garrisoned at Port Arthur, the major convict prison. The Anecdotes page of this website will take you to a story of the ‘Military Outrage’ in Launceston in May 1845.

The 96th sent a detachment to New Zealand in 1844 where it remained during the New Zealand Wars until the end of 1846. Again, the Anecdote page will write of the regiment’s missing medal roll.

In February 1847, 111 officers and men arrived in Western Australia on Java from Hobart; a further two arrived on John Bagshaw in January 1849. Thirty seven of the Java men took their discharge and settled in Western Australia; one of them was this man featured on the right. Four of the men transferred to a detachment of the 99th Regiment to receive their final pay.

The 96th in Australia left for India in two waves. In February 1849 General Hewitt left Launceston and then in April the balance left Hobart on Ratcliffe, picking up the 96th detachment from Western Australia on its way to Calcutta.

Lieutenant Colonel Sir Charles Stuart, founder of the 96th (Queens Germans) Regiment during its fourth ‘life’.
NAME Henry HOLTEName variations: Holt.
Birth Date and Placec. 1823 – deduced [WABDM Reg.]
Baptism Date and Place
Marriage Date and Place10 Aug 1859 Fremantle Congregational Chapel, Western Australia [WABDM Reg.# 1355].
SpouseMary Anne WHITE.
ChildrenElizabeth b.1852, Western Australia [Source: Robert Innes].
Henry b.1853, Western Australia [Source: Robert Innes].
Arthur b.1856 (d.1857), Western Australia [Source: Robert Innes].
Jane or Sarah Jane b.1857, Western Australia [WABDM Reg. #3674. Source: Robert Innes].
Louisa b.1859 Clarence, Western Australia [WABDM Reg. #4746].
OccupationsLabourer [Marriage Cert].
Land Acquisition in WA
Death Date and Place11 Oct 1868 Perth, Western Australia [WABDM Reg. #4043].
Burial Date and Place13 Oct 1868 East Perth Cemetery, Western Australia [EPCEM].
Grave Location: Church of England.
Death, Funeral, Obituary Notices
Will and ProbateNone.
BRITISH ARMY
Regiment96th Regiment of Foot.
Soldier No. and Rank#1827 Private.
Enlistment Date and Place7 Feb 1843 Chatham, Kent [WO12-9614-371].
Medals, Clasps and BadgesGood Conduct Pay 1d. per diem from 20 Aug 1848 [WO12-9622-144].
Arrival Australia: Ship and DateHydrabad. Embarked 29 Jun 1843, Gravesend, Kent. [WO12-9615-192 to 199].
Dep. 4 Jul 1843, Deal, Kent. Arr. 17 Oct 1843, Sydney, NSW.
Arr. 4 Nov 1843, Launceston, VDL [TROVE].
Arrival Western Australia: Ship and DateJava 24 Feb 1847 from Hobart, embarked 27 Jan 1847 [WO12-9620-334].
Military Postings within Western AustraliaPinjarrah 24 Feb 1847 to 30 Sep 1848.
Perth HQ 1 Oct to 27 Apr 1849, inc. Commandant’s Orderly for nine months in 1848.
Courts Martial in Western AustraliaNone.
Discharge Date and Place27 Apr 1849 Perth, Western Australia – Conditional [WO28-266-97].
1 Feb 1851 Horse Guards, Westminster, London.
1 Jul 1851 Commandant, Perth, Western Australia.
Purchased Discharge for £18 0s. 0d. [WO28-266-132].
Age at Dischargec. 26 years – deduced [WABDM Reg.]
Length of Service6 years 2 months 19 days – deduced [WO28-266-97].