JAMES William
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From 1761 to 1818, five regiments of foot with the numeral 99 had been raised and disbanded. A sixth was raised in 1824 in Glasgow which in 1832, while serving in Mauritius and Seychelles, was formally granted its name 99th (Lanarkshire) Regiment. In 1874, it became 99th (Duke of Edinburgh’s) Regiment.
The 99th was stationed in Ireland for five years, before being detailed to escort convicts to Australia in 1842. It remained in Australia until 1856, but also sent two companies to New Zealand during the Flagstaff War (or First Māori War) in 1845-46.
In 1850 a monument was erected in Hobart to commemorate twenty four men of the Regiment who were killed on active service in the New Zealand Māori Wars of 1845-46. The monument is unique as it was the first war memorial to be erected in Australia and also the only memorial to be erected by a British Regiment serving in Australia.
In 1849 a Company of the 99th arrived in Western Australia, and in 1856 joined with the regiment from Hobart to return to England. When it sailed for home, over 400 of its men stayed behind in Australia to transfer to other units.

NAME: William JAMES | Name variations: Gulielmus (forename). Jamis (surname). |
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Birth Date and Place | c.1819 Maidstone, Kent, England [WO97-1064-14]. |
Baptism Date and Place | |
Marriage Date and Place | |
Spouse | |
Children | |
Occupations | Man Servant (1841) – not verified [HO107-490-1-37]. Groom [WO97-1064-14]. |
Land Acquisition in WA | None. |
Death Date and Place | 5 Apr 1856 Fremantle, Western Australia – not verified. |
Burial Date and Place | 7 Apr 1856 St Patrick’s Cemetery (Skinner Street RC Cemetery Loc. C7), Western Australia. Officiant Salvator Ribaya [St Patrick’s Register No.47]. |
Death, Funeral, Obituary Notices | None. |
Will and Probate | None. |
BRITISH ARMY | |
Regiment | 99th (Lanarkshire) Regiment. |
Soldier No. and Rank | #1919 Private [WO97-1064-14]. |
Attestation Date and Place | 12 Sep 1842 Chatham, Kent. |
Physical Description | Height: 5 ft. 7 ins. Complexion: sallow. Eyes: brown. Hair: dark brown. |
Service/Campaigns | Australian Colonies – 8 years. |
Promotions | None. |
Medals, Clasps and Badges | Good Conduct Badge 1d. per diem from January 1850. |
Casualty/Medical | Deafness. Loss of part of right forefinger. |
Regimental Courts Martial | None. |
District Courts Martial | None. |
General Courts Martial | None. |
Arrival Australia: Ship and Date | Asiatic. Dep. Sheerness 28 May 1843. Arr. Hobart, VDL 23 Sep 1843. Dep. Hobart 8 Oct 1843. Arr. Port Phillip, NSW 15 Oct 1843 [ADM101-6-1 & TROVE]. |
Arrival Western Australia: Ship and Date | Ratcliffe 7 Apr 1849 from Hobart via South Australia [TROVE]. |
Military Postings within Western Australia | Perth HQ in Staff Employ from 7 Apr to 30 Jun 1849 [W012-9813-6]. Perth HQ 1 Jul 1849 to 30 Sep 1852 inc. 6 days hospital Sep 1849 and 6 days hospital Jul 1850. On Furlough 1 Oct 1852 to 30 Sep 1853 awaiting discharge to pension. [All sourced from WO12-9813 TO WO12-9819]. |
Courts Martial in Western Australia | None. |
Discharge Date and Place | 8 Mar 1853 Perth, Western Australia (documents raised in Hobart, VDL) [WO97-1064-14]. 30 Sep 1853 Struck off strength [WO28-266-210]. |
Age at Discharge | 33 years. |
Length of Service | 10 years 170 days. |
Chelsea Pension Reference | WO97-1064-14. |
Pension District | Perth, Western Australia. |
Pension Amount | 7d. per diem for 2½ years [WO23-150-193]. |