JAMES William

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.

99th Regiment Monument, Anglesea Barracks, Hobart
NAME: William JAMESName variations: Gulielmus (forename). Jamis (surname).
Birth Date and Placec.1819 Maidstone, Kent, England [WO97-1064-14].
Baptism Date and Place
Marriage Date and Place
Spouse
Children
OccupationsMan Servant  (1841) – not verified [HO107-490-1-37].
Groom [WO97-1064-14].
Land Acquisition in WANone.
Death Date and Place5 Apr 1856 Fremantle, Western Australia – not verified.
Burial Date and Place7 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 NoticesNone.
Will and ProbateNone.
BRITISH ARMY
Regiment99th (Lanarkshire) Regiment.
Soldier No. and Rank#1919 Private [WO97-1064-14].
Attestation Date and Place12 Sep 1842 Chatham, Kent.
Physical DescriptionHeight:  5 ft. 7 ins. Complexion: sallow. Eyes: brown. Hair: dark brown.
Service/CampaignsAustralian Colonies – 8 years.
PromotionsNone.
Medals, Clasps and BadgesGood Conduct Badge 1d. per diem from January 1850.
Casualty/MedicalDeafness.  Loss of part of right forefinger.
Regimental Courts MartialNone.
District Courts MartialNone.
General Courts MartialNone.
Arrival Australia: Ship and DateAsiatic.
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 DateRatcliffe 7 Apr 1849 from Hobart via South Australia [TROVE].
Military Postings within Western AustraliaPerth 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 AustraliaNone.
Discharge Date and Place8 Mar 1853 Perth, Western Australia (documents raised in Hobart, VDL) [WO97-1064-14].
30 Sep 1853 Struck off strength [WO28-266-210].
Age at Discharge33 years.
Length of Service10 years 170 days.
Chelsea Pension ReferenceWO97-1064-14.
Pension DistrictPerth, Western Australia.
Pension Amount7d. per diem for 2½ years [WO23-150-193].