Private N/N John Robert Branch 90th Regiment and his discovered diary

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Apparently slightly wounded in the Zulu War N/t though of a Branch in the 24th medal rolls

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Burnley Express - Wednesday 29 November 1911

1877-78-79 clasp

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Burnley Express - Saturday 21 October 1933

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This is the photograph mentioned at the beginning of the article above showing the Branch brothers
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Burnley Express - Saturday 14 October 1933

Tom is also mentioned in this article

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Burnley Express - Saturday 07 October 1933

Posts : 1069 Join date : 2009-10-16

Hi All,
A bit confusing. J R Branch no number is on the 90th Medal Roll 77/8/9 medal. I picked up one military record, R Hosp Pensions, J R Branch, Black Watch late 2 Scots Fusiliers enlisted 30 Dec 1873 discharged 5 Jan 1886 served 12 years number 180. The one day discrepancy in the enlistment in the newspaper is probably the day he enlisted and the day he joined the regiment.
On the 1881 census, address 70 Manchester Road, Burnley J.R is listed as a Joiner [not a Soldier] with brother Tom. J. R married Frances Elizabeth Calverley at St James Burnley on 14 Jan 1891. On the 1891 census taken in April address Lindsay St, Burnley, he is Single and a Clerk. By the 1911 census adress 9 Tennyson St Burnley living with Frances and 2 kids.
Rai Keynshamlighthorse.

Posts : 3458 Join date : 2021-01-04

Its interesting this Rai because without the diary and purely looking at his Black Watch military record you could make the assumption that he did not take part in the AZW but he was definitly there.
Does it say anything on his Black Watch record about being in SA?

Posts : 1069 Join date : 2009-10-16

Hi Again,
I did write he is on the 90th Roll for the Zulu War, i also wrote what was on the pension record only this only gives his enlistment and discharge with some regiment data.
Rai Keynshamlighthorse.

Posts : 3458 Join date : 2021-01-04

Appreciate your imput Rai on this and your time and research.
(I had already noted yesterday that he was in the 90th with no number and his medal details.)

I suppose what I'm getting at is that if you just read the newspaper account in my initial post which suggests he was with the 24th and then checked the military records showing him with the Black Watch, who weren't in the AZW, you could make the assumption the newspaper had got it wrong and that he wasn't there.
However the diary then pins him down with the 90th, the medal rolls confirm this and the rest is, as they say, history.
Sorry for not making that clearer in my last post
Salute

» 1388 Private John Gould, 90th Regiment
» Private 3332 John Robert Chappell 3/60th Regiment
» Private John Robert Shaw a cook in F Company 2/24th Regiment