Timeline for the 3 brothers

This is a follow on from The Tale of 3 Brothers, and adds a bit more information on the descendants of the 3.

After I had finished the research into The 3 Kendall Brothers who went to India with the 63rd Regiment, I discovered in the 1851 Census of London, a 10 year old boy called Thomas living with their brother William in London .  He is described as being William’s nephew, and was born in India.  This must be a son of one of the 3 brothers.

After some more research I discovered that he was the son of John Kendall who died in Bellary, India of Cholera along with his wife Catherine and their daughter Mary Ann. I have subsequently found him in the 1851 census records as being at the Royal Military Asylum (RMA) in Chelsea. This was also known as The Duke of York's Royal Military School, and is still known by that name today. The picture to left was made about 1840 just shortly before he joined.

From the records at Kew, I now know that he joined the RMA on 3rd December 1847. These records for the first time confirm that he is our man since they state that not only was he born in India, but that his father was John, a Sergeant in the 63rd and his mother Catherine both of whom where dead. They also put his age on admission quite accurately as 9 years 2 months meaning that he was born in about October 1838. Looking at the 63rd’s regimental movements, this means that he was born in Moulmein, Burma, during their short stay there in 1838.

One of the few records for the RMA which I could find at TNA were The Discipline Registers.  During his time at the school, he appears in these 17 times between February 1852 and September 1853. However it seems that this was not unusual as most boys appear many more times than that. In fact there is a note against his name which says that his conduct was generally good. The offences are mainly minor and ones I might well have been guilty of at school! Examples are: missing swimming in the evening, swimming in the pool when not allowed, 'calling Corporal Higgins improper names', leaving his Sunday shoes under his bed uncleaned and climbing the walnut tree.

There are a few which are more noteworthy than others: for instance on 1st October 1852 he was disciplined for 'making water over Mr Craddock'! Ten days later he and 3 other boys were involved in an incident described as 'forcing his way into Chapel and taking apples from a woman at the gate without paying for them'. His sentence was 1 1/2 dozen stripes [ouch!], 6 hours in the black hole and 10 days drill. However on 16th of October he was disciplined for again 'making water out of the black hole window'. His sentence was 4 more hours in the black hole and 5 days drill.  I cannot imagine what The Black hole was, but I suspect that it would not be allowed for the punishment of schoolboys these days.

His behaviour cannot have been too bad because he was promoted to Lance Corporal in June 1853 , and made up to full corporal in July. On 13th October of the same year, at the age of 15, he left the school, enlisting in the Royal Horse Guards as a bandsman.

Since The Royal Horse Guards (aka The Blues - see crest left) were one of the most senior and prestigious regiments in the army, his discipline record cannot have been extraordinary. The Blues continue to be a senior regiment as one half of the Blues and Royals within the Household Cavalry Regiment.

The RMA was known for producing musicians, and this was one of the criteria for admissions to the school. Sadly I couldn't find Thomas's Petition for admission which would give details of the boy and his musical abilities. But amongst the possessions of his father, John, which were auctioned off after his death in 1845 in Bellary India, were a fife, a clarinet and two musical boxes, so he may have inherited a musical ability from his father. Thomas' uncle, also named Thomas, who was one of the 3 Brothers serving with John in india bought one of the musical boxes for 5 Rupees, and also acted as guardian to John's Orphaned children before dying on the ship on his way home from India in 1847. Its nice to think that the young Thomas carried his fathers musical box with him through school and into the army.

The bandmaster of the Royal Horse Guards at the time was a James Tutton, one of the founders of the Society of British Musicians which was an organisation formed to promote the growth of British Composers. The photo to the right shows the RHG band, albeit much later in 1909.

Thomas remained with The Blues for five years. He purchased his discharge on 22nd November 1858. It may be no coincidence that he spent the previous 10th September to 6th October on furlough. Had he tired of the army, or had he managed to get a private venture off the ground, and left to pursue it? Sadly the records do not tell us. [update: It actually seems as if he got married in 1858 - certificate in the post]

He next appears in the records 3 years later in the 1861 Census, when he is living at 30 Agnes Street in Lambeth as a musician with is wife Elizabeth who was from Eton in Bucks. By 1871 he has moved to Liverpool working as a professor of music. It seems that his first wife has died and he is now married to Annie from Astwood Bank in Worcestershire. By 1881 he has moved again, this time to Hartlepool in County Durham, and has lost is second wife, he is, however still a professor of music. He is lodging in a 'beer house' on the seafront with 3 other professors of music. He disappears after that, still more work to do...