Royal Engineer in Halifax 1850-1853

[motherbird]

I am researching the life of an officer in the Royal Engineers. I have hundreds of letters sent to him by his family and friends when he was posted to Halifax NS in 1850-1853 so I know all about his family. However I don't have any of the letters he sent home so I don't have a very clear idea of what he was doing all that time in Canada. Can anyone tell me what roles a Royal Engineer might have during this period?
A possible clue is that after going to America in 1853 he returned to England and survey parts of the North Country for maps.

Any suggestions would be great.

Cheers Motherbird

[swordcollector1]

Hi,

The Royal Engineers worked in a variety of roles to support combat troops: bridge and road building, making and maintaining fortifications, laying on water and sanitary services etc etc. On many occasions they also fought in combat roles when emergencies demanded.

Hope that helps: I'm sure some of our Canadian members will be able fill you in on the British Army's activities in Canada during the time you're interested in!

John

[Gogargirl]

I have an officer relative, Charles Hadfield Gordon, who was there for 5 years 1872-7. I quote from a monograph about his life which his wife published in 1891 after his death:

"Halifax has always been a popular station, and he was no exception to the many who have found it so. The years he spent there passed very pleasantly; part of the time he was occupied in laying a railway on MacNab's Island - work after his own heart. He got a good deal of salmon fishing, always his favourite sport, and in the winter sleighing and skating were the chief amusements."

The work sounds varied, doesn't it?

[motherbird]

Many thanks for the replies… Here is a little more information I know from the family letters.

The Officer went over sometime in Oct 1950 on a steamer. I am guessing it was already wintery as his brother writes in Nov 1850 from Trinity College Cambridge ...“I suppose you are now all settled in you new quarters and driving young ladies about on the ice catching cod and shooting Spruce Partridge on the trees, which I suppose are easier to hit than those here.”
Later he writes again…
“I suppose there have been a series of balls and parties give in Halifax in honour of your arrival, you must take care not to get married to some of those beautiful young ladies which Halifax is so noted for… Have you got a horse yet and joined the tandem club, I should think it would be capital fun, I suppose you can go anywhere in the sleighs and are not obliged to stick to the roads.”

His mother also writes (her handwriting is terrible and it is difficult to read)
“I met Mr ?Fearson? here who is acquainted with the judge of Halifax, H Barton the author of Sam Shirk and other books of the same description and Mr Fearson volunteered to write to get his brother in law Mr H Barton? to write to his brother the judge about you this next packet so if the judge honours you by a notice it as a Gentleman …. The judge has a large family but is ?poor? I suspect. I shall be rather curious to hear if you are noticed and if so how you like the invite.”

(I am trying to find information on these people but with no success at present. The author of Sam Shirk ‘A tale of the woods of Maine’ (published in 1871)seems to be George Humphrey Devereux but I can find no other mention of him)

[Gogargirl]

There was a Judge William S. Barton in Halifax, who had a brother called Howard. Maybe connected? Is Pearson more likely than Fearson?

One puzzle: how can the mother be writing in the 1850s about a Sam Shirk book not published 'til 1871? This topic is drifting.....