Lt. General William Charles Bancroft
- Born: 22 Jun 1826, Kingston, Jamaica 2
- Baptised: 14 Dec 1833, Kingston Parish
Church, Jamaica 3
- Marriage (1): Eliza Henrietta Miller on 18
Jul 1860 in St Peter's Church, Melbourne, Australia 1
- Died: 30 Jan 1903, Knellwood, Farnborough,
Hampshire aged 76 4
- Buried: 3 Feb 1903, Farnborough Cemetery,
Farnborough, Hampshire 5
|
His daughter Edith writes that William was
educated in Germany.6 That situation may have been because the
family's finances were in such a poor state in the 1830s that William's
father was not able to send his children to school in England.7 So boarding William with his Bancroft aunts,
Maria and Catherine, in Germany and receiving his secondary education,
or at least part of it, there would have been an attractive academic
and economic solution.
The Bancroft aunts settled in Coblenz in the summer of 1838 8 so William may have joined them there
shortly afterwards; he would have been 12 years old. Interestingly
enough, his father wrote a letter in the summer of 1837 to his sister
Catherine detailing how he wanted his daughters and William to be
educated - the letter reads as if it were instructions for her to
follow in overseeing his children's schooling rather than an expression
of his view about their education in general so it may be that William
was not the only Bancroft child to spend time with the aunts.
It is clear from a surviving letter written to William by Catherine
Bancroft in February 1852 9 that there was a warm relationship between
them, and, also, that William had a continuing interest in the German
language - Catherine mentions she is sending him a German Dictionary
and a book (in German) about Frederick William III of Prussia. Many
years later, he translated into English a German book* about the use of
wargame training tools.
Edith also writes that the reason William's father went back on full
pay as Deputy Inspector-General of Hospitals in 1840 was to earn enough
to pay for William's further education at the Royal Military College at
Sandhurst. In 1840, William would have been 14 years of age and could
well have attended Sandhurst but how that was funded after his father's
death in 1842 is unclear. When he was "gazetted" for his first
commission in June 1844 aged 18,10 he must have been in England because he is
reported to have travelled to Jamaica on the SS Thames from Southampton
in early August.11 It is quite possible, therefore, that he did
"pass out" of the RMC that summer but nothing has been found so far to
confirm that.
William was commissioned in the 3rd West India Regiment based at
Kingston, Jamaica. It was a convenient posting as it allowed him to
keep in touch with childhood friends and with the Espeut family into
which his sister Augusta had married two years earlier and who were now
providing a home for his unmarried sister Julia.
Two years later, in 1846, while still with the 3rd West India Regiment,
he was promoted internally to lieutenant.12
In 1847, Major General Sackville Berkeley, who had for some years been
in command of the forces in Jamaica and who would have known William's
father, was given command of the Windward Islands.13 When the General moved to Barbados, William
went with him as his aide-de-camp (ADC), a move that probably required
his transfer (January 1848) from the 3rd West India Regiment to the
76th Regiment.14
In 1850, General Berkeley was relieved of his command in the Windward
Islands and William who no doubt wanted to remain in the West Indies,
needed another staff appointment.15 Happily, William's service with the General
seems to have met with approval in the right quarters, indeed, his aunt
Catherine mentions that in her letter of February 1852. As a
consequence, he was appointed ADC to Major General Thomas Bunbury, the
Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica.
A month earlier in August 1850, William had transferred from the 76th
Regiment to the 16th, later The Bedfordshire Regiment, in which he was
to remain for the rest of his army service. In taking up his
appointment with General Bunbury, William was filling a position that
had recently been vacated by the General's second son, Captain S. G.
Bunbury**, who had been acting both as his father's ADC and military
secretary but who had resigned from the former post earlier that year.16 17
General Bunbury's governorship turned out to be "calamitous"; he was
unpopular; his health was poor; he was an invalid much of the time, on
occasions attending public functions in a Bath chair and, worse, things
did not go well on the Island, economically or politically. In this
situation, the task of being the General's ADC must have been very
testing and, for one reason or another, after about three months
William switched from being ADC to being military secretary, replacing
the General's son.18
General Bunbury was eventually recalled to England in the spring of
1853 and William stayed on as military secretary to the acting
Commander of the Forces, Lieutenant-Colonel Farquharson.19 It was in these roles that Colonel
Farquharson and William welcomed Sir Henry Barkly, K.C.B., on his
arrival at Kingston in late 1853 as "Captain-General and
Governor-in-Chief". A few months later, William was appointed Sir
Henry's military secretary and ADC.20
Sir Henry's governorship of Jamaica was relatively short compared with
his immediate predecessor - happily, he was successful in sorting out
the political impasse left by General Bunbury - and for the first 1½
years William was a member of his staff. William was, it appears, due a
year's leave and in September 1855 he travelled to England.21
22What William did during this furlough has not
been discovered but when The Queen appointed Sir Henry to be Governor
of Victoria in September the following year - Sir Henry had returned to
London that summer on leave 23 24- William was on hand to be his future ADC.
William left England with Sir Henry and his wife and daughter on the
steamship Oneida on October 19th, 1856 and reached Hobson's Bay,
Melbourne, on December 23rd.25 26 Three days later William's appointment as
Sir Henry's ADC and military secretary was duly announced in the
Victoria Government Gazette.27 For the next six years or so William served
Sir Henry in these roles until the latter's departure in September 1863
to take up a new appointment as Governor of Mauritius.29
William stayed on in
these positions under Sir Charles Darling,30 Sir Henry's replacement, for a short while
before returning to England early that December on 12 months leave of
absence granted to him by Sir Henry.31 32
From a personal point of view, William's years in Victoria saw him
promoted to be a Captain in 1858 28 and enjoy the "fashionable society"
inhabited by the Governor and his wife. In time, he became romantically
involved with Eliza Miller. She was the eldest daughter of Henry
Miller, a well-to-do financier and member of the Legislative Council.
William and Eliza were married in July 1860 and over the course of the
next two years she bore him two daughters, Edith Maud and Florence
Blanche, Blanche arriving just two months before the family sailed for
England.
In the latter part of 1864, for the first time in nearly 17 years,
William went back to regimental duties. Both battalions of the 16th
Regiment were in Canada at that time so he reported for duty at the
16th's depot in Ireland.33 William is said to have joined one or other
of the 16th's battalions in Canada but evidence for that has been
difficult to find. If he did go to Canada, he must have returned home
by the early part of 1866 as he is reported to be bringing one of the
16th's depot companies to Colchester that February and also wintering
with Eliza and the children at Southsea.34 35 Later that year, there is a report of him
returning from New York in December but nothing has been found to
confirm any outward passages either to Canada or to Barbados (the 2nd
Battalion had moved there from Halifax, N.S., in April 1866 36). It is only in November 1867, after he had
become a Lieutenant Colonel by purchase in August that year, that his
sister Augusta Espeut writes of him going from Liverpool out to
Barbados by steamer; a journey would have taken William out to command
the 2nd Battalion.37 38
All this time, Eliza seems to have remained based in London (Alice was
born in Bayswater in September 1865). However, during the 2nd
battalion's "home station" years in England between 1869 39 and 1876, when it was stationed at various
barracks in Canterbury,40 Colchester 41 and Aldershot,42 Eliza and the children did live with
William. When, however, the 2nd battalion, with William in command,
went to India in February 1876,43 they did not go with him; no doubt among
other factors influencing that decision was Edith's, Blanche's and
Alice's education, which would not have been best served by them being
in India.
In early January 1878, William was among the passengers from Bombay on
board the P&O steamer Sumatra bound for Southampton 44 so he must have returned to England that
month for one reason or another. There is no report of him going back
to India in 1878 so it is surprising to find a Calcutta newspaper
reporting that he had been given five months leave form India starting
on 7th October for "urgent private affairs".45 Moreover, no report has been found of him
returning to England that October or at any other time later.
It has not been discovered why William needed special leave, it may
have been a personal or family issue, but the outcome seems to have
been that he retired from the Army in April 1879 and went on half pay.
His retirement did not last very long, in fact, it was only seven days
before he was back on full pay as Brigade Depot commander of the 47th
Regimental District (The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment) stationed in
Preston.46 In March 1882, William moved from Preston to
command the 16th Regimental District (The Bedfordshire Regiment) depot,
giving up his command when he was promoted to Major General in July
1883.47 In December 1887, he retired on retirement
pay*** and was given the honorary rank of Lieutenant General. His final
army appointment came in July 1900 when he was honoured by being made
Colonel of the Bedfordshire Regiment, a position he held until he died.48
In 1889, he and his family moved into Knellwood at Farnborough, a
substantial property that was purchased and furnished by his wife Eliza
who left it on her death in May 1895 to their three daughters. William
lived here very quietly, according to a report of his funeral, until
his death from influenza in February 1903.49 Latterly, following the marriages of his
younger daughters - Alice in 1896 and Blanche in 1899 - he was looked
after by Edith and a sizeable indoor and outdoor staff.
He was a Freemason, a Member of the Geographical Society and of the
United Service Institution, and also of the United Service & Junior
United Service Clubs. He was also interested in the Primrose League and
was made a Knight thereof in July 1890.
William died intestate but left an estate amounting to slightly over
£7000.50
Notes
* "Introduction to the
Employment of the Kriegsspiel Apparatus.", published in 1872 (British
Library Ref: 8829 g 32911). It was a translation of Thilo von Troth's
book (1870) on the use of wargames apparatus ("Anleitung zur
darstellung von Gefechtsbildern mittest des Kriegs Spiel apparatus.").
** Captain Stenhouse George
Bunbury had that year married Georgina Dunston Vidal (1826-1853) in
Spanish Town, Jamaica. Georgina's first cousin John Henry Vidal married
William's niece, Julia Ursula Bancroft Espeut 28 years later.
*** No precise figure for
William's retirement pay is available but a Rear Admiral (William's
equivalent rank in the Royal Navy for his pension) with maximum
service, would have received £650 pa. In the 1890s, pay for equivalent
ranks was higher in the Royal Naval than in the Army so William would
probably have received less than that sum.
William married Eliza Henrietta Miller,
daughter of Hon. Henry Miller and Eliza Mattinson, on 18 Jul 1860 in St
Peter's Church, Melbourne, Australia.1 (Eliza Henrietta Miller was
born in 1836 in Hobart, Tasmania,51 died on 31 May 1895 in
Knellwood, Farnborough, Hampshire 52 and was buried in Farnborough
Cemetery, Farnborough, Hampshire 5.)
Bancroft Family c. late 1880s
|
Standing: General Bancroft and Edith
Seated:
Blanche, Alice and Mrs Bancroft
|
|
Sources
1 Geelong
Advertiser (Published at Geelong,
Vic. (1859 - 1929)), Friday 20 July 1860, Page 2 Col B FAMILY NOTICES
MARRIAGES.
On the 18th July, at St Peter's Melbourne, by the Right Rev. the Lord
Bishop of
Melbourne, assisted by the Rev H. H. P. Handfield, incumbent of the
Parish,
William Charles Bancroft, Captain in H.M. 16th Regiment, and A.D.C. to
His
Excellency the Governor, to Eliza Henrietta, eldest daughter of the Hon
Henry
Miller, Esq., M.L.C., of George-street, Fitzroy ; and at the same time
and
place, also by the Right Rev the Lord Bishop of Melbourne, assisted by
the Rev
H. H. P. Handfield, Musgrave Wroughton Anderson, Police Magistrate and
Warden
at Sandhurst, to Charlotte, youngest daughter of the Hon Henry Miller,
Esq.,
M.L.C., of George-street, Fitzroy.
2 Parish
Registers of Jamaica, Parish
Registers of Jamaica. Bishop's Transcripts of baptisms in Kingston
Parish,
(1833-1834, Vol. 2) Page 24, 1833 (see below).
3 Parish
Registers of Jamaica, Parish
Registers of Jamaica. Bishop's Transcripts of baptisms in Kingston
Parish,
(1833-1834, Vol. 2) Page 24, 1833. ...
399 - Dec: 14 - William Charles - born 22 June 1826 - Edward Nathaniel
Bancroft
[&] Ursula Hill his wife - East Street - Physician - Geo D Hill
Assis:
Curate.
4 The
Times (London), February 2, 1903 -
Deaths. BANCROFT On the 30th Jan., at his residence,
Lieutenant-General W. C.
BANCROFT, of Knellwood, Farnborough, Hants. Colonel of the Bedfordshire
Regt.
5 Edith
Bancroft, "The Bancroft Family" (An unpublished family history of the
Bancroft family by Edith Bancroft (1862-1941) now in the possession of
J R U
Green (2023)), Pge 92.
6 Edith
Bancroft, "The Bancroft Family" (An unpublished family history of the
Bancroft family by Edith Bancroft (1862-1941) now in the possession of
J R U
Green (2023)), Page 91 to 94.
7 Various,
"Surviving Family Letter", John Hoseason of Annotto Bay, Jamaica,
dated 17th October 1831, to his brother Robert Hoseason of Udhouse,
Shetland.
Copied from the original by W. S. Hoseason on 17.7.1934. ...
"The
Doctor
poor man is smarting under the hardships of the times in common with
almost
everyone else & is unable to send any of his children to England
for their
Education, indeed (between you & I) he is in difficulties
".
8 Various,
"Bancroft Papers" (Family papers including some of Edward Bancroft's
and his family's correspondence now in the possession of some of his
Cooke
descendants.), Notes left by Catherine Bancroft on family birthdays and
marriages.
married in 1838. I came to Coblentz [sic] in June same year.
9
Various, "Bancroft Papers" (Family
papers including some of Edward Bancroft's and his family's
correspondence now
in the possession of some of his Cooke descendants.), Letter from
Catherine
Bancroft to her nephew William Charles Bancroft dated Coblenz, 28
February
1852.
10 London
Gazette, 25 June 1844, Page 2178.
3d West India Regiment, Charles William Bancroft, Gent, to be Ensign,
without
purchase, vice McTaggart, promoted. Dated 25th June 1844.
11 "HM
Regt Embarkation Lists 1800 - 1848"
(Abstract from lists made available online by FIBIS (Families in
British India
Society) https://www.fibis.org/),
Year 1844 D/M 17 Aug Ship Thames Str [steamer] From Southampton
To
Jamaica Rank Ensign Officer Bancroft.
12 London
Gazette, 21 April 1846, Page 1439.
3d West India Regiment. To be Lieutenants, without purchase .
Ensign
William
Charles Bancroft, vice Davidson, appointed to the 84th Foot. Dated 21st
April
1846.
13 The
Derby Mercury, Wednesday, February 24,
1847, Page? Col E - FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE
.
The West India mail-steamer Teviot arrived on Friday at Southampton,
bringing
intelligence from all the islands.
Major-General Berkeley, in command
of the
forces at Jamaica, is spoken of in Barbadoes [sic] as the new
commander-in-chief of the Windward station.
14 London
Gazette, 21 January 1848, Page 197.
76th of Foot, Lieutenant William Charles Bancroft, from the 3d West
India
Regiment, to be Lieutenant, vice Dudgeon, who exchanges. Dated 21st
January
1848
.
15 Sun
(London), Saturday 1 June 1850, Page 6.
Captain Carden, 2d battalion, 60th Foot, Captain Bayle, 72d, and
Lieutenant
Bancroft, 76th, vacate their several appointments as military secretary
and
aides-de-camp to General Sackville Berkeley, late commanding ...
16 Caledonian
Mercury (Published in
Edinburgh), Monday, March 11, 1850, Page 4 - The Army.
JAMAICA.- We regret to hear, by the last accounts, Major General
Bunbury, K.H.
had again been suffering from intermittent fever. We understand that
the
general's son, Captain Bunbury, of the 67th Regiment, is not going
continue to
hold the two appointments of Assistant Military Secretary and
Aide-de-Camp.
17 Sun
(London), Monday 12 August 1850, Page
4, Col B - THE ARMY AND NAVY.
JAMAICA STAFF.- Lieutenant Bancroft, recently appointed to the 16th
Regiment
from the 76th, and lately on the staff of Lieutenant-General Berkeley
at
Barbadoes [sic], has been appointed Aide-de-Camp to Major-General
Bunbury,
commanding the troops at Jamaica.
18 Cork
Examiner (Published at Cork, Eire),
Wednesday 9 October 1850, Page 1. ...
Lieutenant William Charles Bancroft, of the 16th Foot, late
Aide-de-Camp Major
General Bunbury, has been appointed Assistant Military Secretary on the
Staff
of the Army at Jamaica, in succession to Captain Bunbury, of the 67th
regiment,
and Lieutenant Henry George Woods, of the 97th Regiment has been
appointed
Aide-de-Camp to the Major General, vice Lieutenant Bancroft.
19 Morning
Post and Gazetteer (London),
Tuesday 6 December 1853, Page 5.
THE WEST INDIES
... His Excellency was accompanied by H. W. Austin,
Esq. (his
secretary), Colonel Farquharson. and Lieutenant Bancroft, Military
Secretary.
20 The
Morning Chronicle (Published in
London.), Monday 17 April 1854, Page 7, Col B - NAVAL AND MILITARY
NEWS. ...
Captain Arthur Wade, 72d Highlanders, has resigned his appointment as
military
secretary and aide-de-camp to Sir Henry Barkly, the governor of
Jamaica, and
has obtained leave to return to Europe on medical certificate.
Lieutenant
Bancroft, 16th Regiment, succeeds Captain Wade in the above
appointments.
21 Morning
Herald (London), Wednesday 3
October 1855, Page 3.
His excellency the governor has appointed Captain Chamberlayne, 1st
West India
Regiment, to be his military secretary, in the room of Lieutenant
Bancroft,
16th Regiment, absent on leave.
22 Morning
Post and Gazetteer (London),
Wednesday 19 September 1855, Page 5 THE WEST INDIA MAIL.
She brought 97 passengers, amongst whom were: From Jamaica,
Major-General Sir
Richard Doherty, Dr Dakyns, and Lieut. Bancroft, 16th Regt., A.D.C;
.
23 Caledonian
Mercury (Published in
Edinburgh), Tuesday, June 17, 1856, Page ??, Col A.
From Jamaica we hear that his Excellency Sir Henry and Lady Barkly, Sir
Joshua
Rowe, K.C.B., and Lady Rowe have taken their departure in this steamer
[HMS
Malacca?] for England. It is stated that Sir Henry Barkly has leave of
absence
for six months, ...
24 London
Gazette, 26 September 1856, Page
3197 Downing-Street, September 24, 1856.
The Queen has been pleased to appoint Sir Henry Barkly, K.C.B., to be
Captain-General and Governor-in-Chief in and over the Colony of
Victoria.
25 The
Times (London), Friday, November 14,
1856, Page 11, Col F THE STEAMSHIP ONEIDA.
The following is an extract from a letter, by a passenger, sent from St
Vincent, Cape de Verde to the Editor:-
"We left the Solent, as you
are
aware, midday the 19th ult.
The principal group is, of course, Sir
Henry
Barkly, the new Governor of Victoria, his wife, child and aid-de-camp,
whose
dignified and courteous manners impart a tone to our circle.
. ".
26 The
Age (Published at Melbourne, Victoria
(1854 - 1954)), Wednesday 24 Dec 1856, Page 4 SHIPPING.
December 23 - Oneida, R. M. steamship, 2,400 tons. George Hyde, Esq.,
commander, from Southampton 19th October, via, St Vincent 23th October,
St
Helena 14th November, Cape of Good Hope 24th November. Passengers,
saloon : His
Excellency Sir Henry Barkly, lady, and daughter, Dr Bancroft [sic],
.
27 Victoria
Government Gazette (Published
Melbourne), Supplement to the Victoria Government Gazette of Friday,
December
26, 1856 Saturday, December 27, 1856 Government Offices, Melbourne,
26th
December, 1856. ...
AIDE-DE-CAMP - His Excellency the Governor has been pleased to appoint
Lieutenant William Charles Bancroft (of the 16th Regiment of foot) to
be
Military Secretary and Aide-De-Camp.
28 London
Gazette, February 26, 1858, Page
972.
16th Foot. To be Captains, without purchase. Lieutenant William Charles
Bancroft, vice Brevet- Major Henderson, promoted. Dated 26th February,
1858.
.
29 The
Age (Published at Melbourne, Victoria
(1854 - 1954)), Friday 25 Sep 1863, Page 5 - DEPARTURE OF SIR HENRY
BARKLY.
His Excellency Sir Henry Barkly, having been relieved from his duties
as
Governor of this colony, by the arrival of Sir Chas. Darling, on the
9th
instant, left the following day by the Royal Mail steamer, on a visit
to
Sydney, prior to his departure from Australia to assume the office of
Governor
of the Mauritius.
30 Victoria
Government Gazette (Published
Melbourne), Tuesday, September 15, 1863 Government Offices,
Melbourne, 14th
September, 1863. ...
AIDE-DE-CAMP - His Excellency the Governor has been pleased to appoint
Captain
William Charles Bancroft (of the 16th Regiment of foot) to be Military
Secretary and Aide-De-Camp.
31 The
Argus (Published in Melbourne, Victoria
between (1848-1957)), FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1863.
A supplement to the Gazette of Tuesday, published yesterday, contains a
notification of the appointment of Captain Charles James Taylor, of the
Royal
Artillery, to be Military Secretary and Aide-de-Camp to His Excellency,
subject
to the sanction of His Royal Highness the Field-Marshal Commanding in
Chief,
vice Captain William Charles Bancroft, of Her Majesty's 16th Regiment,
who
avails himself of the twelve months leave-of-absence granted to him by
His
Excellency Sir Henry Barkly, K.C.B.
32 The
Argus (Published in Melbourne, Victoria
between (1848-1957)), Monday 14 December 1863, Page 4 SHIPPING
INTELLIGENGE.
HOBSON'S BAY. CLEARED OUTWARDS. DEC. 12.
Sussex, ship, 960 tons, R. Ridgers, for London.
Passengers-cabin :
Captain
and Mrs. Bancroft, family, and servant ; ...
33 Irish
Times, Friday 16 December 1864 , Page
2, Col F.
Arrivals from Holyhead per Mail Steamers, Thursday. December 15. 1864.-
...
Capt. W C Bancroft, ... .
34 Essex
Standard (Published at Colchester,
Essex), 16 February, 1866, Page 3 Col D COLCHESTER GARRISON.
The depots of the 1st and 2nd Battalions 16th Regiment, are held in
readiness
to proceed from Newry to Colchester to join the 4th Depot Battalion.
Captains
Lea and Isdell, Lieuts. Rogers, Sheringham, and Poynter, and Ensign
Whittuck
will accompany the former; and Captains Bancroft and Kelsall, Lieuts.
Grant and
Pyne, and Ensign Chines the latter depot.
35 Hampshire
Telegraph (Hampshire, England),
Saturday, March 24, 1866, Page 5 Col D THE SOUTHSEA VISITORS' LIST.
Wellesley Hall. Major and Mrs Bancroft and family, from
London; Mrs.
Epsett and Mrs. Woodruffe.
William had been become a Major at the
end of
the previous year. This was the last of several weekly reports of the
Bancroft
family being at Southsea .
36 Liverpool
Albion, Monday 21 May 1866, Page
4.
The 2d battalion of the 16th Regiment embarked at Halifax on the 9th
ult. for
Barbadoes.
37
Various, "Surviving Family Letter", From
Augusta Espeut at The Retreat, Kingston, Jamaica to her son Gussie in
Southampton, England dated 20th November.
"I am sorry you did not see your Uncle before he left England he has
gone
direct from Liverpool to Barbados in one of the Liverpool's steamers
...".
When Augusta dated this letter she did not include a year
but the
references to the severe hurricane damage on the island of St Thomas
and to her
son Teddy's recent death place it as 1867.
38 London
Gazette, 16 August, 1867, Page 4473.
16th Foot, Major William Charles Bancroft to be Lieutenant-Colonel, by
purchase, vice Brevet Colonel Oliver Langley, who retires upon half-
pay. Dated
14th August, 1867.
39 Aldershot
Military Gazette, Saturday 12
December 1868, Page 3.
16th Bedfordshire.-The 2nd batt, under command of Colonel W. C.
Bancroft, will
embark at Barbadoes on board Her Majesty's Indian troopship Simoom on
the ??
Instant, and will arrive at Portsmouth on the 6th January.
40 National
Census, ...
1871 - Parish: Canterbury; ED: Canterbury Barracks 2bn/16th Beds;
Piece: 970;
Household Sch'd No: 1 - William C Bancroft - Hd. of Family - 44 - Lt
Col
Commanding 2/16th Regt.
41 Essex
Standard (Published at Colchester,
Essex), Friday 19 July 1872 Page 3 - COLCHESTER. ...
Col. and Mrs. Bancroft. 16th Regt; Col. and Mrs. Baker, 10th Hussars;
Capt. and
Mrs. Barry ; ...
42 Aldershot
Military Gazette, Saturday 25
January 1873 Page 2 - 2ND BATTALION 16TH REGIMENT. ...
Cheers were given for the Chaplain and for Col. Bancroft and his lady,
the
audience was large (the being crowded in every part), and included Col.
and
Mrs. Bancroft, Col. Wilson and Mrs. Wilson (18th Royal Irish),
.
43 Hampshire
Advertiser & Salisbury Guardian
(Published at Southampton.), Wednesday 9 February 1876, Page 4. ...
The Jumna, Indian troop steamship, Captain D'Arcy, left Portsmouth on
Friday
morning for Bombay, with the 2nd Battalion 16th Regiment, which
embarked on the
previous day, having arrived by special train from Chatham.
44 The
Friend of India, and Statesman
(Published 187783 in Serampore, West Bengal, India.), Friday 18
January 1878,
Page 32 DEPARTURES.
Sumatra, Captain C. Anderson, sailed* on Monday 7th instant, with the
following
passengers : For Southampton.- Mr. James Bennett, Colonel Bancroft, Mr.
E. S.
Yates, Captain O. B. Mitchell, Mr. Rodney Hatherley... *From Bombay.
45 Englishman's
Overland Mail (Published
between 186491 by an unknown publisher in Calcutta, West Bengal,
India.),
Friday 27 September 1878 , Page 11, Col A.
The undermentioned officers have leave of absence:-
2-16th Foot. - Lieutenant Colonel (Brevet Colonel) W. C. Bancroft, from
7th
October 1878 to 7 February 1879, on urgent private affairs.
46 London
Gazette,
11 April 1879, Page 2765
16th Foot, Lieutenant-Colonel and Brevet Colonel William Charles
Bancroft
retires on-half-pay. Dated 12th April, 1879.
18 April 1879, Page 2869
Brigade Depot, Lieutenant-Colonel and Brevet Colonel William Charles
Bancroft,
from half- pay, late 16th Foot, to be Lieutenant-Colonel, vice Brevet
Colonel
Thomas Maunsell, C.B., retired on half-pay. Dated 19th April, 1879.
47 Irish
Times, Wednesday 22 March 1882 Pag: 6
THE ARMY. ...
Colonel Hawley is succeeded at Bedford by an old 16th man, Colonel W.
C.
Bancroft, who has been in command of the 47th Regimental District at
Preston
since April 19th, 1879. Colonel W. C. Bancroft has been transferred
from the
47th Regimental District at Preston.
48 London
Gazette, 7 March 1882, Page 1213
Lieutenant-Colonel and Colonel William Charles Bancroft, from the 47th
Regimental District (the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment), to be
Lieutenant-Colonel,*
with a view to his commanding the 16th Regimental District (the
Bedfordshire
Regiment), vice Colonel .W. H. Hawley, who is about to be appointed to
the
Staff. Dated 1st April, 1882.
3 July 1883, Page 3379
The undermentioned Colonels to be Major-Generals:- ... William Charles
Bancroft, from Lieutenant- Colonel, commanding a Regimental District in
succession to General Sir A. H. Horsford, G.C.B., retired. Dated 3rd
April,
1883.
30 December 1887, Page 7302
MEMORANDA. The undermentioned Major-Generals retire on retired pay,
with the
honorary rank of Lieutenant- General. Dated 31st December, 1887 :-
William
Charles Bancroft,
6 July 1900, Page 4199
The Bedfordshire Regiment, Major-General and Honorary
Lieutenant-General W. C.
Bancroft to be Colonel, vice Major-General and Honorary
Lieutenant-General Sir
J. W. Cox, K.C.B. Dated 18th May, 1900.
*Confusingly, William had been obtained the rank of Lieutenant
Colonel in
1867 when he took command of the 2nd battalion in Barbados but he did
not
receive a substantive commission to that rank until he commanded the
16th
Regimental District.
49 Aldershot
News, Saturday, February 7,
1903. DEATH OF LIEUT.-GENERAL BANCROFT. FUNERAL.
The funeral cortθge arrived at the cemetery shortly after
three o'clock,
and already there was a considerable gathering of sympathisers, though
the late
General led a very quiet life at Knellwood, and outside the circle of
immediate
friends was known only by name in the neighbourhood in which he had
spent so
many of the declining years of his life.
.
50
Probate Court (England and Wales), "Calendar
of Grants of Probate and Administration", Wills and Admons 1903.
BANCROFT William Charles of "Knellwood" Farnborough Hants died 30
January 1903 Administration London 5 May to Florence Blanche Alexander
(wife of
Frederick Henry Thomas Alexander). Effects £6282 14s 1d Resworn
£7036-14-3.
51 Edith
Bancroft, "The Bancroft Family" (An unpublished family history of the
Bancroft family by Edith Bancroft (1862-1941) now in the possession of
J R U
Green (2023)), Page 105.
52 Homeward
Mail from India, China and the East,
Monday 10 June 1895, Page 29 DEATHS.
Bancroft May 31, at Farnborough, Hants, Eliza Henrietta, wife of
Lieut.-Gen.
W. C. Bancroft, in her 59th year.
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