Regiments
Of the Malta Garrison
The 69th
(South Lincolnshire)

The 1st/69th (South Lincolnshire) Regiment

1847 1st/69th (South Lincolnshire)

12 Dec 1847 The 1st/69th Regiment consisting of 572 men, 51 women, and 67 children arrived from Portsmouth on the transport Bellisle. Also present were 21 officers, 12 wives and 7 children. The regiment was quartered at Lower St Elmo Barracks, which it shared with The 54th Regiment. It remained in Valletta from 15 Dec 1847 to 31 Mar 1848.

Lower St Elmo Barracks is situated at the foot of Valletta to the west of Fort St Elmo. The barracks is constructed behind the parapet wall and that part of the arch which is scarped out to form the sea front of the works looking towards the Quarantine Harbour. It consisted of three storeys lying east to west. The back of the rooms were formed by the solid rock; the front opened on to a barrack yard, which originally was the quarry from where the building material was obtained.

The rooms at the lower tier were badly ventilated and were used as stores and offices. The two upper storeys were occupied by the men. They were well lit and ventilated. Each tier had a common passage running along the whole front. A large window was present opposite each room in which the men slept, while the uppermost tier also had a small window at the back as these rooms rose above the level of the platform of the works. Each room housed 30 men. The men slept on boards and trestles, there were no iron bedsteads.

15 Dec 1847 The regimental hospital opened on 15 Dec 1847. It formed part of the General Hospital at Lower Merchant Street Valletta and consisted of four wards. The largest was capable of holding 28 patients. Two smaller wards, each capable of holding six beds, were reached from the large ward. Between these two small wards, and opening into the large one, was a small room where mobile patients ate their meals. The large ward was heated in winter by a stove, which also warmed the two smaller ones, as they both opened directly into the large ward. The fourth ward was situated to the side of the great staircase leading from the quadrangle to the large ward. This was capable of holding nine beds. The surgery was located on the landing between this ward and the large one. A covered staircase led from the large ward to the privy so that the patients were not exposed to the weather. Patients took their exercise on the flat roof and corridors.

The average strength of the battalion was 608 men. The average daily sick in hospital was 31. There was a small detachment consisting of an officer, one sergeant and 25 men at Fort Tigne, which was relieved every month.

Twenty eight children were treated between 15 Dec 1847 and 31 Mar 1848. There were 15 cases of rubeola, which first appeared during their passage to Malta. All the children recovered. One child with Tabes Mesenterica died shortly after the regiment disembarked at Malta.

Eleven men of the 54th Regiment remained under treatment in the hospital of the 1st/69th Foot when their regiment embarked for the West Indies on 27 Dec 1847.

1848 1st/69th (South Lincolnshire)

Twenty seven cases of Common Continued Fever were treated in the regimental hospital. The medical officers blamed the effects of intemperance for the fever which was usually of a mild character.

Marriages in 1848:

• 29 Aug Batchelor Pte Hugh Donelly born in the parish of Dover in the County of Kent and Catherine Harrington born in Cork, Ireland, daughter of Pte Cornelius Harrington 1st/69th Regiment.

Baptisms in 1848:

• 7 May John Stapleton born on 7 April 1848, son of Mary and Cpl John Stapleton 1st/69th Regiment.
• 7 May Ann Elliott born on 7 April 1848, daughter of Bridget and Pte Hamilton Elliott.
• 17 May Joseph McCormick born on 9 May 1848, son of Sarah and Pte Charles McCormick.
• 18 June William Ellis Webster born on 4 June 1848, son of Elizabeth and Pte William Ellis Webster.
• 16 July Helen Donnelly daughter of Helen and Pte Patrick Donnelly.
• 23 July Thomas Horner born on 22 June 1848, son of Margaret and Sgt Maj Robert Horner.
• 23 July Creighton Magee born on 30 June 1848, son of Elizabeth and Sgt John Magee.

Deaths in 1848:

• 6 Jan Margaret Burnett wife of James Burnett 1st/69th Regiment, aged 27 years (Military and Civil Cemetery Floriana).
• 1 Mar Pte John Marsh 1st/69th, aged 19 years died of Phthisis Pulmonalis. He had only been in the regiment for 18 months. He was buried on 3 March by Chaplain to the Forces William Hare.
• 13 Mar Sgt William Calvert No 1 Coy 69th Regiment aged 36 years (Military and Civil Cemetery Floriana).
• 17 Apr Pte John Marshall aged 22 years was buried by Chaplain to the Forces William Hare.
• 14 May Mrs Rosaline Creech aged 22 years, wife of Sgt Creech was buried by Chaplain to the Forces William Hare.
• 19 Oct Sgt William Carroll 69th Regiment (Military and Civil Cemetery Floriana).
• 19 Nov Sgt Edward Brooke 1st/69th (?) aged 26 years (Military and Civil Cemetery Floriana).
• 22 Sep Bandsman George Barnett died of cholera, aged 29 years 2 months. The civilian doctors could not agree on the postmortem results, and the military surgeons were likewise equally divided as to the actual cause of death (Military and Civil Cemetery Floriana).

10 Oct 1848 On this day, three soldiers died of cholera within a few hours of falling ill. Another soldier in the Royal Artillery died on 11 October. The regiment was moved from Lower St Elmo Barracks to Floriana, and the barracks was cleaned and white washed in readiness for occupation by the Reserve Battalion 69th Foot.

1849 1st/69th (South Lincolnshire)

Oct 1849 The 1st/69th Foot moved from Floriana Barracks to Isola. They were relieved by the 44th Regiment.

Apr Capt Moore 69th Foot with a detachment of 130 men and 3 subalterns moved to Fort Manoel.

Marriages in 1849:

• 6 Jan Widower CSgt Thomas Creech born in the parish of Ballymodan in the County of Cork, Ireland to Adelaide Taylor spinster and minor, daughter of Barrack Sgt Richard Taylor deceased and his wife Susannah, now the wife of Garrison Staff Sgt Thomas Rodgers.
• 24 Apr CSgt John Markrall to Anne Roofe, a widow, by the Rev Thomas Huntley Greene Chaplain to the Bishop of Gibraltar.
• 13 July Batchelor CSgt William Bustard from Kent to Elizabeth Greener, a spinster from Surrey.

Baptisms in 1849:

• 25 Feb Robert Gamble born on 13 February 1849, son of Margaret and Sgt Robert Gamble.
• 5 Mar Mary Thomas born on 1 February 1849, daughter of Hester and Sgt John Thomas.
• 6 Apr Joseph Hodgins born on 24 February 1849, son of Catherine and L/Sgt John Hodgins.
• 12 Apr Louisa Bennett born on 3 March 1849, daughter of Margaret and CSgt John Bennett.
• 10 May Florence Cole O'Halloran born on 19 April 1849, daughter of Charlotte Elizabeth and Capt Henry Dunn O'Halloran.
• 3 June Amy Bosward born on 14 May 1849, daughter of Mary and Pte Thomas Bosward.
• 25 Sep William Thomas Morris born on 17 September 1849, son of Elizabeth and L/Cpl John Morris.
• 18 Nov Adelaide Anne Malone born on 11 October 1849, daughter of Ellen and Sgt John Malone.

1850 1st/69th (South Lincolnshire)

1 Jan 1850 The regiment had a total of 570 men (6 coys) consisting of: 1 Captain, 1 Lieutenant, and 1 Ensign per company, 30 Sgts, 11 Drummers, and 24 Cpls and 505 soldiers. The state of health of the 1st Bn was reported to be good with the prevailing disease being venereal. The Battalion had an average daily sick of 27 men.

Marriages in 1850:

• 26 Feb Batchelor Sgt James Earl married Elizabeth Taylor, spinster, of the Parish of Rusholme in the County of Lancaster.

May The Reserve Bn amalgamated with the 1st/69th Regiment.

1 Aug The regimental strength was: 1,053 men, 42 male children, 45 female children, 20 wives of Sgts, 57 wives of drummers and rank and file, 21 drummers, 47 Sgts, 985 rank and file. Their commanding officer Col W L Paxton had been appointed on 22 Feb 1850, and had purchased of his commission following the retirement of Col Dillon, the former commanding officer 69th Foot.

The average daily sick was 57 with the prevailing disease being Common Continuance Fever. 13 soldiers died in August as opposed to only 1 death in July.

Deaths in 1850:

• 8 Aug Cpl William Howe 69th Regiment, aged 21 years, (Military and Civil Cemetery Floriana).
• 18 Sep Regimental surgeon John Bathurst Thomson from cholera.

1 Sep Strength: 1,037 men. The state of health was reported to be good with bowel complaints prevailing. The average daily sick for September was 72. The battalion HQ was at Lower St Elmo barracks together with eight coys; one coy was at Fort Ricasoli and another at Fort Salvatore. In September, there was a predominance of bowel complaints with an average average daily sick of 77 men.

1 Oct Strength: 1,035 men, with an average average daily sick of 72 men.

10 Oct 1850 Three soldiers died of Asiatic Cholera. The regiment was moved to Floriana.

Baptisms in 1850:

• 27 Jan Mary Jane Bonnar born on 14 January 1850, daughter of Jane and Pte John Bonnar 1st/69th Regiment.
• 3 Feb Henry Frederick Horner born on 6 January 1850, son of Margaret and Sgt Maj Robert Horner.
• 17 Feb Emma Jane Bowler born on 20 January 1850, daughter of Emma Jane and Armourer Sgt William Bowler.
• 28 Feb Mary Jane McCormick born on 26 February 1850, daughter of Sarah and L/Cpl Charles McCormick.
• 3 Mar Margaret Hiscock born on 20 January 1850, daughter of Catherine and Pte John Hiscock.
• 17 Mar Martha Ann Philips daughter of Amelia and Sgt Richard Philips.
• 21 May Francis William Armstrong son of Wilhelmina and Pte Joseph Armstrong who was privately baptised on 17 May 1850 was publicly received into the church by the Rev William Hare Chaplain to the Forces.
• 28 May Ann Maria Howe daughter of Mary Ann and Sgt Thomas Howe.
• 4 June Augusta Selma Beech daughter of Adelaide and CSgt Thomas Beech.
• 16 July Mary Ann Pickering daughter of Margaret and Pte John Pickering who was privately baptised on 9 July 1850 was publicly admitted into the church by the Rev William Hare Chaplain to the Forces.
• 14 July John Belisle son of Elizabeth and Pte Ellis Belisle.
• 23 July George Elliott son of Bridget and Hamilton Elliott.
• 6 Aug William Bustand son CSgt William Bustand who was privately baptised on 19 July 1850, was publicly received into the church by the Rev William Hare Chaplain to the Forces.

1851 1st/69th (South Lincolnshire)

The battalion had 644 men with the regimental HQ at Valletta.

13 Apr 1851 560 men, 41 women, and 58 children of the 1st/69th (South Lincolnshire) left for the West Indies.

The Reserve Battalion/69th (South Lincolnshire) Regiment

1847 Res/69th (South Lincolnshire)

11 Dec 1847 The Head Quarters of the Reserve Bn 69th Regiment with 301 men, 17 women, and 25 children arrived from Portsmouth on the transport Blenheim. The battalion was commanded by Lt Col Dillon. Small pox broke out during their passage from England. Every possible means was adopted to stop the contagion by cleanliness, ventilation, and fumigation, and the bedding and clothing of those who died was thrown overboard. A soldier of the 69th died from smallpox on board the Blenheim.

12 Dec The regiment disembarked at Fort Manoel to undergo quarantine, where four fresh cases occurred. The men became infected despite showing all the distinct marks of vaccination. Three patients recovered, but the fourth had confluent small pox which terminated fatally. Those infected where removed to the Lazaretto as there was no hospital in Fort Manoel.

1848 Res/69th (South Lincolnshire)

The regimental Head Quarters remained at Fort Manoel until 21 Jan 1848, when it moved to the Cottonera District. It was united with the 2nd Division of the regiment, which arrived from Portsmouth on the Maria Soames. On 6 Jan 1848, 255 men, 23 women, and 33 children of the 2nd Division of the Reserve Battalion disembarked and marched to Fort Ricasoli, which it occupied for a few days.

The Reserve Battalion occupied the Cottonera District from 14 Dec 1847 to 31 Mar 1848. The companies were located in the following barracks:

• Isola Gate - 3 coys. The fort at Isola Gate Barracks had 13 rooms of various sizes and accommodation for 330 men and 12 officers.
• Francesco de Paola - 2 coys. St Francesco de Paola had 15 rooms and accommodation for 221 men and 3 officers. Four of the rooms were large, the rest very small, there not being room for more than four or five in each. The fort also had the orderly room, guard room, two cells and a canteen.
• Fort Salvatore - 1 coy. Fort San Salvatore had accommodation for 135 men and 2 officers. All the barrack rooms were well ventilated by windows and numerous ventilators on the roof. There was no bathroom for bathing, but each man had a small bathing tub.

The regimental hospital of the Reserve/69th Regt was located in the former Armeria of the Order of St John in Vittoriosa. It was an extensive building with ample accommodation for 92 patients. The hospital consisted of an upper and lower flights of rooms. In the upper portion were 3 long wards parallel to each other, and running nearly north - south in their longitudinal axis. The central ward accommodated 18 beds while those on either side of it had 20 beds each. One of these wards had a fireplace in which a fire was kept constantly burning in the afternoon during the cold weather.

The lower floor of the hospital had a large central ward of 22 beds, with five small wards on either side. The kitchen, store rooms, bakery room with an abundance of good water, and water closets were in the lower div of the hospital. The surgery and reception room were in the upper part of the hospital. The hospital had rooms for two medical officers. All the wards were well ventilated by large windows.²

10 Oct 1848 The Reserve Battalion moved to Fort Lower St Elmo. No sooner had it arrived there, that the men were attacked with cholera. This was attributed to the presence of stagnant water under the fort. Three died, and the Res/69th was removed to Floriana.

Baptisms in 1848:

• 16 Jan Charles Reddin born on 5 December 1847, son of Elizabeth and CSgt Patrick Reddin Reserve Bn 69th Regiment.
• 23 Jan Mary Ann Drake born on 21 November 1847, daughter of Ann and L/Sgt Henry Drake.
• 26 Mar Susannah Berry born on 10 March 1848, daughter of Maria and Sgt John Berry.
• 10 Sep Susanna Jane Howe born on 26 July 1848, daughter of Mary Ann and Sgt Thomas Howe.
• 10 Sep James Scott born on 28 June 1848, son of Jane and Pte Hall Scott.

Deaths in 1848:

• 18 Feb Pte John White aged 29 years Res/69th Regt was buried by Chaplain to the Forces William Hare.
• 30 July Pte James Jervis Grenadier Coy 2nd/69th Regiment died, aged 35 years. (Military and Civil Cemetery Floriana).

1849 Res/69th (South Lincolnshire)

Apr 1849 The Res/69th marched to Lower St Elmo Barracks.

Baptisms in 1849:

• 21 Jan Sarah Rebecca Friem born on 8 January 1849, daughter of Sarah and CSgt John Friem.
• 29 Jan Ann Cockett born on 7 January 1849, daughter of Elizabeth and L/Cpl Henry Cockett.
• 27 Feb Mary Anne Waghorn born on 15 September 1848, daughter of Anne and Cpl George Waghorn.
• 19 May George William Wilson born on 30 April 1849, son of Julia and Sgt William Clifford Wilson.
• 29 May Thomas Crawford born on 8 May 1849, son of Mary and Drm Thomas Crawford.
• 10 July Elizabeth Drake born on 23 June 1849, daughter of Anne and Sgt Henry Drake.
• 23 Oct William Boulger born on 11 October 1849, son of Jane and Cpl Patrick Boulger.
• 13 Nov Janet Lawrence born on 1 November 1849, daughter of Helen and Pte William Lawrence.

1850 Res/69th (South Lincolnshire)

Jan 1850 Six coys including one coy were at Fort Manoel. The battalion had a total of 573 men consisting of 2 Field Officers, 6 Capts, 8 Sub Lieutenants, 4 SSgts, 28 Sgts, 12 Drummers, and 27 Cpls and 506 soldiers.
The general health of the Reserve Battalion was reported to be good with the prevailing disease being catarrh. It had an average daily sick of 23 men.

May 1850 The Reserve Bn amalgamated with the 1st/69th Regiment.

Baptisms in 1850:

• 1 Mar Janthe Katharine Messiter daughter of Mary Constantia and Capt George Hughes Messiter Res/69th Regiment.
• 28 Mar Matilda Dunlop daughter of Elizabeth and Cpl John Dunlop.
• 28 Apr William Hatfield son of Ellinor and Pte William Hatfield.

1851 Res/69th (South Lincolnshire)

29 Mar 1851 208 men, 19 women, and 43 children left for England. There were no medical officers. The rest of depôt left for England on 3 April 1851.