| Father of George Henry Eckford |
Timeline
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James Eckford was born in Dunfermline, Scotland in 1786. His parents were John Eckford and Janet Buntine.
See Career of James Eckford for his military record, and comments.
James Eckford served as a midshipman in HMS Greyhound during the Napoleonic Wars. He then switched to the 56th Native Infantry in service of the East India Company. He had an active career, including service in Java and Afghanistan, as well as India, and was awarded three medeals and the Order of the Bath (third class).
First wife: Diana Denton Turner Wroughton (1801-1819) - married in 1817. The marriage lasted two years before she died, aged 18 years old.
Children: George Henry Eckford (1818-1877)
Second (or third) wife: Mary Haldane (1801-1857) - married in 1824
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Mary Alexina (1828-1861) married Henry Stewart Reid in 1847 Anne Marian Jessie (1830-1914) married Arthur Herbert Cocks CB, JP, (1819-1881) in 1847 Lt. John James (1831-1872) married to Catherine Berry Black Robert (died c.1857 in India) 2nd Lt. James Alexander Haldane (died at Cawnpore, India, in 1857) Alexander Haldane (1837-1914) Emily (1838-1902) married Sir Frederick Russell Hogg Maria (1842-1906) married Herbert Taylor MacPherson |
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There is more information about this family here, including their connection with the Indian Mutiny.
Third (or fourth) wife: Mary ?. Little is known about her except she married in about 1863, aged 20 years old, when James Eckford was 77 years old! See below.
The odd thing about this was that Mary Haldane was the sister of the wife of George Henry Eckford, James Eckford's son! They were both daughters of James Alexander Haldane and Mary Joass.
Andew Geddes married James Eckford's grand-daughter Emily Jane Eckford. He wrote a letter to his sister, Maggie, where he said "We saw the deaths of Emy's Grand-father, old General Eckford [this is James Eckford], at Jersey in last telegram. He was a wonderfully hale old man and married a girl of twenty only four years ago, to the surprise of all his friends and relations. I should like to have seen the old man although I do not think highly of his marrying his fourth wife and leaving his sons to look out for themselves so late in his life. There is a great law suit going on relative to a lot of money left by his brother (Mr Eckford's uncle) the other day." See Robert Eckford's page for more details of the lawsuit. As regards the "fourth wife", apparently married in 1863 (4 years before James died) his wife Mary (nee Haldane) died in 1857. I don't know whether there is a third wife between Mary and the fourth wife, or a second wife between Diana (died 1819) and Mary (married 1824). Or perhaps Andrew Geddes misunderstood, or was exaggerating! The myseterious last wife must also have been called Mary, as in the prrobate of James Eckford (see below), there's a reference to "Mary Eckford of St Helier's aforesaid Widow the Relict". This can't be Mary Eckford (nee Haldane) as she has died by this time.
The lawsuit concerning Robert Eckfort's will says Robert's "residence in Jersey attracted other members of his family to the island, and, in particular, his brother, General Eckford and his family; his sister, Mrs. Simpson, and her daughter; a nephew, and two grandsons, William James and Robert Eckford, whom the testator treated as his own children, making, and speaking of, his house as their home, and inducing them on his account to live in Jersey."
Robert Eckfort and James Eckfort (General Eckford) are brothers, so presumably "Mrs. Simpson" is their sister.
This low figure of £57 14s 11d is presumably because Diana Eckford died so young, before her husband.
© Jo Edkins 2014 - Return to Eckford index