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61st Regiment of Foot

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61st Regiment of Foot badgeThe 61st Regiment of Foot, nicknamed the “South Gloucestershire” regiment, was an infantry regiment within the British Army formed in 1756. The 61st was merged with the 28th (North Gloucestershire) Regiment of Foot in 1881 to form the Gloucestershire Regiment. Their uniform was red with buff facings similar to the 3rd Regiment of Foot.

The regiment’s first overseas assignment came in 1758 to the West Indies. In January 1759 they attempted the invasion of Martinique but were forced off after 3 days. Later that same month, they landed on Guadeloupe where they spent several months fighting the French during the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763).

The 61st Regiment of Foot went to Ireland and the Channel Islands for a time before being assigned to Menorca in 1771. They were attacked by a Franco-Spanish force in 1781 during the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783). The regiment was forced to surrender in 1782 after suffering many casualties, including a significant number due to disease. After they returned to England they began recruiting to rebuild their force.

Michael Deely Enlists

Fast forward several decades, the 61st Regiment of Foot was recruiting in Ireland in 1825 where my 19-year-old great-great-grandfather, Michael Deely, enlisted at Gort in County Galway. I don’t think he had to travel far to enlist at the Gort Barracks, but that’s a guess. Kilbeacanty Parish is all around Gort so it’s hard to say. I later found Deelys living in Derreen, also called Doirín an Charnáin in Irish. Derreen refers to an oak grove or woods so there are Derreens all over Ireland.

The regiment had spent several years in Jamaica and disease had, again, taken a toll on their numbers. Michael served from 17 May 1825 to 15 June 1846. That’s 21 years and 29 days where 11 years and 4 months of that time was spent in Ceylon (Sri Lanka). His service number was 388.

Michael Deely’s medical report indicated that he was discharged with disability due to dyspnea & chronic rheumatic fever. Dyspnea results in shortness of breath with intense tightening of the chest. Rheumatic fever can cause heart valve problems or even heart failure. I don’t know how many others experienced this illness but I doubt he was the only one. Illnesses were a major cause of discharges when the regiments returned from the colonies.

Medical summary for Pvt. Michael Deely (no. 388), 61st Regiment of Foot

Family

The regiment went into barracks at Limerick for several years while they recruited replacements before being sent out again. When the regiment left, Michael remained in Limerick. He had married a local woman, Judith O’Brien, at St. John’s on 6 December 1843. She also appears as “Julia” in some records. Michael’s then still active service with the 61st Regiment of Foot was noted in the marriage record and Judith was “of this parish”. The marriage took place in the Church of Ireland St. John’s so that the British Army would consider it a “legal” marriage (he was still a soldier).

Michael Daly, soldier, and Julia O'Brien, married on 6 DEC 1843

Michael and Judith had 4 children:

  1. John Robert Deely was baptized 14 April 1848 at St. Michael’s Parish church on Denmark Street in Limerick.
  2. James Martin Deely was baptized 18 June 1850.
  3. Bridget Daly was baptized 30 September 1852. The father’s name is wrong but the mother’s name is correct.
  4. Michael Daly was baptized 25 November 1854. Michael did not marry or have children.

John and James joined the Prince Consort’s Own Rifle Brigade as they each turned 14. They were sent to England for training and joined the band of the 1st Battalion, which was sent to British North America (Canada) during the American Civil War (1861-65). In 1868, John was diagnosed with scrofula and sent back to England for treatment. In 1870, James bought his discharge for £20 Pounds Sterling in time to meet up with John in New York State for the 1870 census.

Later in life

I don’t know how long Michael senior and Judith lived. At least, not yet. I lose track of them in available records after their children are baptized. Finding them “after children” is the next step.

Deely or Daly?

The “Deely” spelling went back and forth with the “Daly” spelling in different records from 1843 into the 1860s. Sponsors for James’ baptism were Jeremiah Deely and Mary Grany leading me to suspect Jeremiah and Michael senior were brothers. I also suspect the spelling shift happened due a change in Michael’s accent from 21 years in the British Army and then settling in Limerick. Kilbeacanty Parish is really only 30 miles (48 kilometers) to 40 miles (64 km) north of Limerick but accents vary a lot in that distance.

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