Birth & early life
Born at Cookham, Berkshire, c.1829.
[PB: "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," says born Bray, Berkshire (which is not far from Cookham), the son of John and Martha Duckett, and baptised in Bray, 19th of July 1829. Another source says born Maidenhead, but perhaps because this is a better-known town in the area.]
1841 Census
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1841 Census
Market Street, Cookham, Berkshire.
Martha Ducket, F, 45-49, born Berkshire.
Sarah Ducket, F, 18-22.
Eliza Ducket, F, 14.
Joseph Ducket, M, 12.
Geoe Ducket, M, 10.
Ellen Ducket, F, 8.
All born Berkshire. [PB]
Service
Joseph Duckett, 22, Unmarried, appears on the 1851 Census with the regiment at Pockthorpe Barracks, Norfolk.
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[PB: Notice on this page how many men of much the same age were born in or near Bray. Having enlisted at much the same time, presumably induced by recruiters from Hounslow Barracks, a short way downstream, this is reflected in their regimental numbers. See e.g. 1430 Edward Blisett, 1444 David Andrews, 1447 James Andrews, 1449 George Wheeler, 1457 Henry Lawes. (It might be worth finding others recruited at this time.) For its location and an outline of its history, see Wikipedia: Hounslow Barracks.
Clearly the men were not put off by the death of Frederick John White, after he received 150 lashes, which happened only a few years before (if they knew about it at all):
"In June 1846, Private Frederick John White was flogged after a Court-martial sentenced him to 150 lashes for insubordination at Hounslow Barracks. He died a month later making him the last soldier to die after a flogging in the British Army. White was buried in nearby St Leonard's churchyard, Heston. Calls for abolishment of flogging were made in Parliament; it was eventually outlawed in 1881."
[PB: FJW was in the 7th Queen's Own Hussars. There is a more detailed account in CRB Barrett's Regimental History, quoted here.There is also a book on the subject, The Strange Death of Private White: A Victorian Scandal That Made History, by Harry Hopkins, (London: Weidenfeld & Nicholson, 1977). A headstone was erected. Having been badly damaged over the years, the regiment has replaced the stone.]
From Private to Corporal: 9th of July 1854.
Reduced to Private by a Regimental Court-martial on the 19th of August 1854.
Balaclava period muster roll states, "Sick".
He was at the Scutari Depot from there 31st of October 1854, sent to rejoin the regiment on the 3rd of February 1855, and sent there again 4th of April — 11th of May 1855.
From Private to Corporal 1st of October 1857.
Corporal to Sergeant: 22nd of May 1858.
Reduced to Private by a Regimental Court-martial on the 27th of February 1859, for "disrespect".
Life after service
[PB: Presumably he was in Dublin when the 1861 Census took place — weren't these records destroyed in 1916? He must then have moved to Islington, London, where his three daughters were born. Islington is close to King's Cross Station, the London end of the Great Northern Railway. He appears as Railway Guard in Hitchin in the 1871 Census, and York in the 1881 and 1891 Censuses. Both were on the Great Northern Railway's network:
The main line ran from London King's Cross via Hitchin, Peterborough, and Grantham, to York, with a loop line from Peterborough to Bawtry (south of Doncaster) via Boston and Lincoln, and branch lines to Sheffield and Wakefield.
Wikipedia: Great Northern Railway (accessed 26 March 2017).
Joseph Duckett appears in the 1871 Census living at Hitchin, a "Guard Gt Northern". He was married, with a wife Harriet Louisa, and three daughters. [RM]
1871 Census.
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1871 Census
Nightingale Road, St Savours, Hitchin, Hertfordshire.
Joseph Duckett, Head, 41, Guard Gt Northern, born Maidenhead, Berkshire
Hariet Louisa Duckett, Wife, 32, Royston, Surrey
Allice Hariet Duckett, Daughter, 8, Scholar, London.
Emma Louisa Duckett, Daughter, 5, Scholar, London.
Martha Ann Duckett, Daughter, 2, London. [RM/PB]
[PB: Nightingale Road is near the marshalling yards associated with Hitchin Railway Station. There is a Royston near Sutton, but this is some miles from Kingston.]
1881 Census.
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1881 Census
22, Victoria Street, Micklegate, York.
Joseph Duckett, Head, 51, Railway Guard, born Maidenhead, Berkshire.
Hariet Louisa Duckett, Wife, 43, Royston, Kingston, Surrey.
Alice Duckett, Daughter, 18, Domestic Servant, Islington, Middlesex.
Emma Duckett, Daughter, 14, Scholar, Islington, Middlesex.
Martha Duckett, Daughter, 12, Scholar, Islington, Middlesex. [PB]
1891 Census.
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1891 Census
38, Thorpe St, Castlegate, York.
By 1891 he was a "Railway Guard", aged 61, living with his wife, Harriett Duckett, 33, born Surrey, and his daughter Martha H. Duckett, 22, born Middlesex.
1901 Census.
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1901 Census
Cottage [next to Star Inn], Kirk Hammerton, York.
Joseph Duckett, aged 71, Railway Guard Retired, born Maidenhead, Berkshire.
Harriet Duckett, 64, Kingston, Surrey.[RM]]
He is believed to have been present at the funerals of ? at York in ?, and 863 William Bentley, 11th Hussars, at York in March 1891.
