New family!
Who from now on shall be known as 'the cousin'. I don't have his ok to use his name.
The cousin contacted me through the comment section of this blog. We have been conversing and trading family facts and lore.
The portrait above is a Toshach that served in the Crimean War. We have always known him as James Toshach but the cousin has paperwork identifying him as Charles. This particular ancestor lost his arm in that war. Family lore says it was the Battle of the Light Brigade. But we can't prove it.
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The stern fellow on the left ,we agree, is a clergyman also named Charles. Note the clerical collar. The cousin lives in the UK and has first hand access to information we only wish for. The only one of our European family any of us actually had contact with is my great-grandfather. Arthur John Gavin Campbell Toshach.
Unfortunately he passed before I was born but Dad remembers him well.
I wonder if the cousin knows that Arthur was pressed into service of the Savannah Ga Fire Department on August 31, 1886 during an earthquake! When he died he was chief of the second battalion of the same fire department.
Comments
Those are wonderful pictures! I'm quite envious of your portrait of The Reverend Charles and that is undoubtedly the same man as I have in the picture I've emailed to you.
I've been taking a closer look at the younger Charles, he of the Crimean War. I've got a copy of his service records which state that he was present at the Battle of Alma, Balaclava and also the Battle of Inkerman. The Battle of Balaclava took place on the 25th October 1854 which was the same day as The Charge of the Light Brigade. The Battle of Inkerman was over a week later on the 5th November 1854 and presumably this is where Charles lost his left arm. He was awarded a medal and a clasp at Inkerman so that probably backs it up.
I'll email you a copy of his service records tomorrow so you can take a look for yourself.
Bye for now,
Cousin Stephen.
the new photos give a better view. will send to your email