Charles was born about 1750 and married Sarah Dunn in 1771 in Thorpe Episcopi. As well as identifying the link between Charles and his parents John & Margaret Colby, Ian Gotts of Kings Lynn has also found six children in Thorpe Episcopi:
At William’s baptism Charles is noted as a pauper, and with three out of the six children buried within three years, there is only William that we know grew to maturity.
From William 1733’s discharge papers we know he was born in St Helens, Norwich, about 1787 based on his age at attestation. He joined the 24th Regiment of Dragoons in 1805, served in India and married there. At time of marriage to Mary Wright in 1811 he was serving as corporal in Meerut, near Delhi, which housed the largest British garrison in north India. Click here for more details
To confuse things, around the same time there is a Sergeant William Gotts in the 24th Foot who married Mary Flaherty. See tree 090-2 for their details.
Thomas 1266, born 1816 in Bengal in the East Indies, appears in the 1851 census in West End St, Heigham, Norwich with his wife Mary 1267 Seeley and family. They married in 1839 in Norwich. Their family were born in Lakenham and include:
The family moved to Lewisham between 1851 and 1861, where Mary died in 1862. Thomas married Thirza 3257 Burgeys in 1866. Click here for details.