Peter Westneat 

Peter Westneat married Mary Ann Toyer (Fozen) in 1841 in Plymouth, Devon. (Civil Index) Both the civil index and the census of 1851 are transcriptions from the original handwritten records. There is indication of both the spelling of the last name of Toyer and Fozen. 

Peter was a private in the 24th (2nd Warwickshire) Regiment of Foot and was stationed in Plymouth, Ireland from 1843 until 1846.  He was then shipped out to India in October of 1846. Peter was killed in India at the Battle of Chillianwalla (now Pakistan) on 13 Jan 1849 during the 2nd Sikh war. 

By 1851, the census shows Mary Ann and her daughter Mary living at 40 Cumberland St. in StokeDamerel, Devon with her parents:

           John FOZEN  Head M 62 M Dairyman Little Hempton - DEV

           Ann FOZEN   Wife M 59 F 21535 Little Hempton - DEV

          Henry FOZEN  Son U 18 M Shipwright Devonport - DEV

           Mary Ann WESTNEAT Daug M 30 F 10950 Little Hempton - DEV

          Mary A.F. Westneat  GDau - 7 F 2555 Dublin - IRE

          Thomas NENO Serv U 18 M Labourer Devonport - DEV

 

This family seems to have disappeared after the 1951 census. Perhaps Mary Ann re-married.

 

A note must be made at this juncture that there are other references to Westneat at this time in this area. In the Civil Records in 1843 there is a note regarding the burial of Peter Westneat in StokeDamerel.

 

In 1846, on Apr 12 there is a son, Peter Henry Westneat born to Peter and Mary Ann Westneat. Shrewsbury, St. Chad

In 1850 there is a death of Richard Henry Westneat.  Is this Peter Henry or another person yet undiscovered?