The British Newspaper Archive is searchable online and has
yielded a number of references to Brinston both as a surname and a place name.
Police Sergeant Brinston is mentioned in a number of stories
from Hampshire in the south of England, the first in June 1860 when he is described
as locating the nephew of a woman who died suddenly while passing through the
town of Odiham. Two years later he and three constables attempted to save
assets from a farm fire at Crundall. In December 1865 Sergeant Brinston was
mentioned in a court case involving the concealing and destruction of a will. In
July 1867 he was cited regarding boot tracks at the scene of a robbery. In
November of that year Police-Sergt. Brinstone (sic) testified in a case in
which a man was convicted of stealing a bushel of wheat and sentenced to six
weeks' hard labour. In an 1862 case involving theft from the premises of a
watchmaker there was reference to Police-constable Brinston. This could be
someone else but more likely an error was made in recording the officer’s rank.
In August 1891 a case was reported in which it was stated: “Superintendent
Brinston, stationed at Aldershot for the past six years, said he heard screams
in the police passage on tbe night of June 15.” It seemed the sergeant had been
promoted but what evidence exists to help decide if both were the same man? [1]
The 1871 census for Lymington, Hampshire includes the
household of Robert Augustus BRINSTON, aged 37, a police sergeant who was born
in Christchurch, Hampshire. In the household at Gosport Street Police Station are
Robert’s wife and 4 children plus two single police constables. I could not
find Robert Brinston in later census records. However, in the 1891 census, I
found Robert A. BRINSON, Superintendent of Police, resident at the Police
Station in Aldershot in the County of Surrey. He was 57 and his birthplace was Christchurch,
Hampshire. In the household were Robert’s wife, 3 children, 8 constables and
one prisoner. [2]
In the 1911 census Robert Augustus BRINSON, 77, police
pensioner, shows up in Melcombe Regis, Weymouth, Dorset with his wife of 53 years and two of their
unmarried adult children. For this enumeration we can see the actual census
schedule that someone in the family completed and the name is clearly BRINSON.
I wondered about other records and found some. Robert Augustus BRINSON was
baptized on 12 April 1835 in Christchurch, Hampshire and his birthdate given as
6 Aug 1833.[3]
Indicative of how confusing names and handwriting can be,
Robert’s marriage is indexed both as Robert Augustus BRINSON and Robert
Augustus BRIMSON – apparently the transcriber could not decide between those
possibilities. Robert married Mary FELTHAM in the quarter ending Dec 1857. Their
son Robert Augustus BRINSON was born on the Isle of Wight and his birth
registered in the quarter ending June 1858, all consistent with census data. [4]
Yes, the sargeant got a promotion but the newspapers had
been spelling his name wrong during all those years. He was always a BRINSON not a BRINSTON.
[1] The
British Newspaper Archive (http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/ : accessed
03 Aug 2014), as follows. Odiham: Fatal Accident. Reading Mercury, Berkshire, England, Saturday 09 June 1860, page 4.
Fire at Crundall. Aldershot Military
Gazette, Hampshire, England, Saturday 14 June 1862, page 3. Hampshire
Winter Assizes: Crown Court Saturday, Concealing a Will. Alnwick Mercury, Northumberland, England, Saturday 16 December
1865, page 3. Hants Summer Assizes: New Forest Burglaries. Hampshire Advertiser, Hampshire, England, Saturday 20 July 1867,
page 11. Stealing Wheat at Eversley. Aldershot
Military Gazette, Hampshire, England, Saturday 30 November 1867, page 3.
Hants Winter Assize: Larceny. Hampshire
Advertiser, Hampshire, England, Saturday 13 December 1862, page 3. Hampshire
Summer Assizes: Crown Court—Tuesday. The Aldershot Perjury Case. Hampshire Advertiser, Hampshire,
England, Wednesday 05 August 1891, pages 2, 3 & 4.
[2] 1871
England, Wales & Scotland Census, Hampshire, Town of Lymington, Parish of
Lymington, Enumeration district 3d, Piece 1173, Folio 43, page 15, lines 11-18 , Gosport Street Police Station, Robert
Augustus Brinston household; digital image, Find My Past,
(http://www.findmypast.co.uk/ : accessed August 4, 2014); citing RG10, Piece
1173, Folio 43, page 15.
1891 England, Wales & Scotland Census, Surrey,
Town of Aldershot, Parish of Aldershot, Enumeration district 5, Piece 564,
Folio 18, Page 30, lines 17-30, The Police Station, High Street, Robert A.
Brinson; digital image, Find My Past, (http://www.findmypast.co.uk/ : accessed
August 4, 2014); citing RG12, Piece 564, Folio 18, Page 30.
[3] 1911
Census for England & Wales, Dorset, Melcombe Regis, 19 Avenue Road Weymouth,
Robert Augustus Brinson household, Findmypast.co.uk,
(http://www.findmypast.co.uk/ : accessed August 5, 2014), RG14PN12341 RG78PN702
RD263 SD2 ED2 SN233.
Hampshire baptism transcriptions, Find My Past,
(http://www.findmypast.co.uk/ : accessed August 5, 2014), Robert Augustus
Brinson, 12 April 1835; citing Christchurch, Hampshire, England.
[4] Free
BMD. (http://www.freebmd.org.uk/ : accessed 05 Aug 2014).
