As mentioned William was born to William and Joan Bozacott in Tetcott in 1785. 

We know that a William Bussicott born in Tetcott in 1785 joined the army in 1804. This has to be the son born to William and Joan, a small village. 

We also know that William Bussicott married Mary Ann Read (MC) in St Margaret Westminster in 1813. 

We can trace their children through to the present day. 

To prove this William Bussicott is the man who joined the army is difficult as the place of birth was not recorded on the marriage records at that time. 

The main link is the rarity of the Bussicott name. I have traced every Bussicott in the official Birth Marriage and Death certificates so far recorded since 1837 when they started and also all of the Bussicott’s in the 10 year censuses from 1841 to 1901. All the Bussicott’s are related to William Bussicott. 

Other than the rarity of the family name there are at least two clues that help. Firstly two of William’s four sons followed him into an army career. This is hardly proof but as I have seen many sons followed their father’s occupations. 

However perhaps more useful is that in the army discharge papers a description of the man is given. William had grey eyes in both of his discharge papers, the latter in 1816. His son John born in 1816 when he was recruited in 1840 (and on his discharge in 1855) was described as having grey eyes. I would have thought that grey eyes were pretty uncommon? Both were labourers but the majority of men at that time were so called.

So what of William’s army career? 

In the British Army document dated 8^th March 1813, General R Prescott on behalf of the King certified that William Bussicott who was born in Tetcott, near Holdsworthy, in the county of Devon was enlisted at the age of 18 on February 25^th 1804 and has served in the 28^th Regiment of Foot for 9 years and 15 days until 11^th March 1813. 

In the document he was discharged in consequence of a gun shot wound of the right arm received at Barossa Spain (see later) on the 5^th March 1811 and is considered unfit for service and discharged. 

At time of discharge in 1813 he was described as about 27 and is 5 foot 6 inches tall in height, black hair, grey eyes, dark complexion and by trade a labourer.

The document was signed by the Regiment at Exeter on 8^th March 1813.

My guess is that soon after this discharge he married Mary Ann in London.

He was given an army pension but re-enlisted probably because of the on-going problems with our friend Napoleon in Europe.

In another British Army document dated 3^rd June 1816 Colonel Alexander Mair on behalf of the King certified that William Bussicott had served in the Eighth Royal Veteran Battalion for a year from 5^th June 1815 until 3^rd June 1816. The discharge was in consequence of the Battalion being disbanded.

(Presumably the battalion was disbanded because the Napoleonic wars were effectively finished with the Battle of Waterloo on 18^th June 1815).

In this document he was similarly described - at about 5 foot 6 inches tall in height, dark hair, grey eyes, dark complexion and by trade a labourer.

Also in this document it was stated that from 18^th April 1813 until 4^th June 1815 he received an Out Pension from the 28^th Foot regiment

The document was signed at Portsmouth on 3^rd June 1816.

As mentioned above William and Mary married in Westminster in 1813. 

The birth dates of the children are not accurate to the year in the census records but the first two William Richard and John were born circa 1815 and circa 1816. 

If I have it correct then William must have been in London during his service with the Army and met Mary Ann who was a Londoner and they married in Westminster. 

John in his army papers was born in Greenwich as were the two twins, although  Westminster is always mentioned in the Census records.

The first year that proper Birth Certificates were issued was in 1837 and I have Frederick’s (BC) which show William as the father and it is recorded that he was a tailor. He was then over 50 and had perhaps rather sedentary work after being a professional soldier overseas until he was nearly 30. 

As you can see from the birth certificate in 1837 the family was living at 2 Princes Row, Queen Street, Belgavia which would be Westminster.

Sometime after 1837 William Bussicott must have died as Mary Ann Bussicott was married again on 27^th December 1841 (MC) to Henry Wheeler in Kensington. This is confirmed as on the Marriage Certificate her father is noted as John Read which was her maiden name and on the certificate she is noted as a widow. As her first marriage was in 1813 and she remarried in 1841 she was presumably nearly 50 by then. 

As for the children, taking the three daughters of William and Mary Ann first:

Sarah Bussicott 
She was born on 27^th June 1818 to William and Mary Ann and was christened on 1st July 1818 at St Alphage,  Greenwich, Kent. See Certificate (BC)

Susannah Bussicott 
Susannah Bussicott, Sarah’s twin sister, was also christened on the same day. 
See Certificate (BC)

Both the girls could have married and changed names before the 1841 census and perhaps marriage certificates were issued. We shall probably not find out. 

Eliza Bussicott   
Eliza married William Wright at St Jude’s Church in Chelsea on 8^th July 1857. She was aged 18 and it was noted that “with consent of her parents”. The father was recorded as William Bussicott (deceased). 

Then we have however much more information on the four boys of this marriage.