I am seeking the birthplace and family of my great great grandfather Abraham Harrison. Also information about his dad, my great great great grandfather, Samuel Harrison. I can only tell you what I know about Abraham and hope that someone has a family tree where Abraham should belong!

I think he is likely missing from an existing known family tree because he went to Madras, British India... so would have been difficult to trace. Thats my hope anyway.

I currently think he may have been born in Ireland. Either in Cork, or Dublin, or in the Midlands of Ireland. He was in Madras at least from c1841 to after 1866... so absolutely anything could have occurred with his family during that period as it was over the famine. They may have died, they may have emigrated anywhere in the world. Honestly - they may not have been from Ireland. Brick. Wall. I have this sad feeling he may have gone back to Ireland to find them and could not.

Heres what I know:
I've traced back to my great great grandfathers adult life.
He was Abraham Harrison.
From marriage records I know he born c1810-1812.
From those same marriage records I know his fathers name was Samuel Harrison.
On one marriage record Samuels occupation is written 'Soldier'.

The marriages took place in Madras, British India, where Abraham was part of the 2nd and the 1st Madras European Regiment of the East India Company Military.
That means he was not part of the British Army, but a private British companies military (so his records are not stored in Kew).
He was definitely British, because he was part of a regiment that did not recruit natives.
About 50% of recruits were Irish. The rest were English, Scottish, Welsh.

I have records of his work movements, his 2 marriages and births of his dozen children, deaths of his wives, and deaths of some of his children, all while in India. All occuring between 1841 and 1866.

Sometime after the death of his 2nd wife in 1866, he took his youngest children and moved to Ireland. He hit official pension age in 1872 and the forwarding address was Summers st Dublin though this may have been out of date by 1872.

He next turns up in Athlone, Ireland, where he appears to have settled with his children, and stayed till his death in 1884.

His childrens names, may or may not help, depending on if he named children after siblings/mother. (there is a son Samuel).

Emily Harrison
1843 –

Richard James Harrison
1845 – 1901

Charles Frederick Harrison
1847 – 1886

Sophia Sarah Harrison
1850 –

Arthur Henry Harrison
1852 – 1872

Maria Alice Harrison
1855 –

William Edward Harrison
1857 – 1858

Isabella Mary Harrison
1859 –

Samuel Reuben Patrick HARRISON
1860 – 1933

John George Harrison
1862 – 1865

Jessie Harrison
1863 – 1865

Edward (Ned) HARRISON
c1865

If anyone has a family where Abraham may fit, please let me know. I am at a loss as to where to start.