Born in March 1835.
According to a family member, Miss Elizabeth de Bourbel, writing [to EJB] in 1983, Harold Henri de Bourbel was born in Florence, Italy, on the 22nd of March 1833, the second son of Augustus Harold de Bourbel and his wife, Constance, nee Bulkeley, of Linden Hill, Wargrave-on-Thames, his father being at that time Ambassador to the last King of Naples.
On the death of his mother in 1838, Constance's brother, J.J. Bulkeley, of Linden Hill, took over the guardianship of the five children, their father having "disappeared" in America.
He had a younger brother, Augustus Alfred, who served with the 10th Hussars during the Crimean campaign. He was wounded at Kokrowlie on the 10th of May 1858 when serving with the 6th Dragoon Guards in the Indian Mutiny.
[PB: Augustus Alfred was educated at Harrow School, as recorded in the School Register. I have not found any evidence that Harold Henri was also there.]
de Bourbel, Augustus Alfred (Mr. Middlemist's). Left 1854 1. Joined 10th Hussars; transferred to 6th Dragoon Guards; retired as Capt.; served in the Crimea and Indian Mutiny (wounded at Delhi). Capt. A. A. de Bourbel, Army and Navy Club, S.W.
[R. Courtenay Welch et al, The Harrow School Register, 1800 – 1901, 3rd edition, 1911. Online at Project Gutenberg: archive.org/details/harrowschoolregi00harruoft (accessed 6.3.2016).]
Copy of a letter written to the Military Secretary at the Horse Guards requesting consideration of a possible commission for him.
Linden Hill,
Maidenhead.
1st of February 1855.
Sir,
My nephew (an orphan entrusted to my care) is desirous of serving with the Army in the Crimea. He has a brother in the 10th Hussars and being in India at the present time, has written to me requesting that we will use our endeavours to procure him a commission without purchase, or permission to volunteer into the 10th or some other unit until it can be procured.
May I presume that you will submit this to General Harding, G.C.B. Commanding in Chief.
I have the honour to be, etc, etc.,
J. J. Bulkeley.
Told that it was impossible for his nephew to volunteer into the 10th Hussars, Bulkeley wrote again:
Linden Hill, Maidenhead,
10th of February 1855
Sir,
I have the honour to thank you for your letter of the 5th February, and in reply beg you will submit to his Lordship the General Commanding-in-Chief, of my nephew's claim to enter a cavalry regiment to serve at the seat of war, without purchase.
He recently generously advanced a large sum of money for his younger brother's commission in the 10th Hussars, who is a ward of the Court of Chancery.
Having but a small fortune, he was being educated at the College of Civil Engineering at Putney when a desirable offer was made for him to go to New Zealand.
I enclose a copy of a letter relative to his conduct whilst in that Colony. Should any other recommendations be required I can obtain them. His elder brother, with whom he is now residing in India, was educated at Addiscombe and is now an Engineer in the Honourable Company's Service.
I have, etc. etc.,
J.J Bulkeley.
Copy of part of an enclosed letter from a J.R. Godley, Esq., late Governor of Canterbury Settlement, New Zealand:
Lyttleton,
9th of August 1852.
...I cannot but conclude without bearing the strongest testimony to your nephew's behaviour and good deportment as shown ever since I have known him. Every one will be sorry to lose him – under circumstances of no small difficulty and even temptation for so young a man.
I have never seen or heard of his doing anything that was not becoming and gentleman-like.
Just when he went to New Zealand is not clear. He originally lived with a Mr. Jackson, who left New Zealand in 1851, leaving him in the care, and living in the house, of one of the masters at the school he was attending, a Mr. A.M. Jacobs. In June of 1852. Mr Jacobs moved to the Collegiate Grammar School at Christchurch and the house was not large enough to take any scholastic inmates.
Monies given to Mr. Jackson for Henry de Bourbel's studies and lodgings do not appear to have been handed over and not receiving any money from England, forced him to go and live with his brother in India.)
On J.J. Bulkeley's being told that his nephew would be allowed a commission without purchase, he wrote a final letter on the 15th of February 1855, from the same address:
Sir,
I have the honour to thank you for your letter of the 14th of February relating to the granting of a commission without purchase to my nephew, Henry H. de Bourbel. My last letter from him was dated at Calcutta, the 6th of January. He was due to leave India on the 23rd of February and expecting to join his brother in the 10th Hussars at Cairo on the 1st of March. I have written to him at Alexandria and Suez to return to England and beg to know as soon as possible if it is necessary for him to do so and from what date will he be required so that his outfit and chargers may be ready for him.
I am, etc. etc.,
J.J. Bulkeley.
Henry de Bourbel himself wrote from his guardian's address on the 11th of April 1855 to say that "he would present himself for examination at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, on the 15th of that month."
Cornet in the 4th Light Dragoons: 1st of May 1855.
Lieutenant, 4th Light Dragoons: 31st of August 1855.
Retired, by the sale of his commission, on the 22nd of May 1857.
Landed in the Crimea after the 9th of September 1855 (the qualifying date for the Sebastopol clasp).
Specially entitled to the Crimean medal (only) in consequence of having served with the Corps in the Expedition to Eupatoria during the month of October of that same year.
Camp Aldershot, – 16th of November 1857."
Not recorded by Lummis and Wynn.
Records show that Harold Henri de Bourbel (his full name) was married in the Christchurch District of New Zealand on the 25th of May 1882 to a Miss Maria A. Conroy. Five children were born into the family: three sons and two daughters.
EJB's notes say: "The grand-daughter later gave the information that he had died on the 20th of August 1918 and was probably buried at Christchurch", but it is not clear who this granddaughter was.
EJB's account of the sources of some of his information:
A chance meeting with a Miss Elizabeth de Bourbel in 1983 provided the information that she was a descendant of his elder brother, Raoul (who had served in the East India Company's Engineers and later with the Royal Engineers in India). She also said that Harold Henri's grand-daughter was still alive and living in Australia.
A letter to her (and the sending of all known information, almost all of which was unknown to her), brought the reply that he was born in Florence, Italy, on the 22nd of March 1833, the second son of Augustus Harold de Bourbel and his wife, Constance, nee Bulkeley, of Linden Hill, Wargrave-on-Thames, his father being at that time Ambassador to the last King of Naples.
On the death of his mother in 1838, her brother, J.J., of Linden Hill, took over the guardianship of the five children, their father having "disappeared" in America.
Records show that Harold Henri de Bourbel (his full name) was married in the Christchurch District of New Zealand on the 25th of May 1882 to a Miss Maria A. Conroy. Five children were born into the family: three sons and two daughters.
The grand-daughter later gave the information that he had died on the 20th of August 1918 and was probably buried at Christchurch.
[PB, Jan, 2015: Wendy Leahy notes a de Bourbel, obviously a family member, in her summary of NZ military pension records.]
DE BOURBEL, Eustace Raoul, Private 7393, Unit: 9CNIRGS, Father: Harold Henry de Bourbel, Lake Takapuna, Auckland.
[Source: http://shadowsoftime.co.nz/pensions5.html (accessed 30.1.2015)]