Born at Tuam, Galway, c.1816.
Enlisted at Maidstone on the 31st of December 1836.
Trade: Saddler.
No other enlistment details are shown.
1841 Census
Hounslow Barracks, Heston, Middlesex
Patrick Tucker, 25 [born c.1816], Ireland
Mary Tucker, 30 [c.1811].
Henry Tucker, 3 [c.1838].
Jane Tucker, 2, [1839].
Harriet Tucker, 1 [1841].
All born out of Middlesex. [PB]
His wife's name was given as Mary Tucker. No other information known, but she was living in Cranbrook, Kent, when he was in the Crimea.
Births registered
Jane Tucker, September Quarter 1839, Canterbury.
Harriet Tucker, March Quarter 1841, Steynes. [CP]
There were [at least] 5 children of this marriage:
Henry [PB: no other information - did he perhaps die shortly after the 1841 Census?]
Jane, born at Canterbury in 1839.
Harriet, born at Brighton in 1841.
Catherine, born at Newbridge, Ireland, in 1844.
Bidalia M. [Spelling? see 1861 Census: Bidilia or Bidelia Martyn?], born at Newbridge, Ireland, in 1846.
[PB: Presumably Bidilia (though also spelled Bidelia, Bedelia etc), a Gaelic girl's name, a version of "Bridget", from which the word "Biddy" appears to originate. Possibly the name of Patrick Tucker's mother?]
From Private to Saddler-Sergeant: 1st of June 1840.
1851 Census
Pockthorpe Cavalry Barracks, Norwich.
Patrick Tucker, soldier, married, 36, Staff Sergeant, born Tuam, Ireland.
Mary Tucker, Sergeant's wife, 40, born Cranbrook.
Henry, 13, born Canterbury; Jane, 11, born Canterbury; Harriet, 10, born Brighton; Catherine, 6, born Dundalk; Bidilia, 5, born Newbridge. [CP]
Reduced to Duty Sergeant: 7th of August 1852.
Sent to Scutari (no date shown) but the Hospital musters show him as being there from the 22nd of September, where he died, "of cholera", on the 17th of October 1854.
Next of kin: Wife, Mary Tucker, living in Cranbrook, Kent.
According to the medal roll, entitled to the Crimean medal with clasp for the Alma, but he would have been at Scutari at the time of this particular battle.
Canon Lummis also credits him with the clasp for Sebastopol but his name is not on the medal roll for this.
Died, "of cholera", at Scutari on the 17th of October 1854.
1861 Census
Sissinghurst Common, Cranbrook, Kent.
Mary Tucker, Head, 50 [b.c.1811], Soldier's Widow, Cranbrook, Kent.
Harriet Tucker, daughter, unmarried, 20 [b.c.1841], General Servant, Brighton, Sussex.
Catherine Tucker, daughter, unmarried, 16 [b.c.1845],Pupil Teacher, Dublin, Ireland
Bidilia Martyn Tucker, daughter, unmarried, 15 [b.c.1846], Dublin, Ireland. [PB]
Marriage registered
Bidilia Martin Tucker [daughter], married Robert Smith Howitt, March Quarter 1869, Steyning. [CP]
1871 Census
46, Winchester Street, Westoe, South Shields.
Robert Smith Howitt, 27, Solicitor's Managing Clerk, born Pickworth.
Bidilia Howitt, 25, born Newbridge.
Robert H.P. Howitt, born Durham.
Mary Tucker, 60, mother-in-law, born Cranbrook. [CP]
In 1881 Mary Tucker was living (or at least staying) with her daughter Bidilia and numerous grandchildren in South Shields:
1881 Census
14 Seafield Terrace, S. Shields
Robert S. Howitt, Head, Married, 36 [born c.1845], Solicitor's Managing Clerk, born Pickworth, Lincolnshire.
Bidilia [Bidelin?] M. Howitt, Wife, Married, 34 [c.1847], Kildare, Newbridge, Ireland.
Robt. H. P. Howitt, Son, 10 [c.1871], Scholar, Durham, S. Shields.
Alice M. E. Howitt, Daughter, 9 [c.1872], Scholar, Durham, S. Shields.
Leonard C. Howitt, Son, 5 [c.1876], Scholar, Durham, S. Shields.
Hugh T. Howitt, Son, 1 [c.1879], Durham, S. Shields.
Frank T. Howitt, Son, 5 months [1880], Durham, S. Shields.
Mary Tucker, Mother-in-Law, Widow, 71 [c.1810], Cranbrook, Kent.
Amelia Smith, Servant, unmarried, 20, General Servant, London. [PB]
Death registered
Mary Tucker [wife], aged 74, September Quarter 1885, Dartford. [CP]
1891 Census
7, Belvedere Terrace, Doncaster.
Robert Howitt, 47, Assistant Magisterial Clerk.
Bidilia Howitt, 45
Alice M.E., 19, Leonard, 15, Hugh Thos, 11, Frank T, 10, all 4 born Durham; Victor H, 8 and Percy G, 5, both born Dartford. [CP]
Death registered
Bidilia M Howitt [daughter], aged 66, March Quarter 1912, Newcastle T. [CP]
Additional Census information for 1851 and 1871, and details of a number of registrations of births, marriage and deaths kindly provided by Chris Poole.