William Ashburner Lightbourne
This page was reviewed 13 April 2009
This page has been supplied by Tim Butler, whose wife is a descendant of Grace Isabella Derham (b 1846). Please email him for further information
He writes: I was lucky to be sent to Washington D.C. with my job four years ago, and found him in the National Archives on a day off. I then nearly lost all the day's photocopies from the "Rebel Archives" as a sudden gust of wind blew
them across Arlington National Cemetery where I'd put down them while taking a photograph of Kennedy's memorial. (Dec 2001)
In August 2002 Sheila Weston was contacted by Veronica Nops of New Zealand
William Ashburner Lightbourne
30 July 1836 Date of birth {PG}
Born in Lancaster; son of John Lightbourne {UofA} (a farmer of longhorn cattle at Inverary {UofA} for the Duke of Argyll) and Grace Derham of Lancashire; grandson of George Lightburn (Founder at Bonawe Iron Furnace) and Ann Ashburner (of Ulverston) {VN}
15 Nov 1836 Christened at Kilmore & Kilbride, Scotland
1841 In census for Kilmore & Kilbride at Stronchormaig (now Glenfeochan, Oban) with his father John (farmer), mother Grace, family and agricultural labourers {MB}
1837/1838 Frances Dorothea Isabella Thompson born daughter of John Thompson (Master Mariner) {m} Presumed to be the sister of WW and JD Thompson because of father, John (see later)
13 April 1858 Gained MB from Marischal College, University of Aberdeen. His brother, James Ashburner Lightbourne also graduated from Aberdeen as M.B. in 1863, and as M.D. in 1874 {UofA}
11 Jan 1859 Married Frances Dorothea Isabella Thompson at St Bride's Liverpool. His residence given as Udny, Aberdeen {m}
11 Sept 1859 Son John Derham Lightbourne born at Rothes, Moray (later William and Reuben are born) {VN}
9 April 1860 William Ashburner Lightbourne registered as doctor in UK {MDir}
1861-1868 Residence Liverpool, England {MDir}
1857-Jan 1861 The Constitution was sailed by WAL's cousin, William Walton Thompson, Master Mariner, to East Coast US and Gulf Ports {LCR}. WW Thompson's brother John Derham Thompson was mate on the Constitution (and also a Master Mariner, like their father). JDT married WAL's sister, Grace Isabella Lightbourne in 1865 {m}. Did WW Thompson give passage on the Constitution to his future brother-in-law and trusted cousin, WAL?
Jan 1861 William Walton Thompson discharged from Constitution at Liverpool
12 April 1861 First shots of US Civil War fired at Fort Sumter
18 May 1861 W. A. Lightbourne examined by the Medical Board of the Provisional Army of Tennessee, and received qualification to practice in the army as surgeon. Described as "well qualified", "Sparta"{PMB p.11}
~1 June 1861 25th Regiment Tennessee Infantry organized at Camp Zollicoffer, near Livingston {MAT p.402}
21 July 1861 First significant battle of war at Manassas/Bull Run
25 July 1861 Enrolled for duty by Colonel Sidney S Stanton at Sparta, Tennessee {NA}
10 Aug 1861 25th Regiment Tennessee Infantry organised for State service
16 Aug 1861 Appointed Assistant Surgeon, Colonel Stanton’s Regiment (25th), by State Governor Isham G Harris {NA}
1 Oct 1861 The 25th transferred to the service of the Confederate States Army
Oct 1861 Wounded accidentally {NA}
20 Oct 1861 Resigned. Succeeded by Dr B M Sitterfield {NA}
21 Oct 1861 The 25th, under General Felix Zollicoffer, encounters the Federals at Wild Cat Mountain, Kentucky. {I;p67 AofT}
20 Nov 1861 Paid three months’ salary ($330) for 16 Aug - 16 Nov. {NA}
19 Jan 1862 Zollicoffer, having crossed north across the Cumberland River, is killed and his force (including the 25th) is soundly beaten at Fishing Creek/Mill Springs in Kentucky. {p68 AofT} Following this , the 25th retreat to Livingston and disband for ten days. {MAT p.404}
24 Feb 1862 The surrender of Nashville (the first state capital to be lost to the Union forces) following the fall of Forts Henry & Donelson. The Army of Tennessee begins to fall back to Corinth, Mississippi. {p99 AofT}
10 May 1862 25th reorganised at Corinth (the regiment was stationed there from April 29-June10) {www}
8 Sept 1862 Received payment at Sparta, White County, TN, of $87.98 as per contract at $80 a month for service as Assistant Surgeon in Wards 4, 5 and 6 in General Hospital at Sparta 7 Sept - 10 Oct {NA}
8 Sept 1862 Received expenses for medicines $123.70 {NA}
17 Sept 1862 25th at Munfordville {www}
8 Oct 1862 25th at Perryville, KY {www}, having come via Sparta and Lebanon, Kentucky {MAT p.406}
There followed many engagements for the regiment, including Murfreesboro and Chickamauga, before heading through the mountains to join Robert E. Lee's Army of Virginia.
7 April 1864 On roster of Field & Staff near Zollicoffer [Camp Zollicoffer], age 25 {NA}
[This would have to mean age at enrolment. Does "on roster" mean he was actually there in person, or was he still at the Sparta hospital?]
July 1864 On roster of 25th, on detached duty in the Department of Richmond {NA}
8-9 April 1865 The 25th surrender with Lee at Appomattox Court House, VA {www}
"The Twenty-fifth Regiment was one of the last to stack their arms. Reduced from eleven hundred stalwart men full of life, buoyant in spirits, and confident of victory, to twenty-one war-worn, conquered veterans, upon this memorable ground they saw their cause expire, and turned with sickened hearts toward their mountain homes. {MAT}
1868 at Ainsworth Street, Blackburn {PG}
1869-1881 Residence Blackburn, England {MDir} [although in 1879 he emigrated}
1871 at Bank View, Preston New Road, Blackburn {MDir}
1 Dec 1871 Residence Blackburn {will of WWT}
13 April 1872 W W Thompson, master of the Menzies, dies at sea, at or near Cape Verde Islands. {LL}
25 July 1872 W W Thompson's will proved, naming W A Lightbourne as co-guardian of his children, and co-executor of the will, along with Nathaniel Reddington. {will of WWT}
1878 at The Ferns, Preston New Road, Blackburn {Mdir}
30 July 1879 The "Waipa" left from Dover on 30/7/1879. {VN}
The Waipa was built by Palmers Iron Shipbuilding Co., Newcastle-on-Tyne in 1875 for the New Zealand Shipping Co. She made 19 voyages to New Zealand. Originally fully rigged but subsequently converted to a barque. {www}
31 Oct 1879 WILLIAM ASHBURNER LEIGHTBOURN dispenser/surgeon, his wife DOROTHEA travelled in a saloon cabin and son WILLIAM in attached 2nd cabin, arrived at Port Chalmers (the Dunedin port) on the "Waipa" 31/10/1879. {VN}
12 Dec 1879 Registered as a Medical Practioner in New Zealand {see 1882 entry NZ Gazette}
1880 His son, JOHN DERHAM LIGHTBOURNE Appointed Public Vacinator at Stewart Island 8th October.{VN}
1880 JOHN DERHAM LIGHTBOURNE Appointed Public Vacinator at Horseshoe Bay 17th December. {VN}
1881 at Alma Street, Preston New Road, Blackburn {MDir} [seems impossible!]
1881-1883 Possible date of the emigration of his younger brother, Benjamin Derham Lightbourne {?}, who became a hotel-keeper in Careys Bay, Dunedin, New Zealand. Benjamin's wife Agnes ran the shop next door to the hotel. {VN}
1882 N.Z. Gazette Register of Medical Practioners WILLIAM ASHBURN LIGHTBOURNE: "1858 Bach. Med. Marisch. Coll.and Univ. Aberdeen. Registered as a Medical Practioner 12 Dec 1879. 1882 resident at Dunedin." {VN}
1882 William Ashburner Lightbourne's third son is born: REUBEN CHARLES DERHAM LIGHTBOURNE. Birth registered in the Wairarapa District (North Island not far from Taranaki). Reuben became a headmaster in Hamilton. {VN}
1882 JOHN DERHAM LIGHTBOURNE Appointed Public Vacinator at Otaki 22nd September (Feilding is in the Otaki District).{VN}
1882 Electoral roll: JOHN DERHAM LIGHTBOURNE chemist Feilding. {VN}
Jan 1884 WAL's father, John, dies of "Old Age, Exhaustion" near the Railway Station at Broughton, north of Preston. {d}
1887 Electoral roll: WILLIAM ASHBURNER LIGHTBOURNE surgeon Hawera residential qualification. {VN}
1890-1900 According to the deeds, Agnes Lightbourne owned the General Store and house next to the Careys Bay Hotel {RN}
1899 Electoral Roll: JOHN DERHAM LIGHTBOURNE cab proprietor Harper St.Nelson(South Island). {VN}
1900 Wise's Diectory. JOHN DERHAM LIGHTBOURNE cab proprietor Harper St,Nelson. {VN}
27 Mar 1894 William Ashburner Lightbourne dies aged 57 at Hawera, Taranaki, New Zealand {HBC} [Cape Egmont, North Island]
[date and place of death given by {SW/UoA} as Hawera, 27 March 1891]
21 Feb 1899 His brother, Benjamin, died at Careys Bay, Port Chalmers, NZ {d}
29 Mar 1903 His son, John Derham Lightbourne, died aged 43 {HBC}
17 June 1909 His wife, Dorothea died aged 72 at Hawera. {HBC}
Sources:
AofT = "The Army of Tennessee" book by Stanley F Horn
d = death certificate
HBC = Hawera Borough Council record of memorial}
LCR = Lloyds Captains Registers
LL = Lloyd's List
m = marriage certificate
MAT = Military Annals of Tennessee, 1886, Tennessee State Library, Nashville
MB = Mary Buchanan
MDir = Medical Directory
NA = US National Archives, Washington, D.C.
PG = Dr Peter Gardner
PMB = Proceedings of the Medical Board of the Provisional Army of Tennessee,
Tennessee State Library, Nashville
RN = Article from The Rothesay News, NZ, Sept 1992
SW = Sheila Weston
UofA = University of Aberdeen
VN = Veronica Nops
www = Website