Author Topic: India - 1800s - army family travel documents  (Read 599 times)

Offline Emma08

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India - 1800s - army family travel documents
« on: Saturday 19 July 14 22:01 BST (UK) »
Not sure if this is the best forum for this post....

But I have a question about travel documents for army wives and children.

I am researching people who were stationed in India between 1880 and 1900.

They all had families. Some children born in the UK and some in India.

Did these families use regular passports and regular commercial transport to travel between England and India?

Where would their travel records be stored?
I can't seem to find records for them on normal passenger lists, even though I have fairly specific information on when they would have travelled...

Any ideas?

Thanks

Offline km1971

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Re: India - 1800s - army family travel documents
« Reply #1 on: Saturday 19 July 14 22:42 BST (UK) »
Once a soldier's family was accepted 'on the strength', part of the marriage establishment, they would travel with the regiment. This would be on troopships, without passports and without a passenger list. So you can follow the wives and children by following the soldier using his service record. These are on Findmypast if he was discharged by 31 December 1913.

Between the late 1860s and about 1890 the muster books have a section on the Marriage Roll. it gives wife's name and the ages in years and months of any children. They usually give the date the wife was accepted on the strength.

Colour Sergeants and above had an automatic place, down to Privates for which there was about 35-40 places per battalion of almost 1000 men.

Ken

Offline Emma08

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Re: India - 1800s - army family travel documents
« Reply #2 on: Saturday 19 July 14 22:48 BST (UK) »
Thanks Ken. That is really helpful.

Offline Emma08

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Re: India - 1800s - army family travel documents
« Reply #3 on: Saturday 19 July 14 23:27 BST (UK) »
One more question Ken....

Could a spouse travel alone with her child but without her husband on the troopships and using military paperwork?
Or would her husband always travel with her?