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General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: Johnf04 on Saturday 11 November 17 02:18 GMT (UK)

Title: John BATH, Greenwich Pensioner 1861 - finding a Navy record.
Post by: Johnf04 on Saturday 11 November 17 02:18 GMT (UK)

John was baptised on 16 Jan 1791 at Saint Stephens By Launceston, Cornwall. In the 1841 census he is living at St Stephens, Launceston, and his occupation is "Navy P" - which I interpreted as pensioner. In the 1861 census, he is living at the same place, and his occupation is "Pensioner Greenwich".

I have tried to find a military record for him, on Ancestry and Find My Past. FindMyPast has a pension record for a John Bath, Royal Marine, pension awarded 5th August 1825. This man is noted as 41 years of age, having served 21 years, 4 months. Did volunteers overstate their ages?

This morning I visited our local Family History Centre, to check the film of attestation papers for marines for 1804. I couldn't find him - in fact there were few surnames starting with "B" in the records.

I have looked at two other John BATHs - one awarded a pension in 1815...he is too old to be the man I'm looking for. Another, awarded a pension in 1842, and with a military record on Ancestry, wouldn't have been on the 1841 census.

Where else can I look for information on John? Is it worth requesting the microfilm of 1825 attestations? A note on Family Search said the attestation paper could be filed by discharge date.

Title: Re: John BATH, Greenwich Pensioner 1861 - finding a Navy record.
Post by: Johnf04 on Monday 13 November 17 03:24 GMT (UK)

I looked back over the information I had collected, and found I had the award of a pension on August 3rd 1815, to John BATH, aged 26. He was a sailor, rather than a marine. He last served on HMS Menelaus, and had a lame left leg. I haven't found a service record for him yet, or an allotment declaration for Menelaus for 1815, which would give details of his dependents. I think this might be my man.