Pensioner of the 48th Regiment

[ctrunfree]

Hi everyone

I had a bit of a surprise today when I received the death certificate of my 3g grandfather Richard TAYLOR (c 1785-1857).  I thought he had been a Frame Work Knitter in Earl Shilton, Leicestershire all his life.  However, under Occupation as well as his known trade he appears to be a pensioner from the 48th Regiment of Foot.  He didn't marry until relatively late in life (aged 31, in May 1816), and thereafter was producing children at regular intervals, so I presume his period of service would have been prior to this, leaving before the regiment set off for Australia.

I wonder if anyone could answer a few questions?

What was the minimum age for a recruit?

I presume he received the pension from the date of his discharge onwards. To be a pensioner at the age of about 30, am I right to presume he must have been medically discharged?

Are there likely to be any records regarding his service available online?

While it is a Northamptonshire regiment would their recruiting officers would have roamed far and wide to bring the regiment back to strength prior to the Peninsular campaign?

Many thanks

[Jebber]

All  can see in the way of records are the Peninsular Medal Roll 1793-1814
Richard TAYLOR 48th Regiment of Foot
7 Clasps
Talavera, Bucaco, Albuhera, Badajoz, Vittoria, Pyronees, Toulouse.

[ctrunfree]

All  can see in the way of records are the Peninsular Medal Roll 1793-1814
Richard TAYLOR 48th Regiment of Foot
7 Clasps
Talavera, Bucaco, Albuhera, Badajoz, Vittoria, Pyronees, Toulouse.

Thanks Jebber, that's great.  I wonder if its possible to work out which Battalion he was in based on which engagements he was or wasn't at?

[km1971]

Locative names of regiments did not really mean anything until 1873 when permanent depots were establishment for the line regiments. A particular Colonel may decide to have a recruiting party in their named county, but most recruits were picked up as they moved around the UK. When the service companies were overseas they left a depot company at home to carry on finding and training recruits. For the 48th they had a second battalion from 1804 to 1814.

Findmypast are supposed to have all pension records but he is not there. I also checked the old National Archives index for men discharged to pension before 1854 – which should match with FindMyPast – but again no luck. Normally men enlisted for unlimited service, ie for life. In reality they were given a medical after 21 years and most were discharged to pension.  They could be discharged to pension sooner for medical reasons or when there was a reduction in the army’s strength.

During the wars with France and the USA they introduced seven year limited service, but without a pension

I have a muster for the 48th Foot from 1816 and he is not listed. Both battalions served in Spain, with the 2nd Bn returning home in 1811. Looking at the clasps - Talavera (1809), Busaso (1810), Albuhera (1811), Badajoz (1811), Vittoria (1813), Pyrennes (18), Toulouse (1814) – so he must have been in the 1st Bn for the last three.

One potential problem is that the 48th do not have Busaco as a battle honour. So either he invented it – the medal was not issued until 1848/49 – or he was part of a small contingent of 48th men; or he transferred to another regiment.  In order to research him further you will have to go to Kew and look at the muster books, possibly for both battalions. He almost certainly started with the 2nd Bn, but I would start with the 1st Battalion in 1814. By going forward until he is discharged you may get an explanation about his pension. If you have the time you can go backwards from 1814 until he enlists. But each battalion will have separate muster books. So you will have to search both if he transfers.

Ken

[ctrunfree]

Locative names of regiments did not really mean anything until 1873 when permanent depots were establishment for the line regiments. A particular Colonel may decide to have a recruiting party in their named county, but most recruits were picked up as they moved around the UK. When the service companies were overseas they left a depot company at home to carry on finding and training recruits. For the 48th they had a second battalion from 1804 to 1814.

Findmypast are supposed to have all pension records but he is not there. I also checked the old National Archives index for men discharged to pension before 1854 – which should match with FindMyPast – but again no luck. Normally men enlisted for unlimited service, ie for life. In reality they were given a medical after 21 years and most were discharged to pension.  They could be discharged to pension sooner for medical reasons or when there was a reduction in the army’s strength.

During the wars with France and the USA they introduced seven year limited service, but without a pension

I have a muster for the 48th Foot from 1816 and he is not listed. Both battalions served in Spain, with the 2nd Bn returning home in 1811. Looking at the clasps - Talavera (1809), Busaso (1810), Albuhera (1811), Badajoz (1811), Vittoria (1813), Pyrennes (18), Toulouse (1814) – so he must have been in the 1st Bn for the last three.

One potential problem is that the 48th do not have Busaco as a battle honour. So either he invented it – the medal was not issued until 1848/49 – or he was part of a small contingent of 48th men; or he transferred to another regiment.  In order to research him further you will have to go to Kew and look at the muster books, possibly for both battalions. He almost certainly started with the 2nd Bn, but I would start with the 1st Battalion in 1814. By going forward until he is discharged you may get an explanation about his pension. If you have the time you can go backwards from 1814 until he enlists. But each battalion will have separate muster books. So you will have to search both if he transfers.

Ken

Thanks Ken, very informative.  I presume he left the Regiment before they moved to Ireland in 1814.  He was definitely back home in Leicestershire to get married on 23 May 1816.

Were the 48th not at Busaco as part of the 2nd Division?  I'm not sure how the clasps were determined but would it not be the case that some official record would be required to prove an individual qualified for it, as opposed to an individual "making it up".

Unfortunately Kew is a bit far from home, but in any case what I have been able to find out-all from one death certificate-has put this ancestor in a very different light.  Fascinating stuff.

[km1971]

Were the 48th not at Busaco as part of the 2nd Division?

Yes they were. They had no casualties.

Ken

[ctrunfree]

No glory without the death then..

I might do a post on the Military board to see if anyone who is going to Kew wouldn't mind having a look at the muster books for him.  Would Kew also have a service record for him?

[km1971]

Would Kew also have a service record for him?

No. Records of this age were available on microfilm until a few years ago. Findmypast were given access to the originals, and since then the microfilms are no longer available.

Maybe he meant 'pensioner' as being an ex-soldier.

Ken

[ctrunfree]

Would Kew also have a service record for him?

No. Records of this age were available on microfilm until a few years ago. Findmypast were given access to the originals, and since then the microfilms are no longer available.

Maybe he meant 'pensioner' as being an ex-soldier.

Ken

Hmm, don't know.  If it was just a reference to the fact that he had previously been a soldier it seems an odd thing for someone to put on a death certificate, some 43 years after his relatively short (less than 15 years, most likely) service.  I'm inclined to think there was some money involved, sufficient for him to be a widower paying board to a Mrs Bennett in Huncote when he died.