Peninsular War Medal Roll - clasps what do they stand for ?

[hatofthecat]

Attached is image for the Peninsular War Medal Roll for 43rd Foot regiment.  My 3x great grandfather Private John Cooper is awarded medal with four clasps.  Can anyone tell me what they were ?

He was in the regiment from 1809 to 1817 when he was discharged due to failing eyesight aged just 32.

thanks in advance
Moderator Comment. Image removed as per Rootschat Copyright Policy.

[Lostris]

Suspect they are for the Battles he fought in .... (initials suggest Ciudad Rodrigo   .... Salamanca  .... etc )


http://napoleonguide.com/battle_penlist.htm

[Regorian]

Oh dear, not a good idea, just putting letters. See Category: Battles of the Peninsular war (Wikipedia) for a list.

CR is definitely Cuidad Rodrigo but there was one in 1810 and 1812.

B could be Badajoz

S could be Salamanca

V could be Vitoria.

Added. Found a list of clasps awarded. Looks like I guessed right although Cuidad Rodrigo would have been the 1812 battle.

[hatofthecat]

Yes, I was trying to work out which battles but I've just found a list here http://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/medals/military-general-service-medal/

CIUDAD RODRIGO     8-19 January 1812   (no 1810 listed ?)
BADAJOZ                  17 March - 6 April 1812
SALAMANCA              22 July 1812
VITTORIA                  21 June 1813

These would seem to match with CR, B, S and V

However looking at text on the web page though this seems like it might be another John Cooper as I believe mine died shortly after leaving army and it states you had to be still alive in 1847 to claim the medal    Is that 100% true ?  Or is this a medal roll of the eligible rather than just claimants ?  I may simply just have the wrong death year for John though    as I can't yet find another John Cooper in the 43rd on FindMyPast.

UPDATE: I've found him alive still weaving (ribbons) in Speen near Newbury in 1851.  His trade was listed as a weaver on 1817 discharge.  Looks like his first wife died about 1818/19 and as children with her stopped coming I'd tagged 1818 burial as being him as year of birth matched based on age at burial... I'll claim defence of a work in progress this bit of my tree 

[Philnut]

Attached is image for the Peninsular War Medal Roll for 43rd Foot regiment.  My 3x great grandfather Private John Cooper is awarded medal with four clasps.  Can anyone tell me what they were ?

He was in the regiment from 1809 to 1817 when he was discharged due to failing eyesight aged just 32.

thanks in advance

I've just found this thread and I was wondering where you found the "War Medal Roll". My 3 x great Grandfather was also in the Peninsular Wars, from the begin to the end. He was Thomas Webb born 1781 in Upton upon Severn and served in the 1st Battalion the 43rd Monmouthshire Light Infantry from 1805 to 1820. He fought in nearly all of the major battles and would have been entitled to all 'clasps' accordingly.
He was discharged from the 43rd due to Chronic Rheumatism and served another year in the 3rd Royal Veterans based at the Royal Citadel, Plymouth.
Any information on him would be welcomed.
cheers, Phil

[km1971]

Hi Phil

Ancestry has the medal roll. Unfortunately the medal was not authorised until June 1847. Men had to apply, so they had to still be alive then.

I cannot find him on the roll. But worth double checking.

Ken

[Philnut]

.....Unfortunately the medal was not authorised until June 1847. Men had to apply, so they had to still be alive then.....

Ken

Thanks Ken,

I believe Thomas Webb died June 1843, so he would not have been able to apply for his medals
Thanks for looking, anyway.
Phil.

[hatofthecat]

Unfortunately since my originally starting this topic I've had to finally conclude my John Cooper born about 1785 is not the one on the medal roll     This is despite the discharge papers I found showing the medal winning John Cooper as being born about that year, in same town of Reading and also being a weaver by trade.  As Ken pointed out rather importantly in this case they had to still be alive in 1847 to receive the medal and further searches have revealed my John Cooper's wife definitely remarrying as a widow in 1825 and he therefore being the one recorded as having died in 1819 whilst his medal winner namesake lived a long life and carried on weaving at the other end of the county.  That's genealogy for you eh !