Help with a possible regiment name

[AlexNoodle]

Hi All

I have found on the baptism of twins Abraham and Thomas Martin in Saltwood, Kent, reference to their father Abraham's occupation at the time. There is a note next to them which reads Wy S. Lincoln. Presumably South Lincoln - but want to understand what the Wy means.


There are other entries on other pages with the same reference. I've so far not found any military record for Abraham but I think he was originally from Preston, Rutland born 1777. He married Meliscent/Milliscent Kent in King's Lynn, Norfolk in 1801 - but there were some previous marriage banns read in Uppingham, Rutland in 1800 between him and an Elizabeth Manning - but seems the marriage never took place.

He and Meliscent had their sons in Saltwood - presumably he was stationed at Hythe. Abraham junior was buried there in 1809. In 1815 his wife Meliscent was buried in Uppingham (as Millescina) and he married Margaret Swan there in 1817 and went on to have another son Abraham in 1818 there - he is my partner's 4x great grandfather. Abraham senior's occupation on the baptisms of his children in Uppingham is just down as Labourer.

I've not been able to find a burial record for Abraham, his wife Margaret died in Uppingham in 1845 - also not been able to find her in the 1841 census. (She was born in 1794.) Their last child John was baptised in Uppingham in 1827. Their other children were William b. 1822 d. 1823, Samuel b. 1823 - he joined the Royal Marines and Edward b. 1826 no idea what became of him, and John b. 1827 - also no idea what became of him. Abraham jnr went to Leicester.

Anyway - any help on the regiment will be much appreciated.

TIA - Alex

[MaecW]

It certainly looks like the South Lincolnshire Regiment (69th) but what the preceding word or abbreviation is I'm not sure. In some circumstances you might expect to find a Battalion or Company identification here (e.g. "2nd Btn", or "A Coy" ) but looking at the originals of the Parish records at this time for the entries for members of other regiments this is not the case.

I wonder if there is a clue in the units to which this abbreviation is applied ? Within a couple of pages either side it is added to the South Lincolns, the Artillery, the Surrey Militia, and the Denby (sic) Militia, but not, on the other hand, to the 43rd and 95th Regiments. To me it looks as if the word could be "*oy" but I can't identify the first letter by looking at the other writing on the pages. I don't think it would be "Roy" for Royal as the Lincolns and the militia don't seem to have born that title, and I'm not sure the Artillery did at that time, either.

I'm inclined to think it might be "Loy" for Loyal, although the first letter as an "L" does not match the only capital "L" I could see on these pages !  Is it significant that the word is used with all the named units but not the numbered ones ? Could it just be a foible of the vicar's ?

Hopefully one of our Military specialists can throw more light on this. 

Maec
   

[AlexNoodle]

Thanks for looking Maec. I had wondered the same, as some have the numbered regiments noted and I've seen at least one entry that looks like Coy for Company but this just seems odd.

[Regorian]

I can't read it. There was a South Lincolnshire Regiment (The 69th) and a South Lincolnshire Militia Regiment.

[AlexNoodle]

Thanks for looking Regorian. I was hoping it might denote between the two, but seems to be difficult to work out!

[MaecW]

I looked at six pages of the Parish records and most of the military entries, apart from the two "numbered" regiments, the S. Lincolns, and the Artillery, are specified as Militia. This suggests that the S.Lincoln refers to the regular regiment not the Militia, but then why aren't they recorded as the 69th ?
It does seem odd that the titles of the 43rd (Monmouth Regiment) and the 95th (The Rifles) are not used.
Is there a record of what units were stationed in the area at the time ?

[AlexNoodle]

Just found this on Google Books from Britain and Wellington's Army: Recruitment, Society and Tradition, 1807-15 - looks like it was probably the militia...

[Regorian]

It looks like S Lincs M to me, ie Militia.

[AlexNoodle]

Thanks All.