Drumbo 1805 Gillespie enlisting in Royal Artillery

[bramhallbill]

Hi
Roger Gillespie (Gillispie) a spinner enlists in Royal Artillery aged 18  in Jan 1805 in Drumbo , Belfast & served 15 yrs 212 days. Later on censuses he says he was born in Scotland. His 1st service was  in Battle of Alexandria 1801 under Sir Ralph Abercrombie. Roger was born 1786. At 18 would he have been with family? If his father was an army man would Roger be a spinner? What kind of records exist in Drumbo then to substantiate anything?
Cheers
Bill B

[ShaunJ]

He could not have served at the Battle of Alexandria in 1801 if he enlisted in 1805.

[bramhallbill]

He went to Alexandria & West Indies. Some kids were in battles aged 12 & enlisted later....Campaign medals prove it .Reporters might exagerate a hero's contribution.

[ShaunJ]

Campaign medals prove it

I can see him on the Waterloo medal roll but I couldn't see him on any others.

[ShaunJ]

Reporters might exagerate a hero's contribution.

I suspect that there is quite a lot of fiction in that obituary. If he had served in the West Indies he would have been credited with additional pensionable service - but the record doesn't show it.

[bramhallbill]

Local obituary

[ShaunJ]

Yes that's the obit I was referring to. There's very little evidence to corroborate it. I'm not seeing the campaign medals that you claim as proof (other than Waterloo, of which there is no doubt).

[iluleah]

So others have all the information from 2 yrs ago and don't repeat http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=724414.0


Holy Trinity Church Drumbo (the present church dates from 1791) Drumbo is now really just a suburb of Belfast, Drumbo possesses a complete record of Vestry minutes and Preachers' Books I suspect these are held at PRONI. https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/proni

In so far as a 'spinner', that is likely to be a  flax-spinner  Down/Antrim was the heart of the Irish linen industry and so many people worked in the flax industry. The Linen museum is in Lisburn which is only a few miles from Drumbo village  https://www.lisburnmuseum.com/ http://www.virtualvisittours.com/irish-linen-centre-lisburn-museum/

[bramhallbill]

I had a serious injury a while back and lost my train of thought so thanks for getting me back on track