Author Topic: 68th Foot Regiment 1842 - handwriting decipher  (Read 1210 times)

Offline pineapple88

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68th Foot Regiment 1842 - handwriting decipher
« on: Thursday 06 September 18 14:41 BST (UK) »
Hi all
I have attached a record of a Joseph Smith. In it describes him as having been in the Wakefield Correction facility for possible desertion of his unit I am struggling to read the part under, 4th column along where it says , awaiting a????  is it a Route? and what would that mean - also if he was up for desertion would he have still been allowed back into the regiment, if it was a 'misunderstanding' !

Any more info on this I would be grateful thanks.
pineapple
SIMPSON Hunslet Woodhouse and New York.
MIDGLEY Hunslet, Leeds,
SMITH Hunslet & Woodhouse Leeds
METCALFE, Leeds and Ireland
HOLDSWORTH, West Yorkshire area
DALTON West Yorkshire
HODGES, leeds, birmingham and Hednesford
Hook Townend Carr  Leeds West Yorkshire
Dakin - Leeds West Yorkshire
HOLDSWORTH & Pullan West Yorkshire

Offline pineapple88

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Re: 68th Foot Regiment 1842 - handwriting decipher
« Reply #1 on: Thursday 06 September 18 14:43 BST (UK) »
Seems to read a route. Thanks
SIMPSON Hunslet Woodhouse and New York.
MIDGLEY Hunslet, Leeds,
SMITH Hunslet & Woodhouse Leeds
METCALFE, Leeds and Ireland
HOLDSWORTH, West Yorkshire area
DALTON West Yorkshire
HODGES, leeds, birmingham and Hednesford
Hook Townend Carr  Leeds West Yorkshire
Dakin - Leeds West Yorkshire
HOLDSWORTH & Pullan West Yorkshire

Offline Karen McDonald

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Re: 68th Foot Regiment 1842 - handwriting decipher
« Reply #2 on: Thursday 06 September 18 15:05 BST (UK) »
This is interesting!

At least as far as the offence & sentencing column goes, I would say his and the entry above are in the same hand. Which makes me really unsure as to whether is it "Deserter". (There's definitely no "ing" on the end, so it's not "Deserting".)

The 2nd and 3rd letters don't look like "es", if you compare them to letters in the words above.

Going purely on letter comparison, it doesn't look like an "e" on the end of the word which looks like "Route". (And if it were "Route", what would this mean? Route to Australia?!  :o)

But as we have often seen here, comparing handwritten letters from one single person can reveal extreme deviations in style!

Let's see what the experts can come up with.  :)

Karen

P.S. Do you know what became of him later?
McDonald MacDonald M'Donald McGregor MacGregor M'Gregor Twilley Wells Fentiman Carrington Rowe Needham Mitchell Mackie Collingwood Fuller Maides Shilton Hagon Budd

Offline pineapple88

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Re: 68th Foot Regiment 1842 - handwriting decipher
« Reply #3 on: Thursday 06 September 18 15:12 BST (UK) »
Hi Karen

Oh thanks for this, you have thrown up some really good points! I really don't know what became of him and theres a chance this is my 3xgr grandfather but not sure yet.


I do know that in 1845 a few years later he is listed as a soldier in his child's baptism.

aT his marriage in 1841HE'S listed as a shoemaker and at  son Cornelius Smiths birth in 1855 as a shoemaker. And on this document it says shoemaker and soldier.   I also know he is not in any of the CENSUS returns but his wife is. So being away as a soldier would explain some of his absences. And having a child about once every five years. But his wife was widowed by 1861. So can only assume he died between his sons birth in 1855 and 1861. But where i am not sure possibly with his regiment if he had been allowed back in.


So any help on this decipher might help on what happened to him.

Thanks so much  :)




SIMPSON Hunslet Woodhouse and New York.
MIDGLEY Hunslet, Leeds,
SMITH Hunslet & Woodhouse Leeds
METCALFE, Leeds and Ireland
HOLDSWORTH, West Yorkshire area
DALTON West Yorkshire
HODGES, leeds, birmingham and Hednesford
Hook Townend Carr  Leeds West Yorkshire
Dakin - Leeds West Yorkshire
HOLDSWORTH & Pullan West Yorkshire


Offline JenB

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Re: 68th Foot Regiment 1842 - handwriting decipher
« Reply #4 on: Thursday 06 September 18 15:38 BST (UK) »
A search of old newspapers for the phrase 'awaiting a route' brings up a lot of hits, the vast majority of them associated with Army deserters.

Example from Northampton Mercury 1838


All Census Look Ups Are Crown Copyright from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Offline JenB

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Re: 68th Foot Regiment 1842 - handwriting decipher
« Reply #5 on: Thursday 06 September 18 15:47 BST (UK) »
Does it means dismissal from the Army  :-\

In my very old Pocket Oxford Dictionary one of the definitions of the word route is 'Mil[itary]: formal written marching orders'.

All Census Look Ups Are Crown Copyright from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Offline Karen McDonald

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Re: 68th Foot Regiment 1842 - handwriting decipher
« Reply #6 on: Thursday 06 September 18 16:22 BST (UK) »
Does it means dismissal from the Army  :-\

In my very old Pocket Oxford Dictionary one of the definitions of the word route is 'Mil[itary]: formal written marching orders'.

That is also very interesting! Not sure if it's an Essex thing  ;) but we often used to use the term "routed" (but rhyming with shout, not root) to say that someone/something had been thrown out of something (club, etc.).

Karen
McDonald MacDonald M'Donald McGregor MacGregor M'Gregor Twilley Wells Fentiman Carrington Rowe Needham Mitchell Mackie Collingwood Fuller Maides Shilton Hagon Budd

Offline pineapple88

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Re: 68th Foot Regiment 1842 - handwriting decipher
« Reply #7 on: Thursday 06 September 18 16:33 BST (UK) »
 Wow this is fascinating, - thank you all, that's interesting regarding the newspaper - good idea to search on that phrase there. 

which makes me wonder if he did get his marching orders wonder where he went if he was still classed as a soldier in 1845 under occupation.


Thank you all, seems we are all agreement it says awaiting a Route.
SIMPSON Hunslet Woodhouse and New York.
MIDGLEY Hunslet, Leeds,
SMITH Hunslet & Woodhouse Leeds
METCALFE, Leeds and Ireland
HOLDSWORTH, West Yorkshire area
DALTON West Yorkshire
HODGES, leeds, birmingham and Hednesford
Hook Townend Carr  Leeds West Yorkshire
Dakin - Leeds West Yorkshire
HOLDSWORTH & Pullan West Yorkshire

Offline pineapple88

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Re: 68th Foot Regiment 1842 - handwriting decipher
« Reply #8 on: Thursday 06 September 18 16:34 BST (UK) »
I suddenly need a very old Oxford Dictionary too in my arsenal for research  :D Good find.
SIMPSON Hunslet Woodhouse and New York.
MIDGLEY Hunslet, Leeds,
SMITH Hunslet & Woodhouse Leeds
METCALFE, Leeds and Ireland
HOLDSWORTH, West Yorkshire area
DALTON West Yorkshire
HODGES, leeds, birmingham and Hednesford
Hook Townend Carr  Leeds West Yorkshire
Dakin - Leeds West Yorkshire
HOLDSWORTH & Pullan West Yorkshire