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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition => Topic started by: scintilla on Wednesday 18 May 11 14:52 BST (UK)
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I have been to the National Archives to examine the Muster Rolls (27th Regiment of Foot) for someone who I am trying to prove is my 3xgreat grandfather. The first entry I found for him has this note. It is in the boxes marked by the green lines. I have left some of the other writing in case it helps in working out letters. There is a red tick through the phrase.
The last words are Compy. No. 1, but it is the other words I'm stuck on. The information I have would have him travelling with his wife, which I believe was possible in the army at that time (1814). I keep wanting the first word to be Elizabeth (looking at the way the E of England is formed above), but possibly it's wishful thinking.
Any help in working out the comment would be most appreciated.
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If you compare the first part of the following entry, I think your one starts 'absent [-------] leave' .
Graham.
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Looks like 'to England' and below that 'absent with leave'
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I agree, I think it's something like "absent with leave from L? in Compy No. 1"
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The following entry says 'Left in Peninsula' followed by 'From Drum-Major'.
That makes me think that it comes in two parts. In the first column it says 'Absent with leave'. The bit in the next column begins with 'From' with a capital F. In other words it expands on 'absent with leave', but is a separate detail. Again, on the analogy of 'From Drum-Major', perhaps the second column says who reported the fact. If so the mystery word is probably a rank. It is abbreviated and ends in t. Le[-]t.
Graham.
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Does it say "from Sergt in Compy No. 1" - as in Sergeant?
Alexander
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You could be right Alexander :D
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The one thing you can guarantee is that muster books of that period will not include information about his wife. They do not start to include the married roll until c1870.
I think it says, or rather means “From Sergeant in Company No 1”. Like the other person his rank was changed during the period of the muster book, so you need to compare it with the previous quarter. However a change of rank usually means two entries in the same book, so he should be in the sergeant’s section as well.
It is probably saying he changed his company as well as his rank. On the extreme left there should be his new company. Was he promoted to Color Sergeant? Somewhere it should say when he was promoted. If not you can work it out from when his pay increased.
The 27th Foot moved to Canada in May 1814. So he was probably allowed to stop off in England and follow on later. You should also check the later sections in this muster book as it may list details of his expenses or advance pay. A later muster should tell you when he returned from furlo.
The red ticks were made by the 'Computer' when the book was checked in the War Department.
Ken
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Thank you all for taking a look.
I believe he was probably in the depot in Edinburgh until this first entry that I found in the muster rolls in April 1814 when he is listed under the Privates. (I don't know if I looked in the wrong place but I couldn't find depot musters). I also have a record of his marriage in Edinburgh in April 1813, where it states he is a private.
Subsequent muster rolls see him promoted through corporal to sergeant from 1814 - 1817, I can see him changing company's within the 3rd battalion and changing battalions from 3rd to 1st at the end of 1815 (during the Army of Occupation in Paris). Before he is discharged in June 1817.
So I don't think this entry can refer to him becoming a sergeant at this stage. I thought I may be hoping too much that it may have referred to his wife. I first thought it may have started "absent with? leave" but the next few words I can't work out at all, there seems to be "Ley", but I don't know if that's right or what else it could be.
Merv
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Hi Merv
Can you post the words over towards the left? My guess is that his number of days is less than most of the others. Also, did you photograph any other parts of the book?
Depot musters are usually thinner books bound in with the battalion/service companies' muster books. If there was more than one battalion they are usually bound in with a battalion serving at Home. The 27th Foot had three battalions in 1814, so the Depot should be in with one of the other two.
Alexander ..sorry, I didn't see your post. I think it says Serjt. Which is how they spelt it then.
Ken
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Hello Ken
Thanks for your reply, you may remember you helped me out with some advice on this man back in November last year, which resulted in me taking the trip to Kew.
I've attached the full entry for this quarter of the muster (25 Mar - 24 Jun 1814) it does show that he is added to the roll from 14 Apr onwards. He is listed under Privates in this muster. I photographed all the entries I found and they show the events (promotions, transfers) that I described in my last post. I'm happy with what went on there and he was discharged in 1817. I have then related that to the movements of the 1st and 3rd Battalions of the 27th Reg. I can see they were both in France (end of 1815) shortly before the 3rd were disbanded and so his transfer to the 1st (Dec 1815) makes sense.
I was hoping that the comments in this first entry might help understand what he was doing prior to this date. Unfortunately it's not easy for me to go back to Kew anytime soon, so I'll have to wait to try and find those depot musters.
I can now see what you mean regarding the Serjt. Could he have been busted down to Private?
Merv