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General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: forestchild on Sunday 22 February 15 17:59 GMT (UK)
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Can anyone advise me on how I might find out more about my 3x gr grandfather John Doyle.
On the baptism reg of his son in March 1816 in Dudley it says he was in the Light Dragoons so it seems likely he was at Waterloo.
He didn't marry his son's mother until May 1816, whether that had to do with his being on active service or not I don't know.
I know from his burial record that he was born 1779/80. My mother told me that the Doyles were from County Cork. Her father was the grandson of John's son and lived next door to him throughout his childhood and teens so I think I can trust that.
I've looked through records for Waterloo and Napoleonic Wars on several sites, there are many John Doyles but none from Cork, though not all record the birthplace. Is there anywhere where there are more detailed records? I would really like to establish what part of Cork he was from to have some chance of getting further back but unfortuately Doyle is a very common name and so is John!
Sylvia
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Hi Sylvia
Of the approx. 18 Light Dragoon regiments in this period, only half were at Waterloo. There are four John Doyle's in the Waterloo medal roll, all of which appear to be in the infantry. In order to qualify for a medal for the Peninsular campaign a man had to be alive in 1847.
He does not appear to have been awarded a pension, and as the majority of surviving records come from pension records you can assume his record has not survived. That basically leaves the muster books in the National Archives, starting with the regiments not at Waterloo. One problem is that all circa 18 Light Dragoon regiments would have left a Depot at home. So even those at Waterloo, or serving say in India, may have to be searched.
It may be better to go back to the church records you have found for 1816 and look for more records of BMDs involving soldiers in the hope that a regiment is mentioned.
Ken
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Hi Ken,
Thanks for the information. Sorry to be awhile getting back.
I found the birth record on Free Reg so difficult to search other records as you have to give the name. Hopefully I will be able to get to the actual parish records eventually.
I was wondering if there is any way to establish the possible regiment by the fact that John was in the Dudley/Rowley Regis area in 1815/16. His son was baptised in early March but I don't know how old he was at baptism.I can't know if John was there at the baptism but he married the mother in May in Rowley Regis.
I will have to keep looking.
Sylvia
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Hi Sylvia
You should ask on the appropriate county section in case the church records are online, or CD etc.
I checked the location of the cavalry and none were in Dudley. This does not include the location of the Depot of regiments overseas. Regiments were spread out from the quoted station as (a) they backed up the small police force that existed and (b) they did not have barracks large enough to house a whole regiment of cavalry (400-600) men. So he may have been in a small detachment in Dudley.
You could use an online newspaper archive. They often listed the movement of regiments.
Ken
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Thanks Ken, I haven't found anything yet but still looking.
I had this idea that maybe he joined the army in Ireland and was then posted to the Dudley area where he met Ann my 3x gr grandmother, but of course, I have no evidence for that.
I'm fascinated by John's origins as it was my mother telling me about this Irish 3x gr grandfather that sparked my intered in genealogy.
thanks for your help,
Sylvia
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If you have a date in mind when he may have enlisted in Ireland. I can check which Light Dragoons were in Ireland at the time. It may reduce the task down to a manageable search of the musters.
Ken
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Unfortunately all I know about him prior to 1816 is that he was born in 1779/80 in County Cork, so he could have joined any time from the late 1790s.
It has recently occurred to me that the fact that the baby was born in Dudley and John later married there does not necessarily mean it was conceived there. Ann came from Newhall in Derbyshire and the couple later moved back there. I had assumed that Ann was probably in service in Dudley, but she might have become pregnant while still at home and been sent away to have the baby. In fact this seems more likely as she has to have been living somewhere from March when the baby was born untill May when they married. If she had been in service they wouldn't have kept her on. I really don't know why I haven't thought of this before.
I'm wondering now if John's regiment could have been based near Newhall which is in Derbyshire but close to Burton on Trent Staffs. Perhaps he went to Dudley to marry her and then took his family home. His daughter was born in Newhall in 1823. I haven't been able to find anything between 1816 and 1823.
Could you check if there were any Light Dragoons in or around Newhall in1815?
It's a pity I can't be more accurate with the date John joined the army. He was 37 in 1816 so might have been serving for a long time. I imagine they usually enlisted as young men.
Sylvia
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Hi Syliva
The 6th Light Dragoons were centred on Nottingham in 1815. The 15th LD were there from June1816.
But as I said earlier the regiments overseas would have kept a Depot somewhere in the UK.
Ken
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Hi Ken,
Thanks for all of the information. I will keep looking and if I find out anything else I may ask for advice again.
Sylvia