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General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: HeatherConnie on Saturday 26 May 18 17:13 BST (UK)

Title: 74th Highlanders private A. McBay
Post by: HeatherConnie on Saturday 26 May 18 17:13 BST (UK)

Hello, I have found the enlistment paper for my great grandmother's uncle Alexander McBay. He joined the 74th Highlanders in 1865, a couple of months before his 20th birthday. In 1881 he was at Maryhill Barracks. I wonder if anyone can help me with working out when he left the army. There is a stamp on his enlistment paper with the date April 19th1886, and it seems very possible that this would be the date he left, when he was forty. Can anyone with more knowledge of these things confirm this?

Title: Re: 74th Highlanders private A. McBay
Post by: philipsearching on Saturday 26 May 18 18:09 BST (UK)

Twenty-one years was a standard period of service, so 1865-1886 fits well.

Philip

Title: Re: 74th Highlanders private A. McBay
Post by: MaxD on Saturday 26 May 18 19:18 BST (UK)

There is a discharge index for April 1886 which has A McBay 71st and 74th.  (By then they were the Highland Light Infantry having amalgamated with the 71st so sometimes shown as 71st/74th)

MaxD

Title: Re: 74th Highlanders private A. McBay
Post by: HeatherConnie on Saturday 26 May 18 19:39 BST (UK)

Thank you both for these replies. I managed to find the discharge paper on Findmypast. It lets me know that Alex was still in the army after 1881, and would probably have taken part in the battle of Tell El Kebir. The last record I have of him is 1891 when he was living in the Gorbals, and working as a packer in a foundry.

Title: Re: 74th Highlanders private A. McBay
Post by: Skoosh on Sunday 27 May 18 13:15 BST (UK)

Foundry packer, possibly packing the sand around the template in the mould box before casting!
Numerous iron-foundries in Glasgow, Gorbals also had brass-foundries.

Skoosh.

Title: Re: 74th Highlanders private A. McBay
Post by: ShaunJ on Sunday 27 May 18 14:22 BST (UK)

Did you find the attestation on FindMyPast ? There's another 10 or 11 pages to that file, detailing his army service. Just click on the side arrows to navigate.

Title: Re: 74th Highlanders private A. McBay
Post by: HeatherConnie on Friday 08 June 18 15:47 BST (UK)

Quote from: ShaunJ on Sunday 27 May 18 14:22 BST (UK)

Did you find the attestation on FindMyPast ? There's another 10 or 11 pages to that file, detailing his army service. Just click on the side arrows to navigate.

Thanks, I hadn't thought to try that. Have had a look and found all the other pages. Kicking myself now for just assuming there was just one page.  ::)

Title: Re: 74th Highlanders private A. McBay
Post by: HeatherConnie on Friday 08 June 18 15:50 BST (UK)

Quote from: Skoosh on Sunday 27 May 18 13:15 BST (UK)

Foundry packer, possibly packing the sand around the template in the mould box before casting!
Numerous iron-foundries in Glasgow, Gorbals also had brass-foundries.

Skoosh.

Thanks Skoosh, I had assumed 'packer' as in getting orders ready to send, but this is a much more interesting explanation.