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General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: pineapple88 on Friday 14 December 18 19:50 GMT (UK)
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Hi all
Am searching the Crimean war and a possible relative who served in it but the main question is did the soldiers get leave to go home and visit their wives at any point. As my relative had three children all whilst serving as a soldier (one every five years it seems). Just trying to plot the times he would have been home.
Thanks for any help.
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Many wives accompanied their husbands to the Crimea, marching with the men they lived and gave birth in terrible conditions.
Have you looked to see if you relatives service records survive?
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There is a book about the women who went to the Crimea.
NO PLACE FOR LADIES Helen Rappaport, published by Arum.
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Might be worth Googling "Crimean War Society" and asking them this question.
I have one ancestor died of wounds Battle of Inkermann.. my feeling is that b/n 1854-56 they didn't get leave.. they hardly got suitable winter clothing and food so it wasn't a priority.
Perhaps he wasn't there for the duration.. If you know his regiment you should be able to trace where he was at certain dates.
shume
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Hi all,
thanks for your replies. I am not 100% sure on the regiment and his name is Joseph Smith there is a chance it could be the 68th Foot Reg (2084). However the reason I ask is all I have is he is listed as a soldier on one baptism record for his child that's it. and that he died between 1854-1861. But I do know he had three children (1845, 1850 and 1855) so would have had to have been home Mar/Apr 1854 before going to the Crimea if that is when he went hence the reason for trying to work out any movements and if he did have home leave.
I saw a snippet of the Crimean Book you suggested and it makes very interesting reading I may get the full copy.
I will get in touch with the Crimean War Society to see if I can find out any more. Thank you all so much.
Thanks all for your help.
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Sounds like they were sent out without greatcoats, it was summer. The subsequent ship carrying them was sunk in a storm in Balaklava? bay. May have had to make do with local supplies of furs nicknamed 'bunnies' winter 1854/55. There are photographs. Winter in Southern Russia was/is not too bad, but that winter was a freak cold one :-\. There would have been constant ship movements to and from home, but not for leave. same in WWII. Was different in WWI. Highly efficient cross channel communications, 2 postal deliveries per day either way. Two Australian cousins on leave at least once staying with relatives in Uffington, Berkshire (now Oxfordshire).
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thanks Regorian - I found the photos some of the 68th wearing the furs - that makes sense now with what you have told me. I have a fair bit to possibly believe that he was in the 68th but if I can't put him on leave 1854 early then I don't think I can confirm it was him. I know the 68th went from Malta to Crimea and wondered if they stopped on the ship in Southampton but think I am reaching somewhat. Just wish they had put his fuller details in his children's birth records, but even then he is just listed as a shoemaker, no mention of him being a solider, only one lone baptism record Christmas Day 1845 saying he was a soldier.
Thanks for the information, if nothing else it has delved me into the Crimean war research which has been really interesting to read and learn about.
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Just wish they had put his fuller details in his children's birth records, but even then he is just listed as a shoemaker, no mention of him being a solider, only one lone baptism record Christmas Day 1845 saying he was a soldier.
That would suggest that he was discharged from the army between 1846 and 1850. wouldn't it?
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Hi Shaun, I'm not sure what you mean on that?
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You said that the baptism record on Christmas Day 1845 described him as a soldier, and the other children's birth records (1850 and 1855) described him as a shoemaker or cordwainer. If that's the case then he must have been discharged from the army between 1846 and 1850.
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Hi Shaun- thanks I see what you mean, for this though the conundrum is, the baptism record for the child in question described him as a soldier but the birth cert for the same child in the same year described the father as a shoemaker both registered in 1845 (and it is the same person), seems his wife always called his trade shoemaker on the birth certs which she registered. I have found another possible record describing him as a soldier and a shoemaker. His skilled trade before joining up was shoemaker though. His wife was widowed between (March 1854 and 1861 (in the census).
Thanks all anyway, I may have to leave this query on this gggrandfather not sure I will ever find out for definate what happened to him.
Thanks for all your inputs.
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I have a similar issue with my 3x great grandfather who was in the 97th Foot and also served in the Crimean War. Prior to that conflict, my 2x great grandfather was born in early 1853 and unless my 3x great grandfather was on leave from where he was stationed in Nova Scotia (from mid 1851 - mid 1853), he cannot possibly be his natural father! He didn't marry my 3 x great grandmother until Oct 1855 on his return from the Crimea, after another son had been born earlier that year. This one IS likely to have been his biological son, conceived when the regiment was back in England before being sent to the Crimea, but sadly he died in infancy.
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This might give you some insight as to whether "leave" was a feasibility :-X 18 days by sea :o
http://www.historyhome.co.uk/forpol/crimea/usher/despatch.htm
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Hello thanks for your posts - yes I agree it is a mystery if they were away how they could father children without having some sort of leave. The link is very interesting as to when they set sail and from where from etc and how many rank and file am going to scrutinise it carefully.!
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My other query/thought might be - you say have baptisms for these children BUT do you have their birth certificates (OK, I know that registration wasn't compulsory until mid 1870's)? Just a thought!
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Hi there,
Well here's the thing, I have the birth cert and baptism for child born in 1855 both just say father is a shoemaker.
But the one in 1850 no baptism (which is a bit strange in itself as the other two were baptised) and no birth record matching the details I have put to the GRO but this child did put in her marriage cert same father as the others Joseph Smith shoemaker.
The child in 1845 I have the baptism record saying father soldier but the birth cert says he is a shoemaker (the mother was the informant) seems the mother only ever called him a shoemaker.
oh the tangled web we weave!
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no birth record matching the details I have put to the GRO
I think the child was Mary and the mother's maiden name was Ward? There are quite a few Smith mmn Ward children born in Hunslet around that time. This one might be a possibility but Mary is aged 1 in the 1851 census and this one must have been 2 or very nearly 2:
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Hi Shaun oh wow that looks like it could be the one. I didn't know you could find it with maiden names on the GRO from 1849. That's so good Thank You. You will have to let me know the one you're using. This is so helpful to me.
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Maybe you'll found some other children that did not survive to be on the census:
https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/indexes_search.asp
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That would be helpful as i was looking for another child for them in 1841/1842 that subsequently died before next census.
Thanks again.