RootsChat.Com
General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: Forfarian on Sunday 14 April 19 21:46 BST (UK)
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I am interested in finding the parentage of Alexander Young, who married my relative Margaret Wyllie on 24 January 1823 at her father's home, Nether Pitforthie near Brechin.
There were four children, and Alexander died in Brechin on 22 October 1832. Margaret applied for a widow's pension. In the documents Alexander was described as a Lieutenant in the 21st Regiment of Foot, or the 21st Royal Scots Fusiliers, on half pay of the Royal African Corps.
I looked up the Royal African Corps, and see from the National Archives web site that they were formed in 1800 and disbanded in 1819.
On the application form it is explicitly stated that the marriage took place before Alexander was placed on half pay.
How can this be, if the Royal African Corps was disbanded in 1819, four years before Alexander's marriage?
I have looked, so far unsuccessfully, for records of Alexander's service with either the 21st Regiment or the Royal African Corps.
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A prvious RootsChat submission by Timberslackery.
I understand that four companies of the Royal African Corps were disbanded in 1819, but in his book, The British Army in the West Indies, Roger Buckley writes,
"The three penal regiments raised for service in the West Indies were disbanded in 1819, four companies of the Royal African Corps were disbanded in West Africa. The remaining companies were kept in service until 1821, when they were broken up at the Cape Colony." I'm assuming that the "remaining companies" refers to the Royal African Corps, particularly as they were at the Cape Colony.
Gabriel's discharge papers, dated 12/10/1822, clearly state that he was in the Royal African Corps from 20/04/1809 until 29 Oct. 1822.
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More Confusion ?
Royal African Corps (1800-1819 and 1822-1840)
The Royal African Corps was formed in 1800 under Colonel John Fraser.
Browse the general muster books and pay lists of the Royal African Corps and Royal African Colonial Corps in WO 12.
The National Archives
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Thanks, barryd.
Even if they were not disbanded until 1822, this is still before the date of Alexander Young's marriage.
However I note that your second reply contains the dates 1800-1819 and also 1822-1840, which would cover the dates of Alexander's marriage and death.
I wonder why the item I found on the National Archives web site doesn't mention the later period?
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Sergeant Major Alexander Young was appointed Adjutant of 21st Foot and commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in April 1821: https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/17909/page/498
Promoted to First Lieutenant in April 1826: https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/18221/page/362
Retires as Adjutant of 21st Foot "on half pay Royal Africa Corps" in June 1828: https://www.thegazette.co.uk/Edinburgh/issue/3654/page/149
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Thank you very much, ShaunJ. That definitely looks like my Alexander Young.
His widow's pension application had to be signed by the Colonel and the Agent of the regiment. The Colonel was 'Forbes, General' and the Agent was 'Greenwood something-or-other-illegible'. Annoyingly, searches for 'General Forbes' produce umpteen references to a General John Forbes in the 18th century but (so far) none to an early 19th century one.
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It's Lord James Forbes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Forbes,_17th_Lord_Forbes
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If you search in The Gazette for "Royal African Corps" you will see that a lot of officers were retired on that regiment's half-pay. There are mentions of the Regiment up to 1864.
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/
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Alexander Young's listing in the 1830 Army List: http://tiny.cc/2lw74y
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Thanks, again, ShaunJ.
Now that I am back home, with a better connection and a bigger screen, I can follow up on all those links.
Dare I ask where Alexander Young's service records might be?
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If any records of his army service exist, I would have expected to find them at the National Archives, but nothing comes up in a search of the catalogue.
See http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/british-army-officers-1913/ for the possibilites. You could also try the Royal Scots museum who will conduct research for a small fee. http://www.rhf.org.uk/research/
He does seem to have remained parented to the 21st Foot. I am wondering if his posting to the Royal African Corps in half pay retirement was a matter of accounting convenience - of budgets and establishments.
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If any records of his army service exist, I would have expected to find them at the National Archives, but nothing comes up in a search of the catalogue.
Yes; hence my question.
Thank you for those leads. I will try to follow them up.