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Armed Forces / Joseph Swales, formerly of the 8th Dragoons
« on: Friday 05 July 13 13:45 BST (UK) »
I am wondering if anyone could point me in the right direction in finding some army service information concerning my husband's ancestor, Joseph Swales (sometimes spelt Swailes).
All the details we have concerning Joseph are from Australian records, starting with his transportation on the ship "Calder" from Calcutta to Sydney, arriving on 21 November 1822. We know from subsequent convict musters that he was apparently in the 8th Dragoons, and was either a blacksmith or a farrier by trade. According to the NSW Convict indents, he was tried at Fort William on the 30 October 1821, at which time he was 29 years of age (which would put his birth year at about 1792), and was sentenced to transportation for Life. The indents also state that he originally came from Bedford. He died in 1878 in Adelaide, South Australia, where his age was given as 92, which would correlate with a birth year of about 1786, so there is some leeway in the birth year there.
What I am wondering is if there is any way of finding out more about his military service without to going to the UK National Archives in person, to look up muster and payrolls and the like - we are in Australia, so there's a slight tyranny of distance issue going on with that
. Or is there a kind soul out there with the time and inclination to go and look up his records for us?
Thanks
Jenny
All the details we have concerning Joseph are from Australian records, starting with his transportation on the ship "Calder" from Calcutta to Sydney, arriving on 21 November 1822. We know from subsequent convict musters that he was apparently in the 8th Dragoons, and was either a blacksmith or a farrier by trade. According to the NSW Convict indents, he was tried at Fort William on the 30 October 1821, at which time he was 29 years of age (which would put his birth year at about 1792), and was sentenced to transportation for Life. The indents also state that he originally came from Bedford. He died in 1878 in Adelaide, South Australia, where his age was given as 92, which would correlate with a birth year of about 1786, so there is some leeway in the birth year there.
What I am wondering is if there is any way of finding out more about his military service without to going to the UK National Archives in person, to look up muster and payrolls and the like - we are in Australia, so there's a slight tyranny of distance issue going on with that
. Or is there a kind soul out there with the time and inclination to go and look up his records for us?Thanks
Jenny