Boer War query, where can I ..?

[Mars Barr]

Hi
I`v e just about gone cross-eyed, searching through all the info on the National Archives site, cannot find what I`m looking for, everything seems to be just for WW1,  but I want to search for any details of ANYTHING for the Boer War, I tried contacting the site run by Kevin Asplin, but he was unable to help either, I had seen the name of my paternal grandfather listed, and wondered if that could have been "mine" however, he doubted if it was and suggested that I search the medal Rolls for the Queens South Africa & to try WO.100 medal roll, but I cannot see anything about that on the NA site.

I am trying to find any information on my paternal grandfather JAMES BARR He did have a middle name of Gilmour, but did not appear to use it on any documents, it was not on his marriage cert (he married Sarah Boyd  in 1896 in Greenock Scotland) and it not appear on his death cert, the informant being his wife, he was just recorded as James Barr.

The only reason I guess that perhaps he was involved in the Boer War, was that on the 1901 (Scottish census) his wife was recorded as "a soldiers wife-reservist" indicating he could have been away in the Boer War? he does not appear anywhere else on the census, so must have left the country.

It had been suggested to me that he may have been in the Yeomanry, but as yet I do not know how to check for that. My son has promised to go to Kew for me (we live in Essex) to look for his army record, presuming that he had been in the army previous to the war, but it would be helpful if he knew exactly what to ask for when he goes to Kew, and I had hoped that I might find a clue on the Nat.Archives site.
However, as mentioned, I`m nearly cross-eyed searching through that, but cannot find any answers there, I thought one could see if the person concerned had a medal (for any war?) and download a copy of the information, but the trouble is, how do I first get the information that he may have had a medal?

He was not a soldier when he married, otherwise that would have been
shown on the cert. instead he was working in the shipyard, so I suppose he became a soldier later, I was unable to trace him on any census after 1881. He died in 1913 and again his occupation was not that of a soldier.

So, as you can see (hope this seems clear to you?) he could have been a soldier up until he married perhaps and then was a reservist?
As I`m going nearly cuckoo here, I hope someone can offer any suggestions.
I tried browsing through the various postings on this board, but could not see anything that could throw some light on my query.
If anyone can help, I would be so happy, thank you.

I`m off to have some lunch now, hopefully feed my brain also!

[liverpool annie]

Hi Mars Barr!

Could he have been a Private in the Royal Scots in 1891?

1891

Barr, James 19 Soldier Scotland Aldershot Hampshire single Head Quarter and Garrison Staff

RG12/567 folio 67 page 5

Annie

[Valda]

Have you looked at the research guides on the website?

http://www.catalogue.nationalarchives.gov.uk/researchguidesindex.asp

Try under B for British army and also A for auxiliary forces.

Regards
Valda

[Mars Barr]

Thanks for the suggestions L/pool Annie and Valda, I will try these
However, I did try tge Archives, but I found it so confusing, in the end I did not hve a clue as to there to look!
I`ll certainly try everything suggested and hope that I strike lucky.
It`s so annoying when you know so little about someone, paternal grandfather died before I was born, and was never spoken about, in fact nothing concerning the family was ever spoken about! so as a result I am completely ignorant about any of them

Thanks for your your advice and for taking the trouble to reply, if I meet with any success will let you know.

[Valda]

You won't find actual records on the website for the Boer War, only at The National Archives. They have miles and miles of records literally. Records were not made for the convenience of family researchers but for the use of the government departments at the time. Therefore to understand the records you need to know how the army and the War Office worked at the time. This isn't The National Archives fault they try to make their VAST holdings - it must be one of the biggest if not biggest record offices in the world - over a thousand years of records, as accessible as possible. If you visit The National Archives you will find shelves and shelves just of indexes to the records.
The National Archives do publish books which are very good on how to research army records. It pays to read up on the subject to know just what might be available from War Office records and in what format it might survive.

Regards
Valda