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!