Chelsea Pensioner

[aderyn]

 
One of my ancestors Edward Owens was a Chelsea out pensioner on half pay, he was probably blind  This is from the 1851 Radnorshire Census, when he was aged 77.
Is a there way (without having to visit National Archives) of finding out about his service record and where/when he got wounded?

[casalguidi]

Hi Aderyn

Many of the discharge records for this time period have been indexed online http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/search.asp - searching for "edward owens" with the series code "WO97" brings up a number of Edward Owens'.  Though the actual records are at the National Archives, you may get some new information from the index if one of them is yours.

Casalguidi

[aderyn]

Thank you Casalguidi,

Following your link I found..............

EDWARD OWENS
Born LLANBISTER, Radnorshire
Served in 81st Foot Regiment; 3rd Garrison Battalion
Discharged aged 18
Years of enlistment and discharge are unknown. Covering dates give a generic date range only.

I believe this to be the right person, because in the 1851 census he lived in the Llanbister area.
If I requested this document from the National Archives what further information would it give me?

[meles]

When I got the records for one of my forebears from Kew, I found a lot of info. His army record, where he served, his pay and so on. Also a physical description (uncannily rather like me!) and the happy reassurance he was "of good character"...

He lied about his age to get in!

meles

[aderyn]

Meles,

Thanks for that, it certainly sounds worthwhile requesting the document.

Cheers.

[Aaron Clancy]

Hi there, here is my reply from another post regarding our common ancestor:
I believe from endless researching that this may be our link to my mothers maternal lineage. Mariah who was granddaughter of Edward & Mariah Owens in 1851 Census living in Abbeycwmhir is mentioned as born in Rhayader in 1861 and Abbeycwmtear, Radnorshire in 1871 Census of Aberdare, Glamorganshire. She is ancestor to many people and married Levi Doel in Aberdare. On her daughter Mary's birth cert is says her maiden name was Owens but to this day we still can't find her in the birth register. Her mother it seems was living with parents in 1841 Census as Mariah and by 1851 is perhaps as Servant (as Mary Owens) for Richard & Mary Ann Davis' family in Abbeycwmhir.

FYI: I have just found out a Edward Owens sold their property in 1851 from the    Powys Archives. See
"http://calmview.powys.gov.uk/CalmView/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=RDBRA%2f1862%2f60&pos=172"
Also see maps of this area from 1857 of Gollon, Abbeycwmhir at:
"http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/ff1a8d90-2185-43cb-833b-f2bb5b07e90b"

All I know so far is that Edward may have served for 'Halifax Post' delivering mail to troups in Canada. But it's a long shot as I haven't found any record of this. Only 'Army H.P.' in 1841 Census and as you say Cheley/Chelsea Pensioner in 1851 Census. Perhaps you could help shed some light on these difficult ancestors of ours?

[Aaron Clancy]

Hi again, had somewhat of a breakthrough and confirmation to my last post. I was thrown off at first as I kept coming across Edward Owens of Llanbister (5km NE of Abbeycwmhir), especially in the National Archives. However apparently according to Powys archives:
"In the wake of the Restoration, too, he built a small church in 1680, closer to the abbey ruin; this was constituted a chapelry to Llanbister, and continued as such perhaps into the 19th century. The Tithe Survey of 1839 considered Abbeycwmhir to be a part of Llanbister parish,
but Samuel Lewis several years earlier had classed it as a parish in its own right."
So on ancestry I first found the Chelsea Pensioner records confirming his birth date, then in Canada, British Regimental Registers of Service also confirming these details.
Therefor, he must have served in the 81st Foot Regiment; 3rd Garrison Battalion around 25 Jul 1806 and discharged at age 40 in 1815. I do believe this could be the missing piece of the puzzle that could open up this Owens family ancestry.
An Edwardus Owens Baptised 29 May 1776 in St Davids/St Harmon, Radnorshire (also near Abbeycwmhir). "Parish records for Abbeyc.h. are with Llanbister until 1831 (?) when the church at Abbey was finally recognised in its own right."

[Croy Girl]

Hi

My GGGreat grandfather was in the 60th Rifles and a Chelsea Pensioner. He was irish but the family ended up in Paisley Scotland.with his regiment in 1845.I found all the info on Ancestry.Got three pages of his records .Telling me he enlisted in Bandon Macroom co cork 1821 age 21.He was discharged in Paisley 1845 due to Rheamatoid Athritis 25 years later. All his service records on there to.

Marguerite.