Balawak, Kow!!!!!

[liverpool annie]

Hi ZKT !

My Irish friend says it might be Ballyclogh in Cork !! and wouldn't you know it .... the regiment was at sea when Bernard's daughter was born !!  so we can't get can't clues from that !!

1782.08.31   66th (Berkshire) Regiment of Foot
    1785   West Indies: St. Vincent   
    1793   Gibraltar   
    1795   at sea   
    1796.01   Santo Domingo   
    1798.10?   Jamaica   
    1799   Canada   
1802?   Newfoundland   
    1802   England   
    1803.07.09   1st Battalion, 66th Regiment of Foot
redesignated on formation of 2nd Battalion
    1804   Ceylon   
    1814   India   aaa
    1815   Nepal   
    1817   India   
    1817   St. Helena   guard for Napoleon
    1817   66th Regiment of Foot
redesignated upon absorbing 2nd Battalion at St. Helena
    
Annie 

[Frazer]

There is a townland named Ballymackeogh in the Civil Parish of Balla, Co. Mayo.

[ZKT]

Thanks this is very interesting. My GGGGGrandad was in the 66th Reg from 1809 to 1815 and discharge 1815 age 19. So he must have joined very young. I presume he was invalided out later joined the 4th Royal Veterans who where stationed at Fort George when his children were born.

I though that he might have been injured in the Peninsula War. Any thoughts?

[neil1821]

Hello again.

Annie has correctly given you the movements for the 1st Battalion.
However, in the years we're taking about there was also a 2nd Bn

1803  England
1804  Ireland
April 1809 Portugal
Peninsular war
16 May 1811 - Regiment roughly handled at battle of Albuhera
6 June 1811 - amalgamated with remnants of other battalions to form Provisional battalion
24 Oct 1814 - Reformed as 2nd Bn, 66th Foot
1814 England
1816 St.Helana

They were in Ireland, so he may have joined up before they set sail for Portugal? Just a thought. Given his age, I'd guess as a drummer boy.

Here's an account of Albuhera.
http://www.britishbattles.com/peninsula/Albuera.htm

Neil

[ZKT]

Neil Thanks so much. I am going to Kew next week to find his military records. Hopefully will find out what happened to him. He was very young!

[ZKT]

Just back from TNA Kew.
Good and bad news.
  I think there are 2 Bernard Irons.  I'll call them B1 and B2

B1 was in 66th Foot, joined age 13 was a drummer, injured at Battle of Vitoria, Pensular War, Spain and was invalided out age 19 on 17th June 1815 (How awful for such a young man)

B2 was in 41st foot. His records are a bit scanty. I found him in the Muster roles from Dec 1815 (recruiting in England)  to July 1822(command Fort George). He was a Sergeant, so I don't think they can be the same person. Would it be possible for  19year old. invalid (shot in hand ) to leave one reg in May as a private and join another my Dec as a Sergeant- I don't think so!!!!
My conclusion is B1 is not my GGGGGrandad but B2 is.

Any idea how I can find out any more about B2 I have check Kew's records for his discharge. pension, death, casualty. But can't find him anywhere except the muster rolls.
To be a Sergeant he must have been in the army before Dec 1815 but he's not in th 66th Foot Muster rolls . My guess his he was in a different before Dec 1825 and after July 1822.

Any ideas how I can find out more? I really want to know where he came from, his marriage and death.