Army Barracks Canterbury?

[kentfallen]

I thought your relation was in a cavalry regiment? If so then he will have had no connection with The Buffs...

In any case the Buffs museum is now run by Canterbury City Council and all historic documents were passed over to the National Army Museum in London years ago. Don't waste your time with the museum staff, they haven't a bloody clue....

My advice if you want to find out more about your relation is go a pull his army records from the National Archives (if they still exist). If you don't know how to do this then I would reccomend you secure the services of a good professional researcher.

It's no good getting in touch with any regimental historian until you find out exactly which cavalry regiment he served in. As I have already stated, each cavalry regiment maintained it's own band and unless you know which regiment, I wouldn't bother wasting time and money...

In order to identify his regiment you will have to use the medal rolls which once again are all at the National Archives in Kew. His GRO marriage/death certs might record the regiment too.

Good luck..

Neil
Webmaster http://www.kentfallen.com

[LizzieW]

Hi Neil

I have my grandfather's army records, thanks to another Rootschatter who went to Kew and copied them for me, so I know exactly which regiment he was in, 19th Hussars , but what I'm trying to find out is where he might have learned to play an instrument.  He enlisted as a trumpeter and ended up playing the oboe in various orchestras including the BBC in Scotland.  Somewhere along the line he obviously progressed from trumpet to oboe.  The family story is that he trained at Kneller Hall, but he didn't - or at least they have no trace of him, so I just wondered if Canterbury, where he was for a couple of years had a music college attached.

I have no idea how the army works, so don't know how they train their musicians if they don't send them to a music college.  I just thought that if the Buffs had a museum, there might be some mention of a music college, as there must have been other musicians at Canterbury apart from my grandfather.

He was no longer in the army when he married in 1907 having been discharged as unfit in 1906.  As I said previously, I think the story about training at either Kneller Hall, or a Manchester Music College - no trace of him there either - was just a story made up to cover the year or so he spent in the Borough Asylum after his discharge from the army in 1906.

As it is only one year out of his life, I think I will just forget this for now.

Liz

[kentfallen]

I didn't realise that you knew the regiment - how odd not to mention the most important fact??

I won't waste mine or your time further.....

Extraordinary...

[casalguidi]

   I thought it was quite clear what Liz was trying to find out

On my grandfather's attestation papers, it shows that he enlisted in Hull and was then sent to Canterbury where he stayed for 2 years before going to S.Africa.

Have any of you any info about any army barracks or training schools in Canterbury from approx 1901-1903?  Or was there a music college there, maybe an army one as my grandfather was supposed to have been trained in music whilst in the army.

Any help gratefully received.

Liz

[LizzieW]

Casalguidi

Thank you for your comment.  I have sent a pm to Neil (Kentfallen).

Liz

[kentfallen]

The 19th Hussars was NEVER mentioned... The fact he enlisted in Hull has no relevance to this unit.

The 19th Hussars were garrisoned in Canterbury from the late 1890's until 1912. There is a plaque inside the Cathedral which records a few officers names but no band members. There are quite a few publications available regarding this army cavalry regiment including a detailed regimental history. There wasn't a Music School as such in Canterbury. Each regiment maintained it's own band and these bandsman were often from the militia (part time reserve soldiers). Traditionally Bandsman in war time act as Stretcher Bearers recovering wounded soldiers from the battlefield.

[LizzieW]

Neil

Sorry to disagree, but if you look at my reply to your posting, which I posted on 16 August at 18.56BST, you will see at the end of the first paragraph, I state

He was in the 19th Hussars

However, thank you for the information you have now given me, which answers my questions.

Liz