Corps of Armourer-Sergeants

[wyndham]

I understand that this corps was founded in 1858 and subsumed into the Army Ordnance Corps in the 1890's.  I am having some difficulty in trying to find information and whether there was any book published on them.  My visits to TNA have not produced any results at all.  So if anyone is able to help, I would be extremely grateful.

[scrimnet]

Have a word with Andy or one of the lads at the museum in Deepcut...

http://www.army.mod.uk/rlc/history/349.aspx

They are all very friendly and helpful....

[wyndham]

Scrimnet

Thanks for your help. I will contact the museum.

[mduke]

Have you had any success in finding more information about the Corps of Armourer-Sergeants?  Like you, I haven't found much in the way of background information apart from the formation of the Corps in 1858.  My GGF enlisted in the Corps in London (Westminster) in 1861 and was deployed to the West Indies and then Canada, where he was eventually discharged in 1884.  I would be interested to know whether recruits would normally have been qualified in their trade (e.g., gunsmith) at the time of enlistment.

Another question relates to a written request from my GGF to his adjutant for assignment to the "Birmingham small arms Factory" [sic].   I am wondering whether there was some sort of formal arrangement between the Corps and BSA.

M. Duke                 

[wyndham]

mduke

In brief - NO!  I followed Scrimnet's advice and telephoned the RLC museum at Deepcut.  Initially I spoke to a Gareth Mears who unfortunately was about to go on holiday.  Since then I have tried a few times to contact him but he appears to be rather elusive.

With regard to my relation, according to his marriage certificate he was a gun maker from Birmingham.  The only other details I have of him is as an Armourer-Sergeant attached to the Worcestershire Regiment in India in 1872.

Anyway, I will make further attempts to contact Mr Mears.

[mduke]

Thank-you for the update.  I would be interested to hear if you do eventually learn anything from the RLC Museum.  By the way, I too have ancestors who were in the gun trade in Birmingham - surname Reeves.  My 3x great grandfather and three of his sons were described in the census as 'gun finishers'.  One of the sons - my 2x GGF - came to Canada as a civilian armourer in the British garrison in 1844.  He was eventually replaced by the GGF from the Corps of Armourers.

[scrimnet]

I'm afraid ALL at the Really Large Corps museum are becoming elusive, Andy included!!

[wyndham]

This a minor up-date on my earlier posting.  I have at last been able to contact Gareth Mears and with any luck I am hoping to hear within the next few weeks whether he can add anything to my existing meagre information on this Corps.  So fingers crossed!

[mduke]

I'll stay tuned.  In the meantime, I will see whether I can find anything in the research library of the Canadian War Museum.