Milton Barracks, Kent 1871

[joopow]

Thomas Holmes my great grandfather has been found as  a private in these barracks.
Born in 1850 in Somerset
Married in Edinburgh 1875 he's a private with the Royal Scots at Glencross / Glencorse
My question is  - which regiment might he have been in to get to Milton Barracks in Kent from Somerset  and how did he then get to Scotland ?

[km1971]

If you go back to the 1871 census and look on previous pages for a few officers, we should be able to confirm his regiment and battalion.

Ken

[joopow]

Thank you.
The first mentioned officers names are Herbert Leigh Gipps and John Jamieson Lieutenants of 1/19th foot.

[km1971]

The 1872 Army List confirms they were both serving in the 1st Battalion of the 19th Regiment. You may need to look at all pages between the officers and Private Holmes, in case another unit were present. The depots of both battalions was in nearby Chatham, while the 1st Battalion was in India; and the 2nd Battalion was in Gosport. So it looks as it was a detachment of the 1st/19th in Milton.

In 1871 the depots and 1st Battalion of the Royal Scots (1st Regiment of Foot) were in Warley, Essex. So he must have been transferred from the 19th Regiment to the 1st Regiment at some stage.

Men in the Depots were usually recruits receiving basic training, so he probably enlisted only a few months before. Regiments would send recruiting parties far and wide depending upon need, and with the railways it was not uncommon for them to travel to Bristol.

Ken

[joopow]

Ken
I can find no indication of another unit on the preceeding pages.
It does seem likely from what you've said that Thomas was doing basic training at Milton, and the fact that the Royal Scots were in Warley, Essex seems to indicate that he transferred there.
The family grapevine tells me that he was very keen on all things Scottish and wanted to join a regiment that wore the kilt. Do you know if he would have done so or just got the trews ?
He didn't appear to stay a soldier for long as by the time his first child was born in 1876 he was a van man in Edinburgh.
His father was a railway platelayer so possibly laid the train line that took his son off to the army.
Thank you for putting "flesh on the bones" for me.
Judy