Still stuck - Hardy & Jones Marriage, Army Records and Death? Dorchester

[Big-toshie]

I continue to be stuck trying to find information about George Jones and Mary Ann Hardy. I am posting again to see if anyone can see any new data out there.
From previous help this is what I know:-

My Great-grandmother, Ellen Jones in born in Dorchester in 1868 to George Jones (Occupation Groom and also Driver in the Royal Horse Artillery) and Mary Ann Hardy (I had been previously stumped to read Mary Ann's maiden name on Ellen's 1933 death certificate in Scotland but Hardy was the most likely and on receiving Ellen's Dorchester birth record from GRO, Hardy has been confirmed).

I have census records for them in 1871 and then in later census's after George died in 1878 -
George JONES; Groom; 43; Saint Peter; Apr 13th 1878

I know from the 1871 census that George was from Kidderminster, Worcestershire born about 1835. I have tried to find his army records but no luck so far.

So I have hit a brick wall with the marriage of George and Mary Ann.

Mary Ann Hardy was born in 1846 in Dorchester to John and Sarah. I have found her in 1881 and 1891 Census in Dorchester but not after that. She may have died, moved away or remarried I would also like to find out what happened to Mary Ann after 1891.

So I would say the marriage (if they did marry) of George and Mary is going to be early 1860s and I would have thought George would have travelled not Mary

Also found this on a Dorchester website:
Burial Dorchester: The Infant Daughter Of JONES; George Jones, soldier; 1 Day; Holy Trinity; Sep 6th 1865

thanks for looking and Happy New Year

[Valda]

Hi

Soldiers attestation and discharge papers

'Before 1883 these service records are usually only for men who were discharged and received a pension. From 1883 to 1913 the series includes soldiers who were discharged to pension and those who were discharged for other reasons, such as termination of limited engagements or discharge by purchase.'

Pre 1883 if a soldier did not complete his full service (or received a pension through a disabling injury) then he did not receive a pension and his army papers were not needed so they were routinely destroyed.

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/research-guides/british-army-soldiers-discharge-and-pension-records.htm


The main way of tracing soldiers who do not have surviving service records is to trace them through muster rolls

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/research-guides/army-muster-1730-1898.htm


Have you tried looking for the marriage in the army chaplains' returns?

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/looking-for-person/birthmarriagedeatharmedforces.htm?WT.lp=rg-6009


Regards

Valda

[Big-toshie]

Hi Valda,

Re 'Have you tried looking for the marriage in the army chaplains' returns?'

Yes have tried there and sofar no luck.

I always find the National Archives website tricky to navigate but sofar we have not had any success there.   

Using Findmypast Military section we have found many George Jones's who were in the RHA but again have not been able to find a definate match to date.  All very frustrating.
Bob

[Valda]

Hi


The army indexes are held by the General Registry Office not TNA. These indexes are on Findmypast

Findmypast

http://www.findmypast.co.uk/helpadvice/knowledge-base/overseas-military/records.jsp

'Regimental registers
The Regimental Registers date from 1761-1924 and include British Regiments in the UK, Ireland and overseas.
The records cover births/baptisms.  If you are unable to find your ancestors in these records you should note that the Overseas department of the General Registry Office also holds additional records of regimental marriages taking place between 1761 and 1924 that have never been indexed.  As these additional records have never been indexed, you will not find them on our website.'


If you have no evidence that George Jones was discharged to a pension and he wasn't then you will not find any military records for him on Findmypast since they only hold copies of the discharge and attestation papers held at TNA. The muster rolls are not online  - you would have to visit TNA to follow his career through the quarterly returns for the regiment. Difficult to see how records of that type could be put online and it would be a massive job to index them. Most men did not served sufficient time in the army to receive a pension, so pension records cover only a fraction of the men who actually served.


Regards

Valda

[Big-toshie]

  thanks Valda

[Big-toshie]