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Author Topic: Missing Soldier from Colchester 1856-1861  (Read 690 times)

Offline edalmun

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Missing Soldier from Colchester 1856-1861
« on: Monday 13 June 11 17:40 BST (UK) »
Hello,

I believe my ancestor William Aldous joined the army sometime between 1856 and 1861 in Colchester, Essex. By 1861 his wife Lydia records herself as a widow, and I can't find a death record for him, so I believe he must have died between 1856 and 1861 either somewhere abroad, or away from his home county with the army. His son says he was a soldier, and then later says he was a corporal.

How can I find him? How do I go about locating which regiment he might have joined at Colchester barracks? Where might the army have sent soldiers at that point in history?

I have heard that if he was in the army he would be recorded in his company's muster rolls, but as I don't know which regiment he was in, and I'm nowhere near TNA, that search could take ages. Is there any way I could make my search more specific? Are there any other records he would be in?

Any help would be wonderful!

Elissa
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Offline neil1821

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Re: Missing Soldier from Colchester 1856-1861
« Reply #1 on: Monday 13 June 11 19:23 BST (UK) »
Quote
By 1861 his wife Lydia records herself as a widow, and I can't find a death record for him, so I believe he must have died between 1856 and 1861 either somewhere abroad, or away from his home county with the army.
One thing at a time Elissa.  :)
Firstly his death, you've looked in the death indexes for England & Wales I take it? If he simply died in another county then he'd still be listed as normal.
So the possibilities are another part of the UK (Scotland, Ireland, Channel Islands) or overseas.
Next you need to check the military deaths overseas. You can view them on FindMyPast.

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Offline km1971

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Re: Missing Soldier from Colchester 1856-1861
« Reply #2 on: Tuesday 14 June 11 07:44 BST (UK) »
Hi Elissa

Both his marriage and the birth of his son are on FreeBMD. Do you have these records? If not they may well give you his regiment. Without his regiment you have a major problem as Colchester was home to about 12 regimental Depots in this period. And these would have changed every few years.

If he enlisted after his son's birth - March (qtr) 1857 - it was some achievement to enlist and be promoted Corporal in such a short space of time, before dying by April 1861.

Ken

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