Did the British Military have dedicated Tailors at Woolwich?

[ldoherty]

I am curious.. My G G Grandfather was a Tailor in Woowich during the 1850s & 60s. My family moved to Kingston Canada.. So I am wondering if this move would have been w/ the military..

[Rod In Sussex]

Very Likely.

Before all officers were trained at the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, all the Corps Officers (the Artillery and Engineers etc) were trained at the Royal Military Academy Woolwich. This was also the home of the Royal Artillery, and all the troops needed uniforms. Not only were there tailors, working for both the Arsenal and Academy, there were as well a thriving local trade in private tailoring for equipping officers etc.

I think that there may have been tailors on the compliment, but these were normally civilians working for the military, not soldiers.

Hope this is of use

Rod

[ldoherty]

Thanks Rod..


Would it be common for a tailor to travel w/ the military?

[Rod In Sussex]

This is a bit of a guess!

A tailor attached to a Depot Regiment, or something like the Arsenal at Woolwich, would have been fixed in one place. There would also have been regimental tailors who would have gone with the troops where ever they were sent. Have in mind the number of tailors involved though. If there were ten making new uniforms at a deport, there would probably only have been one attached to a unit, to repair or replace worn items. But I have no exact information to hand to say defiantly.

Rod

[ldoherty]

Thanks again Rod,

                 I am just trying to figure out why & how my family arrived in Kingston Ontario.. My G Grandfather served w/ the Royal Canadian Rifles..

Would it be comon for an Irish Catholic travel or follow the British Military?

[Rod In Sussex]

The Victorians often thought of themselves and the Empire as Anglo Celtic, so being Irish was being "one of us". On that point alone I do not see the Irish Catholic thing as an issue.

Oddly enough, a book I was looking in an hour ago gave these figures for the 1890s. There were 213,555 in Regular Army, of which 26,000 were Irish and 16,000 Scottish. If one in ten was Irish, then I cannot see a problem with the idea.

You might also like to consider that his move to Canada was nothing to do with the military. But as he had worked in Woolwich, he must have had some involvement with uniforms, even if not directly employed. So when he got to Canada and was looking for work, the military might have been a starting point, as he knew that part of the trade already. Only a thought.

You could also try this site for infromation about the Royal Canadian Rifles

http://www.regiments.org/about/index.htm

Rod

[ldoherty]

Thanks again Rod..