Andrew Hamilton-Pensioner?

[Tom Piper]

Hi all,

May I refer to the following thread:

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,552139.msg4054460.html#msg4054460

I now know that the above named Andrew Hamilton was a Chelsea Pensioner; This his death certificate

 " Royal Infirmary, Glasgow, Lanarkshire
Andrew Hamilton - Chelsea pensioner - aged 43 years d. 11th Dec 1874 at the Royal Infirmary, Glasgow (Tobago Street, Glasgow) parents - William Hamilton, brewer (dec.) and Mary Ann Hamilton m.s. Lightern (also deceased) death reg. by sister Jane Irvine.

I think he may have received his injuries in the Crimean War-I can't find him a list of Crimean War casualties, but then he did not die, but was maybe injured so he could not work, because in the census for 1861 and 1871 he is listed as a pensioner.

Can anyone help me find his rank, unit etc and whether or not he fought in the Crimea?

Tom

[km1971]

Hi Tom

If he was a pensioner his record should be on Findmypast. Their records orginally came from the pensions department.

Casualty lists should include men wounded.

Ken

[KGarrad]

The records on FindMyPast state:

Private Andrew Hamilton, Reg.Nr. 3133, 74th Regiment of Foot
Attestation 13th November 1830, age 18 yrs
Discharge, Gibraltar 16th November 1871
Having served 21 years 4 days:
    Cape of Good Hope 2 yrs 4 months
    East Indies 10 yrs 4 mths
    Gibraltar 5 yrs 9 months

His conduct has been "Very Good".
He is in possession of four good conduct badges, the Kaffir War Medal 1851-53, the Indian Mutiny Medal 1857 & has been granted a silver medal & gratuity of GBP 5 for long service & good conduct.

[Tom Piper]

K Garrad & Ken
I have looked at all the Hamilton records on FindMyPast, and none of them fit at all. That wonderful record of Andrew Hamilton, born 1832, Carluke, of the 74th foot, discharge Gibraltar etc, would have been  really good, except my Andrew Hamilton was  out of the army by the time of the 1861 census because he was living at 23, Deanside Lane, Glasgow St Paul, Lanarkshire, Scotland, occupation as a pensioner. The same in 1871, out of the army, a pensioner, and living in Glasgow Barony.

There is a record of a Colour sergeant A Hamilton, but the papers attached to him refer to a man called Halloran, from Edinbugh, not a Hamilton at all! So a waste of units there. I have notofied FindMyPast of the mistake there and asked  if they have finished photographing and transcribing all these Chelsea Pensioner records from national Archives. A note from NA suggests that it's not possible at present to search WO97 records at NA because of their link up with FindMyPast. Does anyone know anything different?

Tom

[km1971]

A note from NA suggests that it's not possible at present to search WO97 records at NA because of their link up with FindMyPast. Does anyone know anything different?

Hi Tom

Can you post a link to this note.

Ken

[Tom Piper]

Apologies to you all, I must have been drinking too much malt! I don't know where I got that info from-no it's not true, WO97 at NA seems fine to search, though I still can't find Andrew Hamilton on FindMyPast. Next time I go to the Archives, which wont be for a while I'll have look.

Tom

[KGarrad]

though I still can't find Andrew Hamilton on FindMyPast.

Try:

Search Armed Forces & conflict
Search all military records 1656-2005

Enter names as Andrew Hamilton, dates 1850 to 1880

You should see 8 results under British Army Service Records 1760-1915.

3rd on the list is one born 1832 Carluke, Lanarkshire

[Tom Piper]

Yes that is the result I got as well, and none of those fit my Andrew Hamilton-he was born around 1831 in Calton, Glasgow, and he was out of the army by 1861.

This is the reply I received from Find My past today:


These records comprise Chelsea Pensioners' British Army Service Records 1760-1913 and they are complete, no further records are to be added.

The records are brought to you online in association with The National Archives (TNA). The TNA record series numbers is ‘WO97’.

There are further records available for the Chelsea Pension records however, they have not been made available online. The National Archives still hold them.

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/DisplayCatalogueDetails.asp?CATID=107&CATLN=2&FullDetails=True

Tom