Help needed with ascertaining regiment - 1st Royals?

[daval57]

Hi there,

Having difficulty in making out what this document says re occupation. Looks to me like he was a Sergeant Ist Royals?
Can anyone confirm and perhaps elaborate.

The person in question lived in Glasgow.  Born c1830.  This document dated 1857.  I have an OPR marriage from 1849 in Glasgow that clearly shows he is a "soldier 1st Regiment".
He disappears from census records in 1851 and 1861 and I wonder if he was serving away from home.

Thanks
Dave

[Skoosh]

The Royal Scots daval,  he could have been away at the Crimea or the Indian Mutiny.

Skoosh.

[Skoosh]

45 Shuttle Street,  maiden name Weir?

[daval57]

Thanks. 
Yes, I kinda thought those campaigns could be possible too (after checking dates on Google)!
It was the specific regiment I wasn't clear on so thanks for that.

And yes also to the address and maiden name.  The chap in question is a William Forrest.

Odd thing is, I can't find his wife and children alone on the '51 and '61 census records anywhere in the UK.  It would be very unlikely family would go with him, wouldn't it?

[Skoosh]

Did you check Ireland also?

Skoosh.

[daval57]

That, I didn't do.
Will try tomorrow.
FindMyPast have those records?

[km1971]

It would be very unlikely family would go with him, wouldn't it?

Hi Dave

No, a portion of families went with their husbands, and were looked after by the army. The 2nd Battalion 1st Regiment were in the Ionian Islands before going to the Crimea. Some families even went on campaign with the army. Many stayed at Scutari, but some even went to the Crimea itself. The problem is the army did not keep records of the Married Roll until the end of the 1860s. So you need to find children born/dying in these places to confirm.

The 2nd Bn 1st Foot were in Ireland for the 1851 census. From January 1853 to April 1861 they were in Ionian Islands, Crimea, Malta, Gibraltar and China. They were then based in Lancashire with HQ in ‘Manchester’ – which usually means Salford barracks. So they may have been there for the 1861 census, or on board ship.

These could be his records - http://www.findmypast.co.uk/army-service-records-show-image.action?sdrfnbr=971383105

However there may have been another William Forrest serving with the Royal Scots whose records were not kept as he did not receive a pension. If you have Ancestry you can check the Crimean War medal roll.

Added...they arrived back in the UK on 17 April 1861 - so after the census. There are however some Royal Navy ships and a section of 'Miscellananeous ships at sea or abroad' listed under England.

Ken

[daval57]

Hi Ken,
That is really useful information to know.
Thank you very much for that.

I actually had 10 credits left on FindMyPast.ie from the offer earlier this month and found the record for William Forrest.  I could only get the summary page but from the records on that, I'm sure it's the right person.  Date and place of birth, and regiment all tie in.  The records on FindMyPast show he was a Corporal wheras my William is noted as a Sgt on his marriage in 1949 but that is the only obvious discrepancy.
The record shows the attestation date as 1947 *1847, when he was 17 and some months old. 
I'm surprised he would be a Corporal, let alone a sgt by 1949. * 1849

I only found all this information earlier today and am still pulling together the pieces but I feel I'm getting there.

Just after 4am so not the best time for me to try and put too much thought into it.  I'll re-visit it at the weekend when I have more time (and had more sleep!)

I appreciate your input.

Dave

* Amended - Ignore dates and comments.  I got confused AND mistyped dates - please read on.

[km1971]

Hi Dave

I am confused about this - "This document dated 1857.  I have an OPR marriage from 1849 in Glasgow". What is 'this document' if not the wedding entry? Does the same document give his DoB, or is this from somewhere else?

To be safe you need to look at the muster roll in Kew for the time of the wedding. You can then see if their were two men of the same name serving. They were in Dublin during 1849. But he may have been in a recruiting party in Glasgow.

Ken