John McGovern 33rd foot 1850s

[fionadeb]

Hi, I wonder if anyone could suggest where my gggf John McGovern service no 3867 born Dublin 1836 would have signed up with the 33rd foot regiment? I've seen it mentioned that sometimes when they were at 'home' they were in Dublin. Would they have been recruiting there in the 1850s?
Thanks and Happy New Year! Fiona

[Jebber]

Hi Fiona,

I can't tell you where he enisted, only that in 1854 they went to  the Crimea
In 1857 they went to India
In 1861 he was in Deesa the East Indies
In 1871 in Aldershot.

Jebber
Happy New Year to you.

[km1971]

Hi Fiona

At least two John McGoverns served in the 33rd Regiment in this period. Findmypast does not appear to have a full service record for either. But both appear in pension summaries.

http://tinyurl.com/q7vhcfq - a Private

and

http://tinyurl.com/p2rwnqv - a Lance Sergeant

The second’s application for a pension was delayed as he appears to have got a job on the permanent staff of a Militia.

The 33rd were in Ireland (Althone and Dublin) before moving to Malta (then the Crimea). They would have kept a Depot in the UK (possibly Dublin) while they were overseas. If you have him married while a soldier he is more likely to be the second man. The best way to resolve it would be to look at the musters in the National Archives. The first and last entries often give age on enlistment and place of birth. They are not online.

Even when they had headquarters in England regiments would often have a recruiting party in Dublin. The musters will tell you where a man was recruited.

Added...Another Private John McGovern may have died in the Crimea in 1855.

Ken

[fionadeb]

Thanks to those who replied to my post.
Ken, I can't get into the 2 links you sent, probably blocked by FindMyPast. But I have a subscription to findmypast (which expires on Sunday!) so if you could direct me to where you found the material I will look myself. My John McG got married in Tralee in 1875. It says "Military" as his occupation. I wonder if he transferred to the Kerry Militia and is the guy whose pension application was thus delayed ...   
However, in 1877, he is in Rochdale, Lancs., working as a shoemaker, but he would be over 40 by then. His son, my ggfather, also John McGovern, is born there, who also joined the West Riding Regt.
Could soldiers sign up at any time or did they have to wait until a recruiting campaign was under way? Thanks for all your help!
Fiona

   

[Jebber]

I don't believe you can post links to Findmypast. I cannot locate the two entries Ken mentions.
However, If you search under military records with just his name, year of birth and number 3867, you will find the transcriptions of his entries in the Army Index for 1861 and 1871, both show him as Private.

[km1971]

Log into FindMyPast

http://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-Records/british-army-service-records-1760-1915

Enter john mcgovern

The first two links are under WO121 - look for Duke of Wellington etc or 33rd Regiment.

I have just noticed also Regimental Number 7 under 'Chelsea etc. This is a full service record

Men could enlist at any time. The 3rd and 4th Battalions were Militia

Ken

[Jebber]

Ken,

I Found that record yesterday, I discounted it for several reasons.

1.  Because the birth year was five years out.

2.  Fiona had said her John was marred in 1875, ( the record says 1862) and in 1877 was living in Rochdale, working as a shoemaker. I presume she got that information from her Great grandfather's (also John) birth certificate.

3. The family are in the 1881 census where the wife is Catherine with 3 year old son John, the record you found the wife is Josephine, and there is no John listed among the children.

Jebber

[km1971]

I did not go the extra mile and try to find 3867. I have re-checked the medal roll and according to this - http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/1686/31794_221397-00358/1983974?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.co.uk%2f%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3findiv%3d1%26db%3dCampaignMedalRolls%26rank%3d1%26new%3d1%26MSAV%3d1%26msT%3d1%26gss%3dangs-d%26gsfn%3djohn%26gsln%3dmcgovern%26dbOnly%3d_F0005C4A%257c_F0005C4A_x%252c_F0005C50%257c_F0005C50_x%252c_F00057CC%257c_F00057CC_x%26_F0005C50%3d33rd%26uidh%3de13%26pcat%3d39%26fh%3d1%26h%3d1983974%26recoff%3d4%2b5%26ml_rpos%3d2&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnRecord

he died of fever in 1855.

As I said in my first post, if an obvious full service record cannot be found, Fiona needs to look at the muster books to discover how many 'John McGs there were in the 33rd, and eliminate them one by one.

Ken

[Jebber]

Strange, because the number of the John McGovern in the 1861 and 1871 Army List is 3867 33rd (The Duke of Wellington's) Regiment of Foot.

As you say, the only option  is a trip to Kew to view the muster books.

Jebber