Missing Soldier - Samuel Adams

[wdytya]

In the Attestation papers (24th Oct 1895) for Samuel Adams (born 1875) he states he was in the Devon Artillery Militia. Where would I be able to find records for the Devon Artillery Militia?
Family folklore has been passed down that Samuel Adams was not his real name and he changed it when joining the Army Royal Artillery in 1895. All records after this date show him as Samuel Adams with his parents named as Simeon (Journeyman Butcher on Samuels marriage certificate) and Mary living in Bristol. No records can be found for his St Phillips Parish Bristol baptism, birth registration and 1818/1891 census records prior to him joining the army. Neither can any census records be found for his parents or their marriage. On his Attestation papers he lists his mother Mary as his next of kin and living at  1 Windsor Grove, Upper Easton, Bristol. I presume he did not list his father as he was deceased or maybe estranged? Hence changing his name .I am hoping he did not change his first name and there is a Samuel born 1875 in the Devon Artillery Militia records (if available), maybe I am clutching at straws as this brickwall is resisting everything

[km1971]

You would normally expect his Militia record to be on Findmypast as well as his attestation for the Regular army. But I cannot find it. If the question is could he have joined the Militia under a different name, then the answer is almost certainly no. The Regular army would contact his Militia unit to ensure they had given leave to enlist in the Regular army. Otherwise he would have had to purchase his discharge from the Militia. Also he may have received a bounty when joining the Militia. Some of this would have had to be repaid.

You can do a search on FindMyPast for devon artillery in the keyword slot, and leaving all other spaces blank. You get over 800 men which you can try and match. Only forms after about 1902 include next of kin. But a recruit had to record where he had been living for the previous 12 months. The Militia also sent a couple of NCOs around to check his residence. It was a requirement that a Militia man lived in the county he was applying to join. So joining a Militia under a false name was difficult to do.

The Regular army did not do this.

Unfortunately the Militia musters for Devon Artillery stop in the 1870s.

Ken

[bowman]

Hi, having found his Attestation for the RA in 1895, on the last sheet it states that his education was at the 'Duke of York's Royal Military School' you may like to check out this link for the national archives, http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/browse/r/r/C14350 .

Good Hunting bowman

[km1971]

... 'Duke of York's Royal Military School' ....

Is part of the printed form and has been left blank.

Ken

[wdytya]

Hi Ken
Thank you for your prompt reply and the interesting information you have supplied. Knowing very little about army records I am confused when you say  “you can do a search on FindMyPast for devon artillery and then say unfortunately the Militia musters for Devon Artillery stop in the 1870s.”
As he joined the army in 1895 and the musters stopped in 1870’s is that why you could not find a militia record for him or am I confusing two different types of record?
Given he has always recorded that he was born in Bristol and his mothers address was Bristol I was surprised when you say he must have been living in Devon when he joined the militia. Something else for me to investigate.
On his attestation papers I cannot understand on question 11 when he answers no but cannot read the next word, is it CPL?

Thanks again

Jon

[spotter2015]

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_srt=0&_q=Devon+Artillery+Militia&_ps=60

[redtonyt]

Answer to question 11 -

'No except in the Militia in which I am now serving'

Tony

[km1971]

Two different types of record. FindMyPast have an individual's record - like the one you found when he joined the RA. The musters books - a bit like a school register but taken monthly, not every day.

Ken

[wdytya]

Was there a minimum age that Samuel Adams would have had to been before enlisting with the Devon Artillery Militia? Given he joined the regular army in 1895 aged 20 he must have been in his teens.