Simple question about soldiers during late 1790's - early 1800's

[Maggie64]

What if today is year 1814, what if this soldier was being killed in the battle in Europe.
Would his family get any letter from his army regiment to inform them about their son being killed ? Did any soldiers carry any book or paper  to inform about their family in their pack ? Or they do not care about it ? What do u think ?  Just wondering that is all.
Many thanks
Maggie

[km1971]

Hi Maggie

Interesting question. The attestation form used for recruits did not include next of kin. It did record parish of birth so the army may have written to the parish priest to inform them. But that probably did not happen either. The families could have asked someone who could write to send a letter to the War Office if they had not heard from the soldier for some time. At which time the War Office could tell them that their relative had died.

The Paymasters sent the muster book (which also acted as a paylist) back to the War Office, so the WO would have the information to hand. Soldiers could use the pay system to send money to their families. The Paymaster informed the regimental agent/War Office who then reduced the money sent to the regiment, which the remittance sent to the family. However the soldiers had little money left so remittances are rare.

The Royal Navy appear to have auctioned the dead man's possessions and sent the money to his family. But the RN was more organised compared to the army when looking after it's men. Officers would often leave money to the Chatham/Greenwich chest, which was used to provide relief for RN/Royal Marine dependents.

Ken

[Maggie64]

Thank you Ken for getting back to me about that.

Yeah I got the lists of pay that was paid to my 4x great grandfather Edward Brennan who was private soldier with 88th Regiment from 1813-1822.  I could not believe that he earned so much little wages from the war.  I was hoping to find any information on his family on his pay lists but nothing just showed about how much wages / when worked / where worked etc that is all.

I got photocopies of his discharged army papers/ pay musters from National Archives in Kew from few years ago ... Edward did not get any wounded from the war but he had accident at Aberdeen or Fort George during the year 1817-1819 that caused him being unfit and illness in 1822.   I wish there was more papers on him but I guess that is all I have on him from Kew.

I visited the King House in Boyle Ireland last May for my holiday,  it was lovely to see all war medals, guns, drums, uniforms, when I came into the King House, the front desk was asking me to see if my ancestor was involved with Connaught Rangers I said yes I told them the year was 1813-1822.   That is shame that the King House museum have not much stuff from that times but mostly after 1840s that was okay i enjoyed myself at the King House. 

Thank you for your help much appreciated.
cherrio from Maggie in Canada

[Regorian]

Very interesting question indeed. Ken suggests that part of pay could be drawn by family back home for wife and children. I thought that only applied to Irish soldiers (wife and children in Ireland) in Irish regiments......and you ancestor was 88th Connaught Rangers.

As suggested, there was no 'war office telegram'. The High Command of the Army was at the Horse Guards in Whitehall and known as Horse Guards and is still there. It was presumably a matter of luck whether anyone could write letters home to acquaint families of those comades killed in action.

If the dependents were in receipt of part pay, then the stoppage would have signalled the death in service of the soldier.

Army pay books did not start until possibly the 1840's. Whatever year it was the Duke of Wellington was C in C at the time. He drew up the forerunner of AB64. He provided details of a soldier as model. That's where Private Thomas Atkins (Tommy Atkins) comes from. Possibly 50 years after, Wellington still remembered Private Thomas Atkins KIA 1794 when Arthur Wellesley was colonel of the 33rd Regiment.     

[km1971]

In the early 19th century men could make ad-hoc remittances rather than a set amount of money deducted each quarter. Later in the century married men had a set amount of money sent to their wife if his family was not with him. The amount deducted depended upon number of children up to a maximum of (from memory) about 9d a day.

Ken

[Maggie64]

Good morning from Canada,  I wanted to say big thank you for getting back to me about those questions much appreciated.

I could not believe that many soldiers were paid with very little salary and had lots of beer !!!!  I am sure they were relieved from fighting in the war with lots of beer.   I felt sorry for those soldiers being away from their family, their homes, and their works for the war.  They must be very tired from long journey on ships, cold/hot weathers, damp wet weather, food shortages, walking up the glens, windy weathers !!!   I could not stand like that for sure !!!

Thank you again.  cherrio Maggie

[km1971]

Hi Maggie

Beer was actually a foodstuff as well. Even children were given 'small beer' made from the third use of the ingredients. The water was not safe, even in the UK. If beer was not available, men got 'beer money' in lieu.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_beer

Soldier enlisting before 1818 were given 'half-period' - a 50% bonus in pensionable service for any time spent in either the West or East Indies. Such was the dangers of (in particular) waterborne diseases.

Ken

[Maggie64]

Thank you for interesting link about the beer.   Not easy to deal with dirty water at that time ... thank you so much for provide me the link.  I learned something new thank you.  Maggie

[Maggie64]

sorry about attachment not good too fuzzy.  I will try again in few minutes.