1848 Medal Retrospective for 1793-1814

[bramhallbill]

Our 3rd GGF Roger Gillespie is said to have got a "Gold Clasp". He died in 1870 so he was around for the medal. At Salamanca he was in the RHA & his horse  badly injured him & Waterloo was the last action before pension. Some think he served in Alexandria & West Indies before Peninsula Wars.
He is on the 1815 roll but I can't think where else he can be listed. Gillispie  is an alternative. Any tips appreciated.

[km1971]

Officers received either a Gold Cross or a Gold medal for battles in the Peninsular. Other Ranks received nothing. So I do not know what a gold clasp was. The ORs had to wait until the Military General Service Medal was authorised in 1847. There are two pages on FindMyPast saying that his original record was lost. But it gives enough information to confirm it is for the same man as the Waterloo Roll. At Waterloo he served with a Rocket Troop, but it says in the margins he was with a small detachment from the Horse Artillery.

Can you post a link to his MGS medal listing?

FindMyPast says he was born in Drumbo, Belfast abt1787

I do not believe he served in the West Indies. He would have received a 50% bonus in pensionable service - 'half period' - due to the probability of catching something exotic. And his 15 years 212 days matches the actual time he served - January 1805 to 31 July 1820.

Ken

[bramhallbill]

Thanks Ken
The 1815 was Sub Unit:   Major Whingate's (Rocket) Troop
Fate:   Detachment Royal Horse Artillery
Rank:   Gunner
On 1841, 1851,  census Roger Gillespie says he is from Scotland.1851 Glasgow.
!861 not found....perhaps they just did not open the door......

The "Drumbo" Gillespie did not get a Waterloo Medal....It is not clear cut

The Record of service came from his obituary (death 27 Nov 1870 Woodbridge) Ipswich Journal Dec 3rd 1870 "     85 Yrs Old Formerly a Bombardier in RA.  6 Campaigns 36 Actions (or 8/38) Egypt under Sir Ralph Abercrombie, West Indies (inc Taking of MonteVideo), Cape of Good Hope. Peninsula (inc Corunna), Holland /Walcheren. Peninsula again with Busaco,Fuentes D'onore,Cuidad Rodrigo,Badajoz,Salamanca, Vittoria,Nievelle,Nive,Orthes,Toulouse. At Salamanca Gillespie had his horse shot  from under him & he was severely wounded. Gillespie was back at Waterloo and that closed his career.Gillespie received the gold clasp for distinguished conduct in the field"

Rather a lot of action!!!!

The other thing is that 16 April 1814 he signed himself as Roger Gillispie of Royal Horse Artillery as he marries Frances Hutton (A widow) St Mary Woodbridge......

Is a Gunner same as a Bombardier?

[MaxD]

At the time he was serving (important because it changed in 1920), a Bombardier was the next Royal Artillery and Royal Horse Artillery rank up from Gunner (the private soldier rank). 

The 1815 unit was commanded by Whinyate rather than Whingate. 

Wikipedia has a bit about the present day successors of the 19th century Rocket Troops at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_Battery_(The_Rocket_Troop)_Royal_Horse_Artillery

Small factoid - O Battery, then a sub unit of 2nd Field Regiment Royal Artillery, was commanded in the first Gulf War by a Gillespie.

[km1971]

The "Drumbo" Gillespie did not get a Waterloo Medal....It is not clear cut

I am away from my main PC. I believe he did get two years added to his pensionable service for being a 'Waterloo man'

In his time Gunner was the lowest rank in the artillery. It was equivalent to an infantry Private. Bombardier was next step up - one stripe (before 1920). Men might start as an Acting Bombardier - one stripe, but without the pay. They would be addressed as Bombardier. If a vacancy had not appeared within (say) a year, he could be put back to Gunner.

Ken

[bramhallbill]

just got this on old computer

[bramhallbill]

Reading between the lines I think Roger was in a Detachment of RHA of Whyniate's Rocket Troops.
c/f Edward Marks an established Bombardier in the Rocket Troop

[peterd500]

Am very interested to view these posts.   

It isn't my line, but my first cousin is the grandson of Alice Maud Bowley BROOKER (=George CRAWFORD), daughter of Caroline Elizabeth GILLESPIE (1872=Thomas William BROOKER,went to New Zealand soon after the marriage), daughter of William GILLESPIE (=Eleanor WILLIS), son of Roger GILLESPIE & Frances KEEBLE (info seen online).   But I have seen that Roger married Frances UTTING or HUTTON, not KEEBLE.

The recent posts say that Frances HUTTON was a widow.  So does that mean that Frances KEEBLE & Frances HUTTON are the same person, i.e. one is the maiden name and the other is the married name?

Someone online has given Roger's birthplace as Drumbo in Ireland but I have seen the census info in which Roger is from Glasgow.

I would dearly love to tell my cousin that his ancestor fought at Waterloo.  Can anyone confirm for sure that he is the ancestor of my cousin?   Is the Drumbo man a different person?

George CRAWFORD saw service in WWI,

Peter in kiwiland

[peterd500]

This page explains that Frances KEEPLE's first marriage was to Robert HUTTON in 1806.

http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Keeble-142#_note-0