Help to find death certificate.

[ScouseBoy]

Rubber stamp  says:   "Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders - Special Reserve"   in abbreviated form.

[garngad]

So basically he is a reserve type soldier he does two weeks training every year and gets a couple of quid and a signing on fee the rest of the time he has to work as usual in the days of the poor house no national assistance etc he gets a job on a cargo ship to the Americas somehow drowns and the only record we prob have is in the Crew Agreement suggested by seaweed, they do seem to be the good auld days eh. We really do have it good today compared to them days can I thank everyone's input I really think that I have found out what happened to poor wee Charlie boy I don't think he has been forgotten even though there is no grave to mark just being mentioned on here is as good as a headstone for me anyways.

[seaweed]

If you are happy you have the right man. I will endeavour to look at the relevant Logbook.
I will be at Kew on Friday 16/Sept/2016.
"Drowning" is a catch all. Hopefully the Log will give us a little more info as to the circumstances of his demise.
No promises as I have a lot on but will do my best.

[garngad]

Seaweed please don't think I am angling for a free ride I really appriciate your offer it was more the cost of 40 dollars plus then to find nothing or it leading to another search I really mean it when I say I think that I have found Charles and his demise we all know the cost of this constant searching of the sites the endless dead ends but I think private Charles Crawford is the one we have located and once again a big thank you to All who have contributed and looked at a wee peek of his life.

[mjmalcolm]

Hi, I am a newbie to this forum but arrived at this post following a search on SS Orcadian.  I too had a relative who drowned aboard this ship on 14 April 1908.  Does anyone know what was going on and how the facts can be established?  Despite being a Scot, his actual death record is not listed on ScotlandsPeople.  The National Archive have scant information, but enough to identify the victim as who I am looking for.  Any help would be appreciated.  Stay safe, Michael

[garngad]

Sincere apologies it has been 2 years since i visited this post illness and forgetfullness (sad to see that seaweed has passed away R.I.P. roger) thought I would post the result from the ship's crew agreement which clarified that it is indeed my Charles Crawford that died in Montevideo posting the result's here many thanks for all the help offered and given sorry to mjmalcolm as i am unable to give any more information for his search only to follow the advice that has been posted hope this helps.Ps if anyone could explain the comment next to where it says died regards wages as that is the only part I cant read correctly I would be grateful once again many thanks to all.

[Andy J2022]

garngad,

Just to clarify some of the comments in earlier postings, the Special Reserve was created in 1908 at the same time as the Territorial Force was created. It had been intended that all the members of the old Volunteer Regiments and the Militia would be enrolled in the new TF, but there was considerable opposition to the new terms of service, which meant that once the men of the TF were called out (embodied) they could be deployed overseas. Previously the Militia were solely intended for home defence. To cope with this resistance, the Special Reserve was created. It consisted of former Militiamen who agreed to be deployed overseas if necessary. This is why Charles Crawford was shown as having agreed to join the Special Reserve on 2 Aug 1908, just after its formation. He would have been paid a higher bounty than his former militia colleagues who opted to remain on their old terms of service.
More details here

[garngad]

Superb Andy thanks for the info of course bk when i started the post I did realise that Charles was in the Militia and not the regular army it is documented that for I think four weeks a year you could sign up and be paid but still go and obtain regular work after when you could get it just like his papers seem to testify if Charles had survived he would have been a cert to join the regulars in WW1 his older brother by 2 yrs Edward was conscripted into the Labour coy and later his nephews who served in the 2nd WW I think his memory lives on in these wee posts as in the mists of time we had lost what had happened to him so thank you everyone who has contributed.