George MacKay/McKay Private, 1st Battalion 9th Highlanders, Richmond Barracks, D

[ShaunJ]

George was born in 1853 in Dublin Ireland

How do you know that?

[Winston55]

Other people were convinced that was the date however now that I have looked more closely at the marriage certificate and their age is listed as full that would make him 21 when he married in 1871 so the date would be 1850 unless of course he lied about his age.

[Winston55]

She married George MacKay in Dublin
John MacLeod and Alexander Baxter in Glasgow

[ShaunJ]

With 11 years of reckonable army service before March 1874 I would think he must have been born well before 1850.

He was in Dublin in 1871 because that's where 1st Battalion of 9th Regiment was based at that time. It doesn't mean he was born there.

[MaxD]

As ShaunJ is piecing together, the man who married in Dublin in 1871 as a member of the 9th Regiment of Foot is without doubt the same man who left the army in 1874.  1st Battalion were stationed in Pembroke Dock and the depot was in Yarmouth.

The "Light Infantry" on the death certificate a generation later may well be a civilian's rendition of the father's regiment. As well as not being highland regiments, none of those mentioned were light infantry.

MaxD

[Winston55]

Thank you both for that information.  I have been looking for so long for some sort of connection.  So exciting!   I need a life .
So is this what I need to do now?
Find his attestation papers and where he was born.
Thanks
Linda

[ShaunJ]

Looking back to the February/March 1863 period when his army service commenced, both battalions of the 9th Foot were in Corfu at that time, with depots in Limerick.

[ShaunJ]

Max - thinking about this man's age,  am I right in thinking that only service from age 18 would have counted towards his 11 years ?

[MaxD]

ShaunJ -  I believe you are right and that would suggest 1840-1845 birth (allowing for possible enlistment from age 14).

Linda - The discharge record that ShaunJ linked to and the 1871 listing appear to be the only military records that survive.  The 1871 listing is taken from the muster book (pay roll) of the 9th Regiment for the period Apr-Jun 1871, he would be listed in each of the quarterly registers during his service with them.  These though have no date/place of birth.

ShaunJ notes that the 9th Regiment depot was in Limerick in 1863 but consideration of ShaunJ's point means re-looking at where the regiment was in the three/four years earlier than that. (I don't see him in the 1861 Worldwide listing).

Even that though cannot be definitive.  Men/boys could join for "general service" and be sent wherever the army wanted them.  The East Norfolk designation of the 9th does not necessarily mean they all came from there.

MaxD