Mallow County Cork Military Barracks 1860's

[KiwiHugh]

In 1866 Henry Buckley registers a birth at the barracks. He is Staff Sgt North Cork Rifles.  c1836 -11/8/1891. Married to Mary nee Keilly c1845 - 5/5/1906. I have 3 births from c1862 to 1868.
Seeking any information about Henry please.

[FROGSMILE]

In 1866 Henry Buckley registers a birth at the barracks. He is Staff Sgt North Cork Rifles.  c1836 -11/8/1891. Married to Mary nee Keilly c1845 - 5/5/1906. I have 3 births from c1862 to 1868.
Seeking any information about Henry please.

The infantry did not have Staff Sergeants as a rank (the equivalent was Colour Sergeant), but they did have Sergeants on the Permanent Staff (meaning working specifically for the unit as a whole via its HQ, rather than a particular company).  For Militia regiments these most commonly were musketry instructors who were regular (professional) soldiers on attachment.  They were often coming towards the end of their service and as well as instructing the militia men it gave them the opportunity to plan their return to civilian life in a more gradual way.  If at all possible such instructors on the permanent staff had often originally hailed from the local area (although not always) and so might in effect be returning to their home area.

[KiwiHugh]

Thanks Frogsmile. I believe he was probably a local. I failed to mention on one of the bapts occupation was Militia Pensione.

[FROGSMILE]

Thanks Frogsmile. I believe he was probably a local. I failed to mention on one of the bapts occupation was Militia Pensione.

That suggests to me that he must have been a professional soldier then, but who happened to finish his service with the militia.  I say this because an actual militiaman was a civilian and only a part-time, aka ‘auxiliary’ soldier.  After an initial 6-months full time training they then had only to complete 3-weeks training each year in return for being ready for call out when needed.  Ergo their ‘occupation’ on any pension would be shopkeeper, or farmer, Miller, etc.  Only a soldier would be correct to list himself as a pensioner militiaman.  Indeed only a soldier could earn such a pension anyway.  Civilian militiamen had no entitlement to pension, regardless of length of service.  Your man must have earlier service as a regular, it’s just a question of tracking down his original regiment.

[heywood]

There is a Fold3 document (pay site)
Henry Buckley born abt 1836 Mallow
??Cork Militia - Pension date 1880

[FROGSMILE]

There is a Fold3 document (pay site)
Henry Buckley born abt 1836 Mallow
??Cork Militia - Pension date 1880

That fits with the North Cork Rifles mentioned in the opening post and so matches his unit when reaching retirement.

[KiwiHugh]

Thanks heywood. Yes that is him. My bad. It was his death cert that said pensioner. For Elizabeth in 1866 and Henry 1868 Birth Reg it is Staff Sgt...

[FROGSMILE]

Thanks heywood. Yes that is him. My bad. It was his death cert that said pensioner. For Elizabeth in 1866 and Henry 1868 Birth Reg it is Staff Sgt...

That reference to ‘Staff Sergeant’ is a collective term like saying one of a group of foremen, it isn’t his rank.  Infantry militia simply didn’t have the individual rank staff sergeant.  Not at any time.  The group staff sergeants within an infantry battalion comprised, e.g. musketry instructors, pay master sergeants, quarter-master-sergeants, armourer sergeants, and the sergeant major of battalion, to mention just the more senior. The militiamen themselves were civilians, but the staff sergeants were professionals on attachment after regular service.

[KiwiHugh]

Thanks Frogsmile. Got that, was just sorting out my error in saying he was a pensioner in the 1860's.