25th Regt. of Foot 1804.

[Jim Iz]

Hello folks,
Can anyone help me discover a little more info about my 4th great grandfather George CROCKER, who was a Sergeant in 1804 at his daughter's baptism in Prestonpans, East Lothian.
Later he was a Chelsea Pensioner, having been admitted to the Royal Hospital in 1814 suffering with asthma.

I am assuming that it was his military service that took him to Scotland since the regiment became the KOSB during his service, and so he may have been stationed at Berwick? (He was born in Hampstead Marshall, Berkshire, in 1773.)

I'm wondering where I can discover some details of his military career?
Any help appreciated!
Thanks,
Jim

[ciderdrinker]

Hello and Welcome
We're here to help
Saying that it's not really my area but there is an entry for a George Crocker in the National Archives.

George Crocker serjeant 2/25th foot
Enlisted 9th Nov 1807

WO25 950

This last bit gives us  https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4397810

A list of service for all NCO's and men 24th June 1806.

It has to be ordered so I'm not sure how long taking a copy would take.

There is also a record of the ending of his pension 22nd July 1855 after his death.Resident Oxford.Pension from 2 Nov 1814.His pension had been 6'

Ciderdrinker

[Jim Iz]

Many thanks for these leads!
How did you search at tna to find this info? (I have find the catalogue search there a little daunting!)

Those enlistment and pension commencement dates tie in exactly with the Royal Chelsea Hospital records, however as the record you've highlighted states, this still leaves the question of why George was 'eligible to serve abroad' in 1806, a year before his supposed enlistment, and also appears as a sergeant in 1804 at his daughter's baptism...

Any ideas? Was he perhaps previously enlisted in a different unit?
Is the next stage for me to order or go and view the tna record?

Thanks again!

[Bookbox]

Was he perhaps previously enlisted in a different unit?

When his daughter was baptised in 1804, he was a sergeant in the Berwickshire Militia. So if the WO 25 record is also his, he must have subsequently joined the regular army.

You may find this thread on the Berwickshire Militia useful ...
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=542353.9

[Jim Iz]

Aha! Thanks Bookbox!

Were you able discover this from a fuller baptism transcription, or at tna?

Interesting that his rank may have been transferred when he enlisted in the regular army? Was that a thing that happened?

Also wondering how he came to be in the Berwickshire Militia so far from his Berkshire home - but I have seen on another thread that they moved around - at least as far as Suffolk!

Do you have any info on their movements, or should I enquire on the thread you've kindly signposted?

Presumably as a sergeant in 1804 he enlisted with the militia some years previously.

[Bookbox]

Were you able discover this from a fuller baptism transcription, or at tna?

The image of the baptism in the register for Prestonpans shows:

12 Dec [1804]
George Crocker Sergeant Ber: Mil: & Charlotte Grey his wife, a Daughter Charlotte born 29 Nov.

There are two other entries on the same page for fathers in the Berwickshire Militia, and one in the Renfrewshire Militia.

At present I have no information other than what you have presumably already found, in the Description Book for the 2nd battalion 25th Foot (WO 25/352), as digitised by Ancestry.

I think you need ciderdrinker to return, to explain the source of their information and how they know that WO 25/950 (which isn't online) refers to George Crocker.

[ciderdrinker]

Hello
Yes I found the reference online at FindMyPast .But FindMyPast doesn't give the record just the index number /reference for the document at the National Archives.

Like you I find the catalogue for Archives really confusing and hard going ,but taking the reference and keying it only into the search form I got this.

25 Foot-2 Battalion. Statements of the Periods of service of all NCOs and Men, who were liable to serve abroad on 24 June 1806
Ordering and viewing options
This record has not been digitised and cannot be downloaded.

You can order records in advance to be ready for you when you visit Kew. You will need a reader's ticket to do this. Or, you can request a quotation for a copy to be sent to you.


Reference:   WO 25/950
Description:   
25 Foot-2 Battalion. Statements of the Periods of service of all NCOs and Men, who were liable to serve abroad on 24 June 1806.

Date:   1806 June 24

The second battalion was raised about that date from recuits mainly from the Borders area ,so they would have welcomed George with open arms.

I'm not very good on military records so I don't know what it will show but it may be worth a look.
And if you have the details maybe someone else who knows what they are doing in this area can help.

Ciderdrinker

[Jim Iz]

Many thanks both!

I must confess that I had previously come across the Ber: Mil: note but had wrongly assumed it related to a place rather than the Berwickshire Militia!

So I will pursue the leads you have given me - I see that I also have the option to apply to the KOSB museum at Berwick to research George's records (the tna records are from there anyway).

I will also put up a query on the Militia's message board here.

Thanks again for your help.