Colour Sergeant 2/10 Regiment

[IanJBarrow]

I have a Gt Gt Grandfather who in 1868 was a Colour Sergeant in the 2/10 Reg of Foot. How long would he have taken to rise to this rank. How important was this rank.
I have details of his Marriage to Catherine Keoling in Trimulgherry India 1867 and birth of three children Alfred H 1868 in Trimulgherry, Maud M 1872 in Bangalore and Victoria E 1874 Born at sea whilst regiment moving to Singapore. Any one know where to find records of regiment in singapore. Or records of their movements 1/10 and 2/10
TIA
Ian

[tonepad]

The 1st Battalion the 10th Regiment (North Lincolnshire) were involved in the Perak War.
The officers mentioned in the article about HMS Victor Emmanuel found by ShaunJ took part in the war. Captain William Whitla and Lieutenant Armstrong William Elliott are mentioned in the link below.

http://www.kaiserscross.com/304501/471964.html


Tony

[Andy J2022]

I have a Gt Gt Grandfather who in 1868 was a Colour Sergeant in the 2/10 Reg of Foot. How long would he have taken to rise to this rank. How important was this rank.

I take it you don't have his service record. His promotion dates would normally be listed on the second page of his WO Form 83, completed when a soldier was discharged.

In the case of my gr grandfather, he made it to Colour Sergeant within 5 years but I suspect that this was purely because a temporary vacancy occurred as he only held the appointment (note: it was not recorded as a promotion) for 3 months before being 'deprived of Colours'  and reverting to Sergeant. He was subsequently reappointed the following year. The reversion was not a disciplinary matter as he gained his first, second and third good conduct pay awards throughout the period on target.

There was usually one colour sergeant per company, so he was, in effect, the senior non-commissioned officer in the company at a time when the appointment of company sergeant major did not exist. A colour sergeant was (and still is) responsible for the company's stores.

[ShaunJ]

Robert Gillingham's service records have not survived and it seems likely that he died in service, probably in Singapore or the Malay states between 1874 and 1878.

Son Alfred was admitted to the Royal Military Asylum in 1879 aged 11 years 2 months (so around March or April 1879). Parents named as Robert and Kate.

The 1861 and 1871 British Army indexes (compiled from muster books and paylists) have the following entries for soldiers named Robert Gillingham in the 10th Regiment of Foot:   

1861: Corporal, No: 274, 1 Battalion at Aldershot
1871: Colour Sergeant, No: 1740, 2 Battalion, Rangoon

You can trace the movements of each battalion month by month via "Stations of the British Army" in contemporary newspapers, the Naval and Military Gazette being the most informative.

[IanJBarrow]

Hi Thanks for the reply. I have a record of the 1740 in Rangoon WO 12/2832. Did they get new numbers when pomoted ie 274 could become 1740. Also have Alfred in Miltary Asylum. It is the Period between Oct 1874 when wife was in transit to Syngapore and 1879 thyat we can fine no records of either the Mother or Father dying.
Need a trip to Kew I think

[Andy J2022]

Did they get new numbers when pomoted ie 274 could become 1740.

No, not on promotion but he would have done when he moved to the 2nd battalion

[bbart]

birth of three children Alfred H 1868 in Trimulgherry, Maud M 1872 in Bangalore and Victoria E 1874 Born at sea whilst regiment moving to Singapore.

Familysearch has a couple of baptisms in Trimulgherry that fit in nicely between Alfred and Maud.
Both are born to a Robert and Catherine, and both are surnames that could be a mistranscribed "Gillingham"

Edith Gillinghem
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FGH3-TLT

Agnes Louisa Gillinghan
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FG86-2F9

These are indexes, not images.
Familysearch is free, just need to register an email address with them.

The index for the marriage of Robert and Catherine is also there, although you more than likely have all that info:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FGVH-1VV