W H Button served in Sudan 1880s ?

[silicondale]

I am trying to unravel the complicated life of my 2g-uncle William Henry Button, born in Brighton 1863, a hotel porter at Steine Hotel in 1881. Married in Brighton 1888, went to Australia 1891. It gets more complex later, though not directly relevant - but I have learned that in the 1880s between the census and his marriage, he served in the Black Watch regiment, in the Sudan campaign. I already knew that his younger brother George Ernest Button (born 1868) was with 1st Battalion S.Wales Borderers, Aldershot in 1891 and later transferred to the Black Watch. But my question now is - how do I find any information about William Henry's service record? He must have been in the army no more than 6 years or so, 1882-1888. And why a Sussex man (one of several in the extended family) in the Black Watch, a Scottish regiment? Do I need to visit the National Archives, or the Imperial War Museum, perhaps?

[ShaunJ]

There's this one: William Button, born Brighton circa 1863, served in 2nd Black Watch 1882-88 (then in army reserve from 1888-1894) , served in Egypt, had a brother Arthur: -

https://search.findmypast.co.uk/record?id=GBM%2FWO97%2F2428%2F102%2F001&parentid=GBM%2FWO97%2F2428%2F28015

[ShaunJ]

And why a Sussex man (one of several in the extended family) in the Black Watch, a Scottish regiment?

He attested at Brighton, so presumably the Black Watch was recruiting there. 2nd Black Watch was based in Portsmouth at the time (September 1882).

[silicondale]

Many thanks for this, ShaunJ. The dates fit, and that is an explanation for the Black Watch. I don't have a FindMyPast account, but can probably access it from our local library. And he did have a brother Arthur, born 1858 (and another brother Albert, born 1855). Arthur married in 1880 and went to Australia in 1883. He died in Sydney in 1896. Albert went to Australia sometime in the 1870s (missing from the 1881 census) and married in Ringwood, Victoria in 1882. His wife was Margaret Elizabeth Ross, from Inverness. (Is this the Highland connection?)
I guess it's possible that either of them also served in the army, in the 1870s, but haven't seen any suggestions of this.

-Steve