Can I discover more about an Eighteenth Century soldier?

[Davedrave]

In the graveyard of the Great Meeting Unitarian Chapel in Leicester is the gravestone of Captain Nathaniel Spencer, who died at Worksop “on his march home”, in 1783. I can’t find a burial record, which in any case may or may not have provided any clue was to where he was on his way from. Where might I look? It has been suggested to me that he was returning from the American War of Independence, but I can’t think why he’d have travelled via Worksop if that were the case.

Dave

[GrahamSimons]

This may help:
https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/british-army-officers-1913/

[ShaunJ]

There's a PCC will for Lieutenant Nathaniel Spencer of the Leicestershire militia, proved in 1784.

Will dated 1779.

1782 muster lists him as a Captain

[ShaunJ]

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D386332

[arthurk]

The Great Meeting burial registers are at TNA under reference RG4/1299, and can be seen on a number of sites in their collections of nonconformist registers.

There's the burial of a Captain Spencer in 1783, with what looks like his age, but nothing about where he'd been coming from. There's also an M. Spencer, a Boy, on the day before - comparing with other entries I think the M. will stand for Master.

[Davedrave]

Thanks all for your help. I'm trying to find out this information for the son of a former minister of the chapel, who no longer lives in Leicester, but was clearly struck by the gravestone, because he recalls it from his schooldays in the 1950's. I would have to see the gravestone again, which I should hopefully be able to do before too long, to check that I am correct in remembering it as mentioning his death in Worksop. Unfortunately, though there is a reference to the gravestone on the Historic England website, there is no image online.

The gentleman interested in the headstone believes that Captain Spencer was on his way home from the American Revolutionary War, and he was certainly in the army at the right time. His PCC will says he was formerly in the 79th Regiment of Foot. However, by 1778 he was presumably serving with the Leicestershire Militia, because I've found this:

http://record-office-catalogue.leics.gov.uk/CalmView/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=QS%2f67%2f1%2f5%2f30&pos=8

There are further entries for 1779 and 1780, and he had been promoted to captain by the time of the 1779 record.

A couple of points I'd appreciate help with, if possible:

1) Do these records mean that Captain Spencer was present in the town of Leicester on these dates in 1778, 1779 and 1780?

2) Was the Leicestershire Militia the same thing as the Leicestershire Regiment, aka the 17th Regiment of Foot, which certainly seems to have had an illustrious role in the American war? My understanding of the Wikipedia entry for the Leicestershire Regiment suggests that it was not the same thing at that time. Was the militia more like a reserve unit?

If Captain Spencer did indeed die at Worksop (which, as far as I can see, was on the route of the Great North Road) then it suggests he may have been on some sort of service in the north of England (or even Scotland?) prior to dying "on his march home".

Dave

[arthurk]

... I would have to see the gravestone again, which I should hopefully be able to do before too long, to check that I am correct in remembering it as mentioning his death in Worksop. Unfortunately, though there is a reference to the gravestone on the Historic England website, there is no image online.

It's on Findagrave - https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/107780104/spencer

Unfortunately it's quite a small image, but it's possible to make out "Who died at Worksop on his March home". It's 10 years since it was taken, but the entry helpfully mentions that it's now (or was then) on its side, and it looks to be resting against a brick wall of a building.

[Davedrave]

Many thanks for this link. Yes, I can definitely read it. It's in the same position as it was when I photographed it back in about 2007 or 2008. Incidentally, what a pity that gravestones of this quality just get put aside like this. The chapel actually has a nice little graveyard/garden with plenty of space to display the gravestone properly, and it's a real oasis unexpectedly right in the heart of the city centre, though I'm not sure that it is currently open to the public, probably due to attracting anti-social individuals.

Dave

[arthurk]

It doesn't really add much now, but there's a transcription of the memorial inscriptions at the Internet Archive - this one is at

https://archive.org/details/epitaphsingravey00pageiala/page/80/mode/2up?view=theater

Link found on chapel's own website; see also the gallery there for pictures of the burial ground behind the building.