1804 soldiers burials - Brading

[martin hooper]

I came across something peculiar the other day when looking at the Bishops Transcript for Brading 1804. There is a page of 28 burials, each one of them recorded as 'A soldier from the barracks'. I have attached a sample so you can see what I mean. The burials are spread out fairly evenly between April 12th and October 10th.

It raises lots of questions in my mind. Why are they not named? Were they something to do with extra recruits for the war with France? And is it Albany barracks?

Any idea what's going on?

Martin

[ShaunJ]

Apparently there were barns hired as barracks at Brading around that time

https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1806/may/21/barrack-abuses

[martin hooper]

That's interesting. It would be reasonable to assume the soldiers were from those barns, then. And I suppose using the barns meant there was a sudden increase in troop numbers with not enough capacity in existing barracks. French wars?

Martin

[ShaunJ]

I'm also seeing several references to a unit of Sea Fencibles at Brading at that time.

[tonepad]

The buried soldiers may not have been British nationals but from a Foreign Legion - could explain why no names:

https://www.iwhistory.org.uk/archive/newsoct18.htm

See
WAS A RURAL COMMUNITY
TERRORISED BY THE KING'S GERMAN LEGION?


Tony

[martin hooper]

The buried soldiers may not have been British nationals but from a Foreign Legion - could explain why no names:

Tony

Well the dates fit even though there is scant evidence. And if they were foreign and behaving in such a wild manner it might account for 28 deaths in the space of six months. If they really were that badly behaved maybe the bodies were just left where they fell and the villagers saw to it that they were buried. Or maybe my imagination is running away.

Fascinating stuff.

Martin