John LESTER b.1771 Army reserve record 48th Foot.

[Mowsehowse]

Transcript of John LESTER's record:
Reference E182/503(pt3)
Volume Vol. 4
Year 1803
Dataset title: Army of Reserve
Place: Preston
Record set: Napoleonic War Records 1775 - 1817
County: Lancashire
Category: Military Service & Conflict
Country England
Subcategory Other Wars & Conflicts
Unit or regiment 48th Foot
Collections from Great Britain, England

I found this on FindMyPast and I have tried searching the National Archive, without success.
Does anyone have the skills to find the record please?
Keeping fingers crossed. Many thanks. 

[ShaunJ]

"The records originate from E182 (Deserter Bounty Certificates) and WO12 (Muster Books and Pay Lists) at The National Archives."

https://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-records/napoleonic-war-records-1775---1817

[ShaunJ]

Hmmm  https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C3241220

[Mowsehowse]

"The records originate from E182 (Deserter Bounty Certificates) and WO12 (Muster Books and Pay Lists) at The National Archives."

https://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-records/napoleonic-war-records-1775---1817

Thank you. Yes. As I said, I found that on FindMyPast..............

[Mowsehowse]

Hmmm  https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C3241220

Sorry?
Particulars of Account of Land and Assessed Taxes: Lancashire

How does that help me?
Clearly I am being dense!

[Andy J2022]

Mowsehowse,

You are not being dense. FindMyPast have clearly given an incorrect reference. I think Shaun spotted this, hence his 'Hmmm'.
You would need to take up the issue with the FindMyPast helpdesk. Nothing relevent comes up in a TNA search for Deserter Bounty Certificates.
You won't find a result for John Lester in WO 12 because the muster rolls haven't been digitised, and in any case, if he was on the reserve he wouldn't appear in the muster rolls which were for recording soldiers serving with the colours, not reservists. His earlier service would show up, however that would involve a personal visit to TNA or paying a researcher to look on your behalf.

[Mowsehowse]

Ok. Thank you Andy.
So I will not find a record on line, and the FindMyPast info in my original post is not correct?
Or it is all I am going to get without professional help?

I have a census entry 1851 that lists him as a "Chelsea Pensioner" in Lancs.
I understand that all Army pensioners were colloquially known as Chelsea Pensioners.
(Though, as a Londoner, to me that phrase means something more specific and includes scarlet coats).

I am compiling a family history for someone adopted at birth, and I want to give a sense of what the biological family were about, but I don't want to give false information, which is why I need to know if I can cite the FindMyPast 48th Foot entry with confidence.

Many thanks.

[Mowsehowse]

The records originate from E182 (Deserter Bounty Certificates)

   Oh no!!!
Should I understand he was likely to have been a deserter??

Definitely being dense!!

[Andy J2022]

Ok. Thank you Andy.
So I will not find a record on line, and the FindMyPast info in my original post is not correct?
Or it is all I am going to get without professional help?

I don't think the whole entry is incorrect, just the reference to 'E 182'. It would definitely be worth raising the issue with the FindMyPast helpdesk (who are both human and fairly helpful). If they can track down the correct TNA source reference you may be able to locate more details.   

How sure are you that these details refers to the man you are looking for? And on the point about being a Chelsea pensioner, he was most likely to have been an out-pensioner, that is to say he lived at home and drew his pension from the paymaster at his local barracks.  The in-pensioners had to wear their uniform within the Chelsea Hospital and out in public, as they do today.

I am surprised not to have found a Chelsea record for him. There are several records for other John Lesters, but not one in the 48th, hence my question about how sure you are about the man in the 48th.

Re Deserters. He couldn't have been both a deserter and a Chelsea Pensioner.