Royal Artillary.....

[rdem]

My great great great grandfather David Watson b. 1782, Fordoun, Kincardineshire joined the Royal Artillary. I had some research done on him at the PRO and he was found on board ship near New Brunswick and Halifax during the war of 1812-1814 with the Americans. He received a pension from them according to the 1851 census, so he was in the for a few years. I am wondering why he would join this particular regiment since one would think that if he was anxious to join the military that he would join a Highland regiment. He subsequently married in Arbuthnott and crofted there. He left an estate of ninety pounds in 1859.

[DavidWW]

My great great great grandfather David Watson b. 1782, Fordoun, Kincardineshire joined the Royal Artillary. I had some research done on him at the PRO and he was found on board ship near New Brunswick and Halifax during the war of 1812-1814 with the Americans. He received a pension from them according to the 1851 census, so he was in the for a few years. I am wondering why he would join this particular regiment since one would think that if he was anxious to join the military that he would join a Highland regiment. He subsequently married in Arbuthnott and crofted there. He left an estate of ninety pounds in 1859.

Hi redem

While it is the case that many areas had close connections, often via a family links, to a particular Scottish regiment, it very much depended if that regiment was recruiting when your ancestor decided to consider the military way of life.

Up to the 1870s/80s any regiment or corps from anywhere in the UK was fully entitled to send recruiting parties to whatever areas of the British Isles where they felt that they could pick up recruits.

Why did my ancestor from Montrose (Black Watch "country" traditionally, - still is !!) decide to join the Cameron Highlanders ?! ...................

David