General Leighton's Regiment

[SarahND]

I am completely ignorant of things military and am getting nowhere trying to find out about a regiment that was stationed in Glasgow (I would suppose) in 1760. Here is a marriage record:

30 Nov 1760 Glasgow
Robert Giles Soldier in Genl Leightons Regt. and Christain mKinzie Residr Relict of William James Soldier in the same Regtt.

So obviously what I want to know is where the soldiers in this regiment were likely to have come from, and if there is any record of Robert in particular. I found a couple of Robert Giles records in the National Archives catalogue:

ROBERT GILES Born PONTEFRACT, Yorkshire Served in 35th Foot Regiment Discharged aged 43
ROBERT GILES Born [Not Known] Served in 32nd Foot Regiment; Independent Company of Invalids Discharged aged [Not Known] after 43 years 6 months of service Residence or place where pension paid stated in document.

Somehow I can't find a record of Gen Leighton to see if either one of these matches "his" regiment.

Can anyone point me in the right direction?
Many thanks,
Sarah

[DavidWW]

Before whatever date I can't instantly recall - sometime in the mid 1700s - British army regiments were known by the name of the Colonel.

The regiment later known as the 32nd of Foot, the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry, was at one time known as Colonel Leighton's Regiment of Foot ......

David

[SarahND]

Ah thanks! So is it then likely that the second reference in the catalogue involves a Robert Giles from Gen. (Colonel? Did I read it wrong, or did the registrar write it wrong...) Leighton's Regiment? Of course it would be the one with the unknown birthplace and unknown age!
Thanks,
Sarah

[David Lang]

Sarah

Dont worry i had this for one if my relatives and it actuallt had his parish on , rather than the village so at least it gives you an area.

His discharge papers will probably have where he was going to live , so this might be similar to where he was born

[SarahND]

Dont worry i had this for one if my relatives and it actuallt had his parish on , rather than the village so at least it gives you an area.

Thanks, David. That is good news. Did you go to Kew to get the information or did they send it to you?
Regards,
Sarah

[David Lang]

I ordered online with National Archives and got the records about 10 days later

[DavidWW]

First step, as Sarah has already done, is to check if there are any entries in the TNA online catalogue in the WO series.

TNA will give an estimate of the cost for making photocopies, - recommended just in case there are many pages involved!

What TNA will not do, however, is to carry out research, to see if there are any other WO series documents relating to the man. You have to do that yourself at Kew, or engage the services of specialist researcher.

In this case, the chances look good that this is the man of interest for the one who had served for 43 years and 6 months...... after injury or due to ill health he was placed in the regiment's Company of Invalids.

At that time, when you joined the army, unlike in late decades of the 1800s, you signed up for an unlimited period, - until you were discharged, dead or to pension, or deserted !

This index entry is one of the first that I've seen which appears to be from the pension records, the WO121 series, as opposed to discharge papers, WO97. Good to see that new material continues to be added to the catalogue.

I'll be fascinated to hear just what info of value is included.

It's a bit like the captain of a navy ship, - he can hold any substantive rank (i.e. he's not necessaily a "post captain"), - so with the colonel of a regiment, i.e. he might hold the substantive rank of general while still being the colonel of a regiment. Not quite the same, but you see what I mean !

David

PS Meant to add that http://www.regiments.org/deploy/uk/reg-inf/032-1.htm shows that the 32nd of Foot were in Scotland from 1756 to 1763 .....
dww

[SarahND]

Thanks, David. I have just requested an estimate and will let you know what sort of info is included when I get it.

Another question: Would the soldiers' wives go along with them in their foreign postings, or would they stay home in Scotland having their babies 9 months after every leave? In other words... could this man's children have been born in Canada, Wells, Salisbury or Ireland as the regiment moved around?

Thanks,
Sarah

[DavidWW]

.....snippped ..............
Another question: Would the soldiers' wives go along with them in their foreign postings, or would they stay home in Scotland having their babies 9 months after every leave? In other words... could this man's children have been born in Canada, Wells, Salisbury or Ireland as the regiment moved around?

Thanks,
Sarah

Good question!

A certain number of wives were "tolerated" in terms of their accompanying the regiment to the point of being officially with the regiment, - after all, they performed useful functions in terms of cooking, washing clothes, mending same, etc., <ducks >.....

Not at all unusual to find that other wives accompanied the regiment on an unofficial, "unapproved" basis.

So what if the husband died of illness or injury, or was killed in action?, - almost certainly she would have then remarried to one of his fellow soldiers, and not that long after her first husband's death

David

[SarahND]

So what if the husband died of illness or injury, or was killed in action?, - almost certainly she would have then remarried to one of his fellow soldiers, and not that long after her first husband's death

Which is what she appears to have done in this case after her first husband died. Hmmm. I guess I will have to start looking for births in unusual places! It would be wonderful if he happened to mention his children in those pension documents! My only experience with that is Revolutionary War Pension applications in the U.S. which can give an amazing amount of detail on the family (or next to nothing...) Got my fingers crossed!

I'll let you know what there is.
All the best,
Sarah