Royal sappers and miners/91st Foot

pigwidgeon · Post by **pigwidgeon** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 3:43 pm

Hi, I'm desperately trying to find out more information on one of my husband's ancestors who served as a private in the Royal Sappers and Miners from 1812 to 1818, and subsequently as private/corporal in the 91st Foot until discharge in 1832. I have been able to get his pension discharge papers and would like to find out where he may have served. Are there any service journals or diaries in existence where I might be able to look? We know that he served a spell in the West Indies, Jamaica. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks
Petra

DavidWW · Post by **DavidWW** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 4:53 pm

pigwidgeon wrote:Hi, I'm desperately trying to find out more information on one of my husband's ancestors who served as a private in the Royal Sappers and Miners from 1812 to 1818, and subsequently as private/corporal in the 91st Foot until discharge in 1832. I have been able to get his pension discharge papers and would like to find out where he may have served. Are there any service journals or diaries in existence where I might be able to look? We know that he served a spell in the West Indies, Jamaica. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks
Petra

The 91st of Foot, The Argyllshire Highlanders, is straightforward, - see http://www.regiments.org/deploy/uk/reg-inf/091-1.htm for confirmation of the West Indies, plus England for a couple of years before that. There should be one or more regimental histories that will provide more detailed info, - see the same site at http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/inf/091-794.htm .

The Royal Sappers and Miners from 1812 to 1818 can be seen at http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/a ... sig/RE.htm on the same site, but maybe not in the same level of detail, - you'll have to do some digging.

If you have his discharge papers from 1832, then that should have a summary listing of where he served.

Have you searched the TNA Catalogue at http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/cata ... lt.asp?j=1 to see what references come up in the WO series of documents (NB You need to search on the basis of " FirstName AND Lastname ", - the " AND " has to be in capitals.) In order to get copies of other material such as muster documents, showing where he was on a month-by-month basis, you'll have to go back to Kew, or use an expert researcher, - you won't get the WO reference to those documents in the on-line catalogue.

David

pigwidgeon · Post by **pigwidgeon** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 10:46 pm

Many thanks for your help, David.

Looking at Samuel's service record, no location is given for his time from first enlistment in 1812 to 16th March 1822, so I guess that means he was stationed somewhere in the UK? Under the heading "Promotions, Reductions, &c." it reads "W. Indies 17 March 1822 to 2nd May 1831", during which time he was promoted from private to the rank of corporal, and demoted back again to private. What sort of misdemeanors would cause a demotion like that? Similarly, what may have prompted a promotion?
I've made a few notes on the holdings at Kew. I understand the the National War Museum in Edinburgh are in Possession of a copy of the published army lists, what does that mean? What sort of information can be obtained from army lists?

Petra

DavidWW · Post by **DavidWW** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 11:10 pm

pigwidgeon wrote:Many thanks for your help, David.

Looking at Samuel's service record, no location is given for his time from first enlistment in 1812 to 16th March 1822, so I guess that means he was stationed somewhere in the UK?

I don't know, - I'll ask someone who may.

pigwidgeon wrote:Under the heading "Promotions, Reductions, &c." it reads "W. Indies 17 March 1822 to 2nd May 1831", during which time he was promoted from private to the rank of corporal, and demoted back again to private. What sort of misdemeanors would cause a demotion like that? Similarly, what may have prompted a promotion?

Drunk, and then sober for a longer period

, i.e. good conduct.

pigwidgeon wrote:I've made a few notes on the holdings at Kew. I understand the the National War Museum in Edinburgh are in Possession of a copy of the published army lists, what does that mean? What sort of information can be obtained from army lists?

The army lists relate only to officers, - promotions, postings etc.

David

DavidWW · Post by **DavidWW** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 8:52 am

DavidWW wrote:
pigwidgeon wrote:Many thanks for your help, David.

Looking at Samuel's service record, no location is given for his time from first enlistment in 1812 to 16th March 1822, so I guess that means he was stationed somewhere in the UK?
I don't know, - I'll ask someone who may.

The answer is that the location info in the UK is only likely to be found on the detailed month by month muster documents.

David

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