INTRODUCTION (and research advice) - please read

[Garen]

This section is for anyone who has a query about an individual soldier or sailor who saw all or part of their service within the Victorian era as covered by the forum (1837-1902).

When asking a question, it would be helpful if you could include as much information as you already have (in brief, no essays please) so that time is not wasted uncovering details you already know. Start with just two or three specific questions to begin with, if you can. Names and dates are always important starting points!

With a diverse range of interests within the Victorian Wars Forum, and a variety of resources available to our different members, hopefully someone can help you with your query - or you may have an answer for someone yourself.

Please remember that sometimes quite a lot of time can be spent searching for even a simple detail - so be patient. If you think your query may have been overlooked, you're welcome to bump your thread every now and then - new members may have joined with different expertise and/or resources. And do please remember to say a little 'thank you', even if helpers have looked and found nothing - they may still have spent the best part of an afternoon straining their eyes looking through a hand-written medal roll!

As a final tip - once you've posted your query it might be a good idea to subscribe to the topic (tick box at the bottom of the page). It often happens that someone comes along many months later with an answer, or is a distant relative with new information, and you may have forgotten you posted the query by then. Subscribing to the topic will make sure you get an email notification whenever someone replies.

Research: useful links:

Link: How to obtain a soldier's service record
The easiest starting point for records of a soldier's career is the incomplete collection of Soldiers' Documents (attestation and discharge papers) in WO 97. They cover discharges from the army for the period 1760 to 1913, and are often an excellent source, providing place of birth, age on enlistment, details of appearance and, from 1883 next of kin. For officers have a look here.

Note: As of March 2010 these have started to go up online at the Find My Past website. You can search the index for free but there is a charge to view the actual scanned documents.

Link: Muster Rolls
Muster rolls and pay lists give the enlistment date, movements and discharge date of all soldiers in the British Army. They can be used to trace the service of soldiers who were not discharged to pension. However, to trace a man's movements by way of the musters, you do have to know his regiment.

Links updated 19 May 2011.

[jastapl]

Very helpful. Thank you for the information.

[daisybee]

This is very helpful ..my search is on.

[Keithj]

I presume when you say that muster rolls can be used to trace a man's movements who did not receive a pension that does not mean that if your man did get a pension he won't be found there? I'm just wondering whether pensioned soldiers were weeded out. A couple of questions:

Does the content of the rolls vary much between regiments?
What does a typical entry for a soldier look like and at what intervals would he appear?

Keith

[SWB]

Keith,

Muster rolls are pay lists - so every man is there, where money is concerned the Army don't lose men.

They are a standard format and were compiled quarterly. They simply show how many days in each month "muster" a man was on duty, in hospital and in gaol as they would effect the amount of pay he would get and where the stoppages (for food, board and clothing) were made. When on campaign they also show sometimes if a man was on detached duty from the main body of the regiment.

The muster also contains lists of regular deductions (paid to relatives mostly), fines (mostly drunkeness), recruits, men transferred in, men discharged and cause (i.e. killed in action).

As with all research material they can provide nuggets of gold or simply dusty details of life.

Please note pay and stoppages varied over the Victorian period and have been discussed in various threads on this Forum.

Regards
Meurig

[Keithj]

Thanks, Meurig. The next time I go to Kew my main focus will be on the Anti Aircraft Sections in Salonika in WW1 - where my Grandfather served from 1917-1918 - but I've been pointed at the muster rolls and wondered how much time to set aside. With luck, I could photograph quite a lot of the rolls in not too long a time.

Keith

[Hardarshan S Valia]

My grandfather Sher Singh from India (Punjab Frontier) left three Victorian War Medals; One of them says "Somaliland 1902-1904" with engraving of King Edward on it. My father (before he died) told me that Sher Singh's Punjab Frontier while serving in North West Frontier India was summoned to board ship for Africa. The ship was assaulted by heavy bombardment as it reached African coast; only few soldiers survived from the ship wreck. I have been unable to find any information on this. Can any one give me an idea on what war this was? Thank you very much.
Hardarshan S. Valia

[dewhurstRM]

Hi,
I am doing some family history research and am interested in my ggf who was Royal Marine Artillery and served in the Sudan around the 1884-1887 period.

Great grandfathers name was Edward Dewhurst and his service number was 1458, his record shows he was on HMS Devastation (prior to 1887 when he went to Eastney) he was awarded the Sudan Medal, Khedives's Medal and a Suakin Clasp.

My questions are:-
How can I trace other ships he served on?
Where did he actually go "ashore" and meet the opposing forces?
What was his role as a Royal Marine Artillery gunner both on ship and ashore?

[loewy]

Hi, I have just signed up.
I wonder if anyone could help me. I'm after information on one one of my ancestors. Pvt William Walker 11th hussars.
Served in the Crimea, charged with the light brigade, and was wounded.
I think he was born in or around the Walsall area of the West Midlands.
Any help would be really appreciated
Gary

[Mark]

Hi, I have just signed up.
I wonder if anyone could help me. I'm after information on one one of my ancestors. Pvt William Walker 11th hussars.
Served in the Crimea, charged with the light brigade, and was wounded.
I think he was born in or around the Walsall area of the West Midlands.
Any help would be really appreciated
Gary

Gary

I can confirm a "WALKER, Private William 341" is listed a a Light Brigade charger. He suffered a gunshot wound to his left shoulder during the charge. His medal was sold at auction by Spink in November 1967 and by Nix Noonan Webb in May 1992 - so it should still exist somewhere.

Mark

[crimea1854]

Hi Gary and welcome to the Forum.

There was a William Walker, Regt No. 1621, 11th Hussars, who charged with the Light Brigade, being wounded by a gunshot in the left shoulder. According to the 1851 census he was born in Bonby, Lincolnshire, and at the time of the census was living with his father and mother James & Mary Walker in Terrington St Clement, Norfolk. His father was a Railway Contractor, however, in the 1861 Census his father had become a farmer employing 16 men and boys.

His Crimea medal was presented to him in person by Queen Victoria at Horse Guards on 18th May 1855, and is known to exist, having been sold by Spinks in 1992.

He was discharged by purchase for £30 on 1st September 1855. He died in 1886, and is buried near the porch of Terrington St Clements Church.

Martin