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General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: mjn on Tuesday 22 April 08 19:28 BST (UK)
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I'm having difficulty tracing the baptism of an ancestor which I believe was around 1811. I've found a possible father who was in the 2nd West Yorkshire Militia. Does anyone know where I could find out where the Militia were based around this time, please, as this might give me clues as to where to find the baptism? (I posted this on the West Riding board recently but had no takers. Can anyone help?)
mjn
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Any surviving Muster and Pay Lists for the Militia are in WO13 in Kew.
Ken
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Thank you, Ken. I'm hoping to go to Kew later this year so will take a look then. mjn
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Hi not sure If Its any help ,I have been researching the north york militia because my gggggrandad was born in sunderland in 1797 his father was in the north york militia who were in newcastle and sunderland area 1797 and so were the west york militia ,also If you google 2nd west york militia and the dates there is a lot of info ,also books on the york militias,I have also recieved today from national archive documents hoping it was the person i was looking for which I ordered on line and Its not expensive ,
lynnej
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Many thanks, Lynne. I'll give your suggestions a go. Fingers crossed!
mjn
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Hi mjn
Just saw your message regarding the 2nd West York militia which you posted some time ago. I have a similiar problem in trying to track down the baptism of an ancestor circa 1811. Just like you I have found a possible father for him whom I know joined the 2nd West York militia at the beginning of 1812.
I had a look at the militia muster rolls at the National Archives and found that in 1812/1813, the 2nd West York militia were stationed at:-
1) Colchester Barracks
2) The Tower of London
3) Portsea Barracks
However, I didn't go back as far as 1811. I expect you have long since visited the NA and found the information you require but thought I would post this message just in case you haven't as your problem is so similar to mine.
Incidentally, this information still didn't help me find my ancestor's baptism - I'm still searching!
Hope you had more luck than I did. :)
Regards,
Ermin.
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Hi Ermin
Thanks for your message. I finally tracked down the baptism a couple of years ago in Wakefield. The father was no longer in the Militia. However, the birthplace of one of her brothers is still puzzling as on one census it states it was in Chatham (all the other children were born in Yorkshire). I haven't yet managed to establish whether there is/was an area in Yorkshire called Chatham, or whether this was Chatham in Kent.
I don't know if this is of any interest to you but I did find online that the 2nd West Yorkshire Militia was at the Dover Garrison - Western Heights from May 1808 to June 1809 when they departed for Chatham.
Good luck with your search.
Regards
mjn
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Hi
I have just been reading the history of the 2nd West York militia which gives the following info. for the year 1811:-
26 June 1811 - Marched by route Gosport to Chelmsford
7 August 1811 - Marched by route Chelmsford to Norman Cross
Maybe you could try looking in these areas.
I think the reference to Chatham would be Chatham in Kent.
Ermin
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Hi Ermin
The brother I mentioned was born circa 1813. Does your book mention if the Militia was anywhere near Chatham at this time?
Regards
mjn
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Hi mjn
The book gives the following information for the year 1812 and 1813:-
22 April 1812 - Marched by route Norman Cross to Colchester
16 - 17 Feb 1813 - Marched by route Harwich and Weeley Barracks
12 April 1813 - Marched by route to London
2 July 1813 - Marched by route to Portsea
There's no mention of Chatham in 1813 though. However, there was a military hospital at Chatham and that's where soldiers went to get a medical report before being discharged due to ill health. I wonder whether your ancestor had gone to Chatham for that reason.
Have you had a look at the Muster Rolls and Paylists for the 2nd West York militia at the National Archives and found your ancestor's name as these would tell you exactly where he was in the country in 1813?
If not, if you give me his name, next time I go I'll have a look for you if you like. It might be a few weeks before I go though.
Regards,
Ermin
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Good Morning,
My 3rd great grandmother Margaret Taylor was born in Edinburgh to John Taylor in 1814. She is the only one on that branch of my family born outside of Sheffield, England. The most likely birth record for Margaret has her father John Taylor listed as a private with the 2nd West Yorkshire Militia. Margaret's mother is listed as Christian Fraser.
Would the 2nd West Yorkshire been in Edinburgh in 1814? Is there a way to learn more about John Taylor and the 2nd West Yorkshire Militia? Thank you very much for any assistance, Barbara Baxter
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Hi Barbara
I Have just checked in a book which is the history of the 2nd West York Militia which states:
18 Dec 1813 Marched by route Porchester to Haslar Barracks; thence to Block House Beach and embarked for Ireland
18 Feb 1814 Disembarked at Cork
24 Feb 1814 Marched by route to Wexford
4 Aug 1814 Marched by route to Enniscorthy
1 Nov 1814 Marched by route to Clonmel
13 Sept 1815 Marched from Clonmel to Newcastle
So they seem to have been in Ireland that year. No mention of Edinburgh sadly.
However, if you are able to get to The National Archives at Kew, they have the muster rolls where you should find John Taylor listed. This would tell you exactly where he was during 1814.
Good luck. ;)
Regards
Ermin
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Thank you very much, writing from the US so not able to get to Kew at this time.
John Taylor first turns up in Edinburgh for his marriage in Jan 1807 to Christian Fraser. He is listed as private in the 2nd West Yorks Militia in that document. The 1814 document was the birth of his daughter. Maybe he was not in Edinburgh for the birth in 1814?
Would the muster rolls provide a lot of information on an individual? Would it be worth trying to order the digital documents? Thank you so much for your help, Barbara
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Hi Barbara
I see why you can't get to Kew then!
I don't think the records are online. If I ever go Kew again I will have a look at 1814 for you but it won't be this year though.
I found my ancestor in the records but it is only a list of names for each quarter of the year showing how much they were paid. However it does show exactly where they were stationed. My ancestor transferred to another regiment at the beginning of 1814 so I only looked as far as 1813 when I went.
You say that John married Christian Fraser in Edinburgh. Fraser is Scottish surname so perhaps she was from Scotland and they were married in her parish.
Is it possible, that if John was away with the militia in Ireland in 1814, that Christian had perhaps gone to visit her parents which is why her child was born in Edinburgh?
Just a thought!
Regards
Ermin
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Thank you very much!
John Taylor married Christian Fraser in Jan 1807 in Edinburgh. I did see a reference to the 2nd West York militia being at Edinburgh castle in 1806. Seems likely he met a nice Scottish girl Christian Fraser and then they married in 1807. You are probably right that he was in Ireland when their baby Margaret (my 3rd great grandmother) was born in 1814.
I think John Taylor was originally from Sheffield. Still trying to piece everything together. So much to learn! I really know nothing about militia. Just Wikipedia and google. Thank you very much for any leads, Barbara Baxter
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Hi again Barbara
I just checked my history of 2nd West York militia again and sure enough it states the regiment were:
28 May 1806 Marched by route Haddington to Edinburgh
Also on family search.org website there is a baptism of a Christian Fraser on 10 March 1787 to William Fraser and Christian Brown in the parish of Edinburgh.
So it looks like this could be a good theory.
How wonderful ! You can just imagine the young soldier meeting his Scottish bride in the summer of 1806 when she would have been 19. :)
Regards,
Ermin
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Thank you!
I see Haddington to Edinburgh is about a 20 mile march. I did read the militia was infantry so no horses right?
Am I understanding right that the militia was volunteer? Was it full time militia or I read also that it was a reserve militia and they had occupations also?
Christian was born in 1787 but the marriage certificate has her father as Daniel Fraser, marble cutter, Canongate.
Genealogy is so fascinating! Going back in time and learning history. Thank you so much, Barbara Baxter (first generation Scottish on father's side, Irish and English (Sheffield on mother's side)
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OK so she was definitely born in Edinburgh then as Canongate is in Edinburgh.
Yes the Militia was a military reserve and they had to attend training for a number of weeks each year. They used to hold a ballot to decide who must join but if you were chosen, you could pay a substitute to take your place if you didn't want to. However, most people would be too poor to pay a substitute so would have no choice.
Yes they had to march everywhere and must have been exhausted.
During times of war, they would be permanently embodied. Our ancestors were in the militia during the Napoleonic Wars and so would have been protecting the coastline from the threat of invasion by the French. The miltia could not be sent abroad though.
In fact, my ancestor was persuaded to transfer from the militia to the regular army in 1813 and was then sent to fight at the Battle of New Orleans and later to France. I was able to follow his movements throughout his life by looking at the records at Kew. It took me on an interesting journey and was absolutely fascinating. Something which I couldn't have done if he hadn't been a soldier.
Anyway, good luck with your research and I won't forget to have a look at the 1814 records next time I go to Kew.
Best Wishes
Ermin
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Thank you Ermin!
This is an amazing history lesson and I will add this information to my tree.
I so appreciate your help and will keep you posted if I learn anything new. Maybe our ancestors crossed paths! Thank you, best wishes, Barbara
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There were two types of Militia - Regular and Local. The Local only served in their own county and was raised just for the wars with France. Regular Militia such as the 2nd West Yorks served many miles away, usually on the coast. They often spent three years away. Many took their families with them, or married girls were they were stationed.
Ken
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Thank you Ken!
I really know nothing about militia so every little bit helps! Thank you for helping me to piece this all together. Barbara Baxter
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Ken and Ermin, thank you both so much for your informative replies. I’m trying to track down my 5G grandfather who was in the 2nd West York militia, Simon Strong. He arrived in Edinburgh in 1806 and shortly after married Charlotte Johnstone. My question is, did the permanent militias only get recruits from the county in their name? Or might he have been a resident of a different county but joined the 2nd West York?
I wish I could come to Kew and look at the muster rolls but, but like Barbara I’m in the US.
Do any of you have access to the history of where the 2nd West York was stationed over time? I would love to track Simon and Charlotte who seem to disappear off and on until 1825.
Kind regards,
Lori