RootsChat.Com
General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: luckydog on Tuesday 06 January 09 10:39 GMT (UK)
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Have reached the brick wall again . Trying to find info on Francis Hooper who is in the 1871 England Census , stationed at Aldershot with the 42nd Regiment . Record states he was born in Halifax in !844 . The regiment eventually moved to Scotland , Fort George , Inverness and the Queens Barracks , Perth which is where I think he met his wife Margaret Bain . His marriage certificate states that his father was Francis Hooper and his mother Mary Small , but as there is no record of his birth or their marriage I have some doubts about his parentage . He may have been a boy soldier , or an army brat as on old soldier described it to me . Any help with or guidance towards army records for Francis Hooper would be very gratefully recieved .
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The pre-1913 army records are held at The National Archives at Kew, London under the List WO97.
I think you still have to go in person, or hire a researcher, to find his actual record.
There is a Francis Hooper on Ancestry described as a Soldier in Barrack Rooms (Perth) on the 1881 Scotland Census, it does not give his hometown, only England as his birthplace. It also does not state if he is married, but states he is a Private in the 79th Highlanders (Queens Own Cameron Highlanders). His age is about 35. Funnily enough the list includes other soldiers from the 79th Regiment as well as soldiers in the 42nd (Black Watch).
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Thanks , I suspected as much about going to the Archive . My mother seems to think he was a tailor in the army . Would moving from one Regiment to another be normal i.e from the Black Watch to the Camerons ?
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Hi Luckydog
The 57th Brigade Depot, consisting of the 42nd and 79th Regiments were stationed at Perth from 1873 until 1881 when the Cardwell reforms were implimented. From 1st July 1881, the QOCH (now given the Royal Warrant) were posted to Inverness, as the county regiment of Invernessshire. The Black Watch depot was now Perth.
If it is of any help, the 42nd Royal Highlanders sailed from Portsmouth on 3rd December 1873 en route to the Gold Coast (Ashanti) and Francis' name does not appear on the medal rolls for service in the Gold Coast for the 42nd.
However, it appears that some men were transferred to the 79th Regiment round about the end of 1874, their medals from the Gold Coast were forwarded to them in Aldershot. :)
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Have looked at Neil's List on Kevin Asplin's site, of the Army Medal Roll for Ashantee, where it gives the men's name from the 42nd Highlanders, including men attached from the 79th Highlanders and there is no mention of Francis Hooper on the list:
http://www.rootschat.com/links/05am/
Perhaps he was a tailor and remained at the Depot in Perth. Or, perhaps you can put in another query on here about the 79th - if someone doesn't come in quick to this one, as I think that Ken is your man for info.
Anne :P
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... but as there is no record of his birth ....
Oh ye of little faith:
(http://usera.ImageCave.com/km1971/hooper birth.jpg)
Double check it on FreeBMD before ordering
Ken
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Regarding his army service I cannot find him in "The Royal Highland Regiment, The Black Watch, formerly 42nd and 73rd Foot, Medal Roll 1801 - 1911" by Capt. John Stewart. It is available as a reprint from Naval & Military Press.
Findmypast are putting WO97 online for papers from before 1913. But completion is not expected until 2011. If you do go to Kew, and do not find him in WO97 he will almost certainly be in the Muster Books and Pay Lists (WO12). These will tell you where he was on the first day of each month. You should start with what you know - 42th Foot in April 1871 and work forwards and backwards. At least they only had battalion, so there should only be one book for the battalion and Depot.
If he did change units the Muster books will tell you. But you need to allow a full day for a long career. If his wife was 'on the strength' her first name and the ages of any children should be given in the Musters. But will probably not be given in his papers.
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/militaryhistory/army/step4.htm
In the 1862 Army List the 42nd were in Subathoo, having left for India in August 1857. The Depot was in Sterling.
Ken
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Thanks to everyone who has replied for the advice and links . It looks a trip to Kew is on the cards .
Mike
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Hope you do manage to get to Kew, you will enjoy the experience Mike; and remember and get back to us with your findings, even if it is a while down the line. ;)
Anne
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I was interested to see the correspondence re the 42nd. Regiment (Black Watch).
One of my forebears David Morrison is recorded as being a "Musician 42nd. Regiment" in the OPR record for his marriage to Margaret Kerr in Edinburgh 18 Feb 1811.
I assume a visit to Kew would be necessary to try and find more information re his time in the regiment.
Tom
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Yes Tom
A visit to Kew would be necessary meanwhile, but check-out Ken's post above on how to go about your searches.
You can register for a Reader's Ticket in advance to save a bit of time, or join the queue once there:
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/registration/
Anne
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Hi Tom
The surviving papers for men discharged before 1855 have been microfilmed, and you can search for them on the NA Catalogue. There is one David Morrison in the 42nd Foot at that time - http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/search.asp - entering WO as the series code.
You can order copies of the pages (there will not be many) or ask for a copy of the microfilm to be sent to your nearest LDS centre under the A2A scheme.
Virtuallly no FH history is recorded in military records that old. You could try a lookup request of the overseas/regimantal BMDs on Findmypast (for example) for births. Otherwise you will have to visit Kew and follow the regiment in the Muster Books (WO12) and check local church records.
Ken
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Thanks Anne and Ken for your helpful replies.
Tom