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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Topic started by: jarvis on Saturday 21 March 09 10:56 GMT (UK)
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I have discovered my ggggradndfather JAMES HUTTON who born in Scotland enlisted in 1st Regiment of Royal Dragoons aged 17. He died aged 46 years which puts his birth somewhere between 1807 and 1808 however it has also appeared as 1811 in one place.
Would anyone have any info on where I could research further as we have reached a dead end here and need to try to find out where he was born before we can go do more. I know he became a sergeant and then joined the coastguard in London in 1932. He was in London we think to quell a riot (i think with the help of his regiment!).
Everytime I try looking up the Royal Dragoons I get totally confused by all the different regiments and names. Can anyone help explain further so I can actually start a proper search rather than the pathetic thing i've managed so far.
Kind regards Lin
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Hi Lin, Welcome to Rootschat :)
There are quite a few James Huttons born in Scotland around that period so you will need something more to help narrow it down.
I would suggest that you post what you know, in as much detail as possible, (citing sources where you have them) on the Rootschat Armed Forces Board
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/board,300.0.html
They will I am sure be able to help you with research on the Royal Dragoons. Then if you find more details to help with the Scottish search we will be happy to help!
Kirsty
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Dear Lin
I hope you don't mind me contacting you, but I came across your post re James Hutton when looking for my ancestor, Alexander (Alex) McCloughry.
Alexander's name appears on the same page you mention in ADM 175/77, he was transferred into the Mounted Guards along with your James, so I am hoping he came from the same regiment.
Were you able to find any more about James and the Royal Dragoons? Was this a scottish or english regiment? (forgive my lack of military knowledge if that is a particularly stupid question!) My Alexander has been a pain, I have had a great deal of trouble finding his birth and death. I am hoping that his enlistment may provide information re birth etc.
Best wishes
Anne
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Hi Lin
I did a search of the British Army Records 1760-1913 and found only one possibility for James Hutton given the dates you mention.
James Hutton, born 1797 in Barony, Glasgow. His age at attestation was 18 years, having enlisted on 30 January 1815. His rank was Private in the 71st Regiment of Foot. National Archives Reference: WO97/832/182.
Could this be your James Hutton?
Cheers,
Rodeo
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Hi Anne and Rodeo
I see your Alex Anne on the same page as my gggf and I have been searching through my stuff - haven't really done much family history recently - and am convinced that someone emailed me saying that the Royal Dragoons was the wrong regiment. Unfortunately I can't find it anywhere (I stupidly had it all saved on emails rather than printed out and had a bit of an email meltdown last year!). I am trying to track the info down again as I think I do have the orginal email address if not the actual mails and will pass it on if anything comes back from there. The idea that he was from the Royal Dragoons came from a request for poor relief by his wife not long after he committed suicide and the inquest into his death has her down as having a bit of a problem with drink so she may not be that accurate!
I'm really intrigued by your James Hutton, Rodeo. I've been believing until now that my James Hutton was from Mid Calder. Maybe I'm wrong!
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Dear Lin
Thanks for replying, very disappointing to hear the Royal Dragoons may be wrong, genealogy is hard enough without false information! Any information you may eventually recover will be gratefully received, if I manage to find anything I will pass it on to you.
Best wishes
Anne
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Hi Anne
I did have the correct email address and the person kindly got back to me. Here is what he orginally sent me:
"I seem to remember that you think James Hutton was in the 1st Regiment Royal Dragoons because of a document making a pension claim, and he may very well have been in that regiment. However I can find no reference to the Royals ever recruiting in Scotland during that period. The obvious regiment would have been the 2nd Dragoons -- The Royal Scots Greys. Both were stationed in the UK in 1832 and both our ancestors may well have moved to the Mounted Guard as a result of general downsizing in an unusual period of peace, but that is pure supposition. "
His ancestors seem to have a Glasgow connection and given what Rodeo mentioned I am going to contact him to see if he can give me any more info.
Best wishes
Lin
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Sorry Anne I forgot to add that I found Coastguards of Yesteryear site really helpful. That was where I found out about my ancestors suicide. Might be worth positng there if you haven't found this site yet.
Lin
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Where is he living on the 1841 and 1851 census?
What was his occupation on both?
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In both 1841 and 1851 he is a sergeant in the mounted guard at hastings coastguard station. He dies in 1853.
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Thanks Lin, Thanks for your replies. I did find your posts on the coastguard website and it was someone from that group who originally put me onto the ADM 175/77. I am not sure where to go from here, I can't find his death, his wife re-married in 1847 (from memory) as a widow and I can't find his birth. I think my next step will have to be getting a researcher to go to the National Archives. I am in Sydney, the dream is to do it myself, but that trip is a long way away! Good luck with your research, as I said before, I will let you know if I find anything.
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Anne (chocface!),
If you find out anything about Alexander McCloughry, I would appreciate hearing about it also.
My ancestor is Stewart Fulton White and is listed in the same troop as your guy and Linjarvis’ James Hutton. Stewart was born in Ireland about 1806 according to the 1841 census.
I am the one who made the comment about regiments in Lin’s post and I will also comment about Rodeo’s lack of finding Lin’s James Hutton in the “British Army Records”. I am presuming that he looked up the Chelsea Pensioners Records because they are often listed as “British Army Records”, but the problem is that they only show people who received a pension, not those discharged before a pension would be payable, nor those who would get a deferred pension. So I do not think that it can be used as an exclusionary list.
Good Luck
Ian
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Hi Ian
If I do find anything I will certainly let you know. It is a while since I looked at him, but from memory, my next step was to hire a researcher to look in the National Archives. I did a couple of quick searches, but it looked very expensive, and so I put it on hold for the moment. I hope to do a bit of research over the holidays, so if anything surfaces, I will get in touch.
Best wishes
Is it too early for "Merry Christmas"?
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Thanks Anne,
It is never too early to start getting Merry for Christmas. We have had our first snow, so it is time to wrap yourself around a bottle of Scotch!
You’re in Oz and I am in Canada, so the obvious person to go to Kew is Lin.
She needs to lookup document reference WO 12/472 for the Third Quarter of 1832. That is if they all were in the 1st (Royal) Regiment of Dragoons.
These are the Muster Payroll records and if any one of the 12 names is found (I believe they are listed alphabetically) then that is proof of the regiment. Searching for the discharge papers is the next step.
Ian
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Hi Ian
Well, let's cross our fingers Lin (I thought "Lin" was masculine!!) can get there at some stage.
Unless I win the lottery, in which case, I am on the first plane to London!! :-)
Hope the Scotch went down well.