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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => London and Middlesex => England => London & Middlesex Lookup Requests => Topic started by: edalmun on Tuesday 11 October 11 15:49 BST (UK)
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Hello,
I know there are very few people who go to the National Archives and do look-ups but I thought it was worth a try. I'm trying to find a William Aldous who I believe was in the Army around 1858. I have a possible match for him, and therefore need to look up muster rolls for a specific regiment for a specific year to find out it is is my William Aldous.
If anyone is going and thinks they might be able to do this I would be very very grateful. I've researched all sides of my family and this mystery is the most confusing, complicated and most important to me so any help would be wonderful.
Many thanks,
Elissa
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Hi,
I'm not sure if Muster Rolls would help - there are Service Records for several William's but only one whose age would mean he was possible joined 1852 but left in 1855 - Coldstream Guards born ~1834 Sproughton, Suffolk
There is also a William Aldis b Norfolk - 53 Reg. of Foot - joined 1857 left 1863
Junev
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I believe he may have joined up and died between 1856 and 1861. There are no obvious service records and therefore I think the only place to look is muster rolls.
I know there was a William Aldous in the 52nd Oxfordshire Regiment of Foot in 1858, but he seems to disappear and I can't find out what happened to him. I'm not sure whether he is my William but I need to rule him out.
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hi,
Just looked at all the William's in the 52nd - just in case the name has been mistranscribed but no luck
Junev
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Hi
At this time period if a man did not serve a sufficient period to be in receipt of a pension, which could also be awarded if he was permanently disabled in battle, then when he left the service, because he died or for instance bought himself out, his service records would be automatically destroyed. The main records remaining would be the quarterly pay records - the muster rolls, though there are other records such as those covering soldiers who purchased themselves out of service (also only at TNA). Therefore checking online service records will not find him, as it will not find the majority of men who served in the army. The majority of men did not serve a sufficiently long enough time period to be in receipt of a pension, which is why service records were kept, so the army knew what their pension entitlement was. Like most men such a soldier can only be tracked easily (if the regiment is known) through the muster rolls which are not online. By the 1880s service records for all soldiers were kept even if they absconded almost immediately.
That means Elissa really does need a look up at The National Archives for the muster rolls for this regiment to be certain. It is possible at this time that the 52nd Regiment may have had more than one battalion, which if right would mean checking more than one series of muster rolls. The regiment was certainly serving in India between 1853-1865 during the mutiny and men in the regiment would have died in battle as well as from disease. Wikipedia doesn't indicate that the regiment did have a second battalion which would often be stationed at home while the first battalion was abroad and could be used to supply fresh soldiers to the first battalion as needed.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/52nd_%28Oxfordshire%29_Regiment_of_Foot
Regards
Valda
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I have just come across these postings and realize that they are quite old but I'm hoping that there is someone there who could maybe look at the 52nd Regiment to see if a William Thompson-Staff Sergeant was there.
Dorothy
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Were officers included on the Muster Rolls?
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Hi, I have no idea.
Dorothy
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hi elissa,
send me some more details (bmd, census, dob, etc) so that i may be searching for the right person.
i will be at tna next month.
tony
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Dear Tony,
Thank you ever so much for your kind offer, I would be extremely grateful if you could take a look at the 52nd Muster Rolls, even if it just rules out this other William out it would still move me forward.
My William Aldous was born 1836 in Colchester (although I have no baptism). He had three older brothers (Thomas, Alexander and Charles) and his parents were Thomas and Susannah Aldous. Thomas was a whitesmith, and a tailor at various times. Thomas disappeared around 1839, shortly followed by Susannah disappearing from the records as well. The four boys grew up in Colchester Workhouse, and William is there in both the 1841 and 1851 censuses.
On 16 June 1856 William married Lydia Barron at St Leonard's, Lexden, Colchester. He was a labourer at the time. On 12 February 1857 their son Charles William was born in Lexden. Birth certificates and baptisms differ on William's occupation at this time, between a baker and a labourer.
William then disappears. In 1861 Lydia says she is a widow, and Charles William later claims his father was an army corporal. I believe he might have joined the army, and possibly died abroad. Although I have checked the obvious sources I have found no record of his death, but from what I gather it is possible it was missed.
Which brings me to William Aldous, Pte in 52nd Oxfordshire Light Infantry. He qualified for the Indian Mutiny medal and was apparently wounded 27th August at Delhi. I have no proof he is connected to my William, but I can't find a service record or any other records about him to rule him out, so I believe the muster rolls are the only place to find out more about him. As we know he was wounded in August I'd suggest that the 2nd or 3rd quarter of muster rolls for 1857 would be the place to look.
I can't tell you how grateful I am for your offer of help, William is the biggest mystery on my tree, and anything that moves me closer to working out what happened would be wonderful.
Many thanks,
Elissa
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hi elissa
i will also check the british library india army records (just in case) (if necessary) but later.
tony
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hello roomar
i will add your request to my list but provide me with some more info about your chap (as per what i asked from elissa) and leave it with me.
ps, i understand your connecting to a relevant post but it would have been better to post afresh so that there would be separate communication from elissa's post, never mind, its not a big problem.
as a matter of course it helps if you state where you are (country or county) its not obligatory but it adds to the regional/national/international comradeship of this site.
tony
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Hi Tony,Sorry I didn't do the posting right.
Thank you for your offer.
I am from Australia(Brisbane)
This is all the information I have on William Thompson.His wife's name was Sarah. They had a child in Meerut India 15/12/1854.(William J.)
William (Snr) was A Staff Serjeant.
It seems that the 52nd Foot regiment and 14th Dragoons were the only european regiments in Meerut at that time.
So I'm taking a punt and hoping it was the 52nd.
The family moved to New Zealand sometime in the 1870/1880s
roomar/Dorothy
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Thank you ever so much Tony. I have just realised you helped me a while ago with an enquiry at the NMM so I am even more grateful for you sparing you time to help me with this.
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hello elissa
i have been checking wo12 which deals with the 52nd foot and so far i have found two references that appear to contradict each other.
in 1853 one w.a. regt. number 2374 goes thru to 1856 where it is stated "in hospital" which might fit in with him being wounded presumably about that period but does not fit with your dates.
then another w.a appears in 1856 regt number 2074, as i did not get beyond that date i have no further info yet.
i will try the next set of musters beyond 1856 next time i go to tna and in the meantime i will check out the british library as the 52nd was in india at some time.
tony
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hello dorothy
in wo12, as with elissa, i have found two w.t,s both serving at the same time.
1st regt number 2180, 1853 to 1856 (so far) and 2nd regt number 2956.
one of them ended up in hospital but it does not seem to add up. both seem to have been posted to (probably to india, its not easy to make out). i have photographed the relevant passages that i will
e-mail to you (assuming its ok with you to furnish me with your e-mail).
i will go back in time to check the enlistment records to see if they throw up any personal info which the muster rolls fail to do.
i will also check out the records at the british library as the india military info and bmd there is quite comprehensive.
tony
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Dear Tony,
Thank you ever so much for looking up that information for me. First of all what information is given about the soldier, is it just name, number and enlistment date or does it give age/birth place etc? I just wondered if there was anything else that might rule them either in or out.
As you said the first man doesn't seem to fit my dates. As for the second I wonder whether his record starts after the first man is sent to hospital? As I understand it there was no centralised numbering system for soldiers at the time and I wonder whether the second man is actual the first, returning from his stay in hospital and given a new number.
Whatever I am so pleased you've been able to have a look at this for me and moved me on in my quest to find my William Aldous!
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hello deb,d
in short, officers are listed in the muster rolls, need help?
tony
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hello elissa,
i have to go back in time in the muster rolls in order locate any enlistment etc. records, so further visits to tna will be diarised.
i intend to visit the british library soon to check their indian military records and will report back accordingly.
i have still not put any bones on matthias gaunt, he does not appear in the register of surgeons in adm 104 (microfilm numbers 16 to 18 go up to 1870 and there is no mention of discharge or pension).
as far as the ceremonial sword is concerned, i am still trying to find a reference so hang fire on that one.
i understand that the caird library (nmm) has re-organised so when the blizzards and floods here subside i'll give that another bash.
all the best for now
tony
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hello dorothy
i got your pm and am sending the info.
on the 1st image you may be able to make out sub writing in red ink which states that william 1 was a labourer of nottingham and william 2 was a sailmaker of liverpool. does that ring a bell?
tony
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Hi Tony,
Many thanks for the offer of help, it's very much appreciated, - especially as I have no idea how to navigate the TNA website so have little hope of finding any documents I need, ... and I'm on the opposite side of the rock, and can't see myself getting over there in the foreseeable future!
My fellow is James Dixon, born (according to 1841? census) about 1790 in "St Andrew, London". I haven't been able to find his parents &/or any siblings. I think he married in 1815, to Hannah Maria Howard (who was under-age), in Marylebone, - but if there is any Army record of his marriage, I'm hoping this could be confirmed. They lost a son, John Edward Dixon, and had a daughter, Mariah Eliza, prior to departure with the 4LDs. Shadowsoftime website shows them aboard the "Dunira" in 1820.
James had been Adjutant to the 21st Dragoons, and transferred to the 4th LD shortly before they left for Kaira/Kirkee in India, in 1820. I have found his various promotions in the "Gazette" (eventually became Quartermaster), plus two births in India - George, who died in infancy, and another daughter, Catherine Amelia, who survived. FIBIS also shows the family returning from India aboard the "Sarah" in 1827, and when they got back, James apparently went on half-pay to the (I think?) 104th Foot, and three more children were born in England; Emma Louisa, Charles Dalbiac Wildey and Emily Jane. He then retired and became Superintendant of Docks Police, and was living in Poplar, London. I believe he died in 1858.
Hope this is enough to be helpful. Again, anything you could find would be hugely appreciated :)
Cheers
Deb D
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Thank you so much Tony for all work you have done to find William Thompson.
As we had no idea of his history anything we find will be a bonus.
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elissa,
you may be wondering about the paragraph relating to matthias gaunt in my reply to you, ignore it, it was meant for someone else that i am doing a look up for.
tony