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Beginners => Family History Beginners Board => Topic started by: wendygreatorex on Tuesday 09 June 15 20:24 BST (UK)
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Hello everyone
I've just discovered my x5 great grandfather William Pearce's marriage in Stoke Dameral register for 1788. It says he's an 'Artificer in Royal Engineers' could anyone tell me what this means..jobs wise and any other info! Grateful in advance. :)
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From the Army website, Corps of Royal Engineers:
The Origins of the Corps
The Royal Engineers can claim over 900 years of unbroken service to the crown, however the origins of the modern corps lie in the Board of Ordnance. It established a Corps of Engineer Officers in 1717, who were supported by civilian Artificer Companies until 1782 when Soldier Artificer Companies were established for service in Gibraltar.
And an article on Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soldier_Artificer_Company
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They were skilled craftsmen,which soldiers were usually not. Soldiers had often no trade especially if they joined the army as young lads. As the article says the army usually hired skilled craftsmen but then began to employ them as soldiers on the army payroll.Later they trained them too so Signal Corps , Royal Engineers etc.
The army training was usually very good and a man could use the skills learnt in the army and earn a living in civilian life when he left the army instead of being in straightened circumstances as all too often was the case prior to soldiers learning trades. Viktoria.
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thank you for help! much appreciated....all clearer now :)