Royal Sappers and Miners?

[km1971]

John Dykes' record is on Findmypast. He received five pounds to take his wife and five children from Woolwich back to Chester, when he was discharged in 1819.

http://search.findmypast.co.uk/record?id=gbm%2fwo97%2f1225%2f260%2f001&parentid=gbm%2fwo97%2f1225%2f706214

It does not mention serving overseas.

Ken

[dated connections]

Thanks a lot Ken, I cant get into Find my Past - not a member.  5.00 pounds doesnt sound a lot but in 1820 I understand it would have been worth about 450 pounds, certainly enough to buy a house and start a business.  His son came to Australia as a convict a few short years later.  Sad they would have never seen him again.   Very surprised with England in the midst of the Napoleonic Wars that he didnt serve overseas thought that they would need "diggers" etc. rather than swanning it back home in Woolwich while his compatriots gave their life in the War.  Believed the need for "all hands on deck" must have meant that he was left home for a reason.   Would he have lived at those Impressive Woolwich Barracks I remember photographing years ago?  Thank you for your help on this one.

[km1971]

He would have worked on home fortifications; and maybe on the Royal Military Canal which used civilian diggers, but soldiers - almost certainly Sappers and Miners - built the parapet made from the soil extracted to form the canal, or the road that ran alongside.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Military_Canal

Ken

[LizzieL]

The Royal Sappers and Miners were raised in 1812 and they were responsible for fortifications and field engineering.   

An ancestor of mine joined the Royal sappers and Miners on 6th July 1811 as a bugler. he was 11 1/2 years old!
He served in Netherlands and France from 1813 to 1818 - still as a boy soldier. When he was 18 he became a Private (his record does not mention a rank of Sapper). After 1818 all his service was at home - several years in Ireland working on the Irish survey. Two of his children were born in Ireland (at Dunleer and Finglas).

[km1971]

They had Privates in the Sappers and Miners. They took Sapper with them when they joined with the Royal Engineers.

Lizzie...he would have joined the Corps of Royal Military Artificers in 1811.

Ken

[Regorian]

The Sappers and Miners were very much involved in the wars. There was a lot of work for them in the Peninsular War. They and the Royal Engineers were retitled Royal Engineers since 1856. The reason for the separate titles previously was that Royal Engineers were the professional engineers and of officer rank. 

[LizzieL]

They had Privates in the Sappers and Miners. They took Sapper with them when they joined with the Royal Engineers.

Lizzie...he would have joined the Corps of Royal Military Artificers in 1811.

Ken

No mention of the Corps of Royal Military Artificers on his Service record, only mentions Royal Sappers and Miners. But I suspect these records have been copied many times, the record I have is for his discharge due to ill health in 1830, perhaps they overlooked that he had actually joined before the S and M came into existence.

[Regorian]

There wouldn't be Lizzie. Progression of titles:-

1787 - Royal Engineers -officers
Corps of Royal Military Artificers, NCO's and men.

1812 - Corps of Royal Sappers and Miners

1856 and since, all Royal Engineers