age of enlisting?

[Trees]

Please can you tell me what was the youngest age a boy could join the services from the late eighteenth century through to WW1
Trees

[atom12]

Hi

It would appear that some boys were acceptable at the age of 14 years.

Pte George Stirrat, Cameron Highlanders Band. The picture shows him when he was Drum Major of Queen Victoria School, Dunblane, when he commanded the QVS band at Olympia where he performed before the King and Queen in June 1914.  His father Cpl Stirrat, Scots Greys was killed in the Boer War at the battle of Dronfield. George went  to France with Cameron Highlanders as part of the BEF.  He was in the field aged 14 and spent his 15 birthday on the battlefield. The Dundee Courier Jan 6 1915 headlines him as "Britains Youngest Soldier Wounded", and was in St Thomas' Hospital, London with shrapnel wounds to the leg.

[Trees]

Many thanks
That fits my findings well James McMullin attested as volunteer 3rd Surrey Militia 10 Mar 1873 aged 14 yrs Occupation Laborer  Joined as bugler and drummer pay 1/3 per day  27 Jan 1874 Kingston upon Thames Barracks 27 Jan 1874
His father seems to have enlisted at 17 in 1841and was sent to serve in South Africa the following year returning in 1856,
I thought 17 to be sent into action so far from home was bad and 14 seemed unbelievably young.
Trees

[meles]

I'm not exactly sure of the age of my ancestor when he joined the East Norfolk militia in the 19th century. No birth certificate, and although the army records say he was 16 on entry, subsequent census records would make it 15 or 14, depending on the year and his memory/inclination....

At least he was a drummer and - I hope - not in action...

But almost certainly very young.

meles

[suey]

My husband has a great uncle who appears in the census with the Royal Artillary aged 14, where the others on the page are listed as private etc he is down as 'boy' 

Suey

[atom12]

Yes,

There appears to be little  rhyme or reason on how boy soldiers were accepted into the army.  Though boy bandsmen appear to be quite prevalent.  It also seems that if they were accepted as a ‘boy’ soldier then they would be protected to some extent by the Regiment.

However, if they joined under a false age, they would be treated the same as a man, or ordinary soldier and suffer the rigours of the front line.

One instance I came across shows the 5th Black Watch sending back four underage soldiers on leave, then sent to the 5th Reserve Black Watch Battalion at Hawick, presumably to wait   until they became of age to be shipped overseas.

Anne

[Carol Beth]

Hi there
I am a McMullin, living in South Africa.  My ancestors James Samuel and R McMullin(?) were both in the AngloBoer war and lived in the Mafikeng area.  I have been told that they came from Ireland.
Can anyone help me with this connection.

[Carol Beth]

Hi there
I am a McMullin, living in South Africa.  My ancestors James Samuel and R McMullin(?) were both in the AngloBoer war and lived in the Mafikeng area.  I have been told that they came from Ireland.
Can anyone help me with this connection?

[NEILKE]

my granda enlisted in the royal artilery age 15 he lied about his age.
neil