1813 Soldier

[jancol]

Hi
I am not sure if this is the right place for this post

Is there anyway I can find out more about Joseph Pennington being a soldier in 1813.
On his christening record it has Penington (only 1 N)
this could just be a typo. Joseph christened 13 March 1790 St Mary the Virgin,
Leigh, Lancashire. Mother Mary Penington
no father named

I have from his daughter's birth record,
Mary Ann Pennington born 1813 Huddersfield
(father) Joseph Pennington reputed father occupation soldier
(mother) Harriet Chiswell unmarried
Joseph and Harriet married 1814 Huddersfield
any idea's where to search would be wonderful
many thanks
jancol

[km1971]

Hi Jancol

A search of the TNA website does not bring up anything for Joseph Pennington etc. However in the army birth records there are a number of births for Pennington around the time in the 5th (Regiment of) Foot:

= Harriott I in Ghent (Belgium) in 1815 (named after the mother?)
= Agnes in Kendal in 1817
= James H in Winchester in 1818
= Francis G in Benagher (Co. Offaly, Ireland?) in 1823

Apart from the mother do any of the names match with what you know already? If so I can give you the volume and page details. I believe you can order these from the GRO. I am not sure as the only army certificates I have ordered were in person at the FRO.

I do hope these are yours, as Belgium in 1815 can only mean one thing: Waterloo. Neil1821 is offering look ups on the Waterloo Roll.

Have you found him in later census showing him as an Army Pensioner?

Ken

[neil1821]

There was a Lieut. Joseph (or James, records differ) Masterson Pennington and a Lieut R. Pennington in the 5th Foot during the Peninsular War, both on the MGS medal roll.

The 5th were in Belgium during the "Hundred Days" but missed the battle of Waterloo itself, so don't appear on the medal roll sadly 

jancol, is your man likely to be an officer do you think?
Officers are easier to research so you may be able to follow up and confirm or eliminate him.

[jancol]

Many Thanks to Ken and Neil
sorry none of the names match the ones I have.
I have Joseph (from children's birth records) in
1813 soldier
1815 labourer
after 1818 weaver (this also from census)
he died about 1839/40 as 1841 census has Harriet as a weaver's widow.
Is there anywhere I can get information about the 5th Regiment? Joseph would have been 23 at the time.
Did men stay in the army for a set time?
I know he could sign his name (from marriage) apart from that not much else
Many Thanks for your help.
Jan

[km1971]

Hi Jan

If the names I gave you do not tally, you do not know which regiment he served in, All information at Kew, covering this period, is in regimental order. And there were more than hundred regiments at this time.

The papers of men discharged before 1854 have been microfilmed, and the Friends of TNA (I believe) have provided an online index. Unfortunately there does not appear to a Joseph Pennington/Penington who was discharged about this time. You could check for other spellings - http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/search.asp. Enter “WO” (for War Office) for the Series Code. The closest is a James Pennington, born Lancashire, discharged 1815, aged 22. But I take it the baptism in 1790 is an assumption, or do you have other evidence that this is he? There are no Joesphs in WO97 (the service papers).

What does survive for most regiments are the Muster and Pay Books (WO12/WO16) which list all men serving. But you would have to go through them all to find a Joseph  Pennington in the Huddersfield area in 1813/1814. However if he was in the Militia there are no surviving muster rolls.

Later in the 19th century men enlisted for 12 years. Firstly it was six years in uniform and six years in the reserve. This was later changed to seven + five. But I do not know if it was the same in the 1810s. Given the age on discharge he may have deserted.

Even if he did serve in Spain, he would not have received a Military General Service medal for this, as you had to be alive in the later 1840s when the medal was introduced.

Can you say where he was in 1815 and 1818; and where Harriet was living in 1841?

Neil…thanks for the look up of the 5th. Would it be easy to do a look up for any Pennington in the Waterloo Roll?

Ken

[jancol]

hi Ken

Thank you again for your help.
I found Joseph's christening in the Parish records of St Mary the Virgin, Leigh. Baptism 13 march 1790, son of Mary,(no father named) abode Atherton.
1813 to abt 1840 Huddersfield, Yorkshire
1841 census has Harriet and children living in Almondbury, Yorkshire
Harriet died Huddersfield.
On marriage entry its spelt Pinnington ( so many misspelling)
I will try looking through the nationalarchives.
many thanks
Jan

[neil1821]

Neil…thanks for the look up of the 5th. Would it be easy to do a look up for any Pennington in the Waterloo Roll?

Possible Ken, but not easy without at least a clue to the regiment.
The roll is arranged by regiment and then by company.
Not alphabetical at all 

[jancol]

Thank you very much Ken and Neil for all your help
much appreciated.
jan

[dobfarm]

possible ;=Joseph Pinnington bapt  14 th Oct 1787 Manchester -res cheshire south manchester suburb..
Joe married Harriet Chessell in Huddersfield 1814( Bapt 21 st Oct 1792 Manchester) and Joe Died 22 march 1840 Huddersfield
Harriet died April 1867 Huddersfield Yorkshire


and poss
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Joseph bapt 1789 Altrincham Stockport  Presbytarian chapel
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Joesph bapt 1790 Atherton Wigan /Leigh Warrington