Royal Artillery in Chillianwallah 1849 - Sikh Wars

[tickerwheel]

I am wondering if anyone can help with this please.  This is for a friend and the person is her GG Grandfather.

James Howard (born 1819) served with the Foot Artillery in the Battle of Chillianwallah in 1849 and lost both arms in the same battle. 

He was returned to UK and pensioned apparently on 1/9d per day.  He died in 1875.  His place of birth was Tonge, Middleton, Lancashire.  I have seen a  death entry also in 1875 in the same place.  He was married to a Mary Ann Hilton.

I don't think she can provide a regimental/army number yet for him, and may not be able to find one.

She informs me that he was listed at the inquest as serving with the 2nd Troop, 3rd Brigade Foot Artillery. How accurate that is I cannot say.  I have read the accounts of the battle there and it could be correct.

Does anyone have access to any more detailed records please.  If not what is the best next move for her to obtain the service record.

Many thanks.

Neil

[tickerwheel]

Just for information should a similar topic arise again, this is information that I have received from the Royal Artillery Museum regarding the Second Sikh War and the battle at Chillianwallah in 1849:

"The artillery at the Battle of Chillianwallah, the Second Sikh War was
not from Royal Regiment of Artillery, but the Bengal Artillery:

Stubbs, Lt. Col. F. W., History of the Organization, Equipment and War
Services of the Regiment of Bengal Artillery, 3 vols. (London: Henry S.
King & Co., 1877-1895)

2nd Troop 3rd Brigade were present, but were Horse Artillery not field.
Your friend will have no success in identifying his record at Kew nor
will he have a British Army number, he's a European in the colonies
employ. All surviving Indian records are held by:

The British Library
Asia Pacific & Africa Collections
96 Euston Road
London NW1 2DB
Tel: 020 7412 7873
Fax: 020 7412 7641
Email: oioc-enquiries@bl.uk"

[wyndham]

To digress slightly would your remarks about Indian records apply to the following.  My grandfather was with the 1st Worcestershire Regiment in India and at one stage in 1887 he was shown as being a Sergeant Major attached to the Sind Volunteers.   I have been in contact with the Worcestershire Regiment Museum and they can shed no light on this period of his service.

Basically I just want to find out a little more detail about the Sind Volunteers.

[liverpool annie]

Hi Neil !

There are some Howards in this database .... not sure if any are the ones you are looking for but might be worth a look ! .... you didn't say how long you thought he was there ... but I wondered if he married there or if they had children there .... !! any ways it's worth a shot !

http://indiafamily.bl.uk/UI/Home.aspx

http://www.bl.uk/collections/orientaloffice.html

If you haven't seen this already .... thought this maybe of interest !!

http://www.britishbattles.com/second-sikh-war/chillianwallah.htm

As I love medals ... this is a picture of the Punjab medal

http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/dept/coins/collection/watson/page406.html

Annie 

[liverpool annie]

To digress slightly would your remarks about Indian records apply to the following.  My grandfather was with the 1st Worcestershire Regiment in India and at one stage in 1887 he was shown as being a Sergeant Major attached to the Sind Volunteers.   I have been in contact with the Worcestershire Regiment Museum and they can shed no light on this period of his service.

Basically I just want to find out a little more detail about the Sind Volunteers.

Hi Wyndham !

Can I suggest you might like to start a new thread in the Armed Forces board .... !

Then people will be able to answer you instead of getting mixed up with Neil !

Annie 

[wyndham]

Hello Annie,

This did cross my mind but there was just the chance that the person I addressed my remarks just might not read it.  Anyway, I'll take your advice and do this.  Thanks.

[km1971]

Hi Neil

Prior to the Indian Mutiny, ie in James Howard’s time, most of the army in India was run by the Honourable East India Company, and you often see HEIC before the regiment name, rather than HM, for Her Majesty’s.

You could post a question requesting a medal roll lookup on www.britishmedalforum.com.

Also, if your friend does not have details of his father, the service papers of another James Howard have been microfilmed and are in Kew. He served in the Royal Artillery from 1811 to 1836, when he was discharged aged 42, and was born in Ashton under Lyne, so may be related.

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/searchresults.asp?SearchInit=0&txtsearchterm=james+howard&txtfirstdate=&txtlastdate=&txtrestriction=wo97&hdnsorttype=Reference&image1.x=0&image1.y=0

If you cannot visit Kew I understand that they will photocopy the record for you, or you can have a copy of the film sent to your nearest LDS History Centre. All surviving service papers for HM forces discharged before 1854 have been microfilmed, and the ‘Friends of Kew’ have indexed them. As your man was HEIC it would not apply to him.

Ken

[tickerwheel]

Thanks Annie and Ken for your posts.  I will have a look at the links that you have kindly listed.

Annie - he was not married until later, 1858- some 7 years later and then went on to father 7 children.  He died in 1875 and there was an inquest in Middleton (held at the Mason's Arms!) that declared him "a local character that could consume copious amounts of alcohol".  Quite active for someone without arms in those days !

Ken - thanks for the info.  I will pass on to my friend - she is housebound now but I suppose I could arrange something for her.

I will try the medal search too.  Thanks again to both of you.

Neil