Kings Own Scottish Borderers, 25th regiment foot

[Mofamily]

Hi Ken

Sorry to butt in, but you do seem to know a great deal about the 25th Regiment of foot.

My ancestor was William Nicholson and he was born in the regiment in Jersey in 1798/99.  I do have his attestation papers from FindMyPast  from 1811 in St Kitts and I know that he ended up in Edinburgh with his family in a very run down area.

However, I would love to know the history of how his mother and father ended up in Jersey within the regiment, when they would have left and how, and why they were in St Kitts.  Would he have been there all the time until his discharge in Chatham Kent on 30.6.1841 or would he have been sent elsewhere?

I would love to have a story to go with the man so I could imagine how things would have been for him. 

Thanks
Mo

[*Sandra*]

Firstly you need to get to three posts and then you can send and receive personal messages (including email addresses).

Ken

Welcome to RootsChat Casey Gee.

2 posts is all it takes - so you should be up and running now.

Sandra

[km1971]

I have been trying for many years to obtain information relating to my GGF John Guinan

All I have managed to find is a copy of the Qtr 1 1860 muster for the 2nd Battalion in Preston. It is a poor image but it suggests he transferred from the 16th as a Sergeant and was promoted Colour Sergeant from March 1st. Pay for that quarter was two shillings for 60 days as a Sgt and 31 days at 2s 6d as a Colour Sgt. He also received 10 pence for a hot meal on a march. It was persumeably when he transferred to the 25th.

For the rest of the year all I have are details of recruits. This is the time that the 2nd Bn reformed (since disbanding in 1816). Which is why there were vacancies for Sergeants to be promoted to Colour.

Ken

[km1971]

Hi Mo

Private William Nicholson was given the regimental number 32, when numbers were introduced in the late 1820s. The longest serving men got the lowest numbers. So #32 suggests an early recruit. In the same muster (Qtr 2 1837) when stationed at Templemore and Limerick.

There is a Drummer Francis Nicholson #82. Could he be a younger brother? Or maybe not - http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C8736162

The 1st Battalion 25th Foot fought the French in the West Indies during the Peninsular War. Any man alive in 1847 could claim a Military General Service Medal with clasps for Martinque and Guadalope. You should google both.

I do not have details of the 25th being in Jersey in the late 1790s. But his father may have served there with another regiment. His family could be with him in the West Indies when William became 13 years old, and he was enlisted as a Boy. You will need to look up the 1811 muster for the 25th and see if an older Nicholson is present. Then follow his service back to the late 1790s.

The 25th, like all regiments, moved about a lot. List of stations:

= 1808 to 1817 - West Indies
= to 1827 - Ireland
= to 1834 - West Indies and Guyana
= to 1835 - UK
= to 1837 - Canada
= to 1839 - Ireland
= 1840 - in the Cape

Ken

[Skoosh]

Mo, Nicholson's a Skye name, Nicolson a Shetland name!

Skoosh.

[Mofamily]

Hi Ken and Skoosh

Thank you for your replies.  They are greatly appreciated.

I thought the 25th Regiment of Foot were in Jersey because his Attestation Papers for the 25th Regiment of Foot say "born within the Regiment" in Jersey, so I thought it had to be that Regiment.

The birth of one of his sons in Ireland in 1839 now makes sense  The rest of his children were born in Edinburgh.

Thanks again for your valuable information.

Mo

[Skoosh]

Mo,  Jersey was heavily garrisoned during the Napoleonic Wars, the French landed & there was a battle in the Royal Square, St Helier. The hero was a guy named Peirson/Pearson if I remember aright.

Skoosh.

[Caseygee]

I have been trying for many years to obtain information relating to my GGF John Guinan

All I have managed to find is a copy of the Qtr 1 1860 muster for the 2nd Battalion in Preston. It is a poor image but it suggests he transferred from the 16th as a Sergeant and was promoted Colour Sergeant from March 1st. Pay for that quarter was two shillings for 60 days as a Sgt and 31 days at 2s 6d as a Colour Sgt. He also received 10 pence for a hot meal on a march. It was persumeably when he transferred to the 25th.

For the rest of the year all I have are details of recruits. This is the time that the 2nd Bn reformed (since disbanding in 1816). Which is why there were vacancies for Sergeants to be promoted to Colour.

Ken

Thank you Ken for your efforts.

I am pleased that you were able to find something from your records but must admit I had built my hopes up that there would be much more to find.  Does this mean that there are no other records available regarding my GGF's records for the time period involved? Or is it just that you yourself do not have the necessary records for his time in service? I was hoping that the Pay & Muster Records would reveal more than I already have and/or that they might lead me to his original attestation and/or particularly his discharge documents. Are you able to say if any of these records are in any way worth chasing for or would I just be wasting my time and hope?  If they are likely to be available, where would I go to obtain them?

Casey

[km1971]

Hi Mo

You will need to look up the muster book for the 25th for the time of his birth. Records that say where a particular regiment was usually refers to the headquarters, ie the commanding officer. I cannot find a reference to the HQ being in Jersey in that period.

The musters should tell you if a man was on detachment to a different location.

Ken