88th Connaught Rangers

[Joy Dean]

Another question - regarding the possible age of John when he enlisted in 1877.

His army records gave his place of birth as Killorran, but did not give his age nor date or year of birth.

I have been searching for sites that would give the age of enlistment; I read that someone enlisted at 13!
This site states " ..... we drove them off with a mere handful of young soldiers ... "
http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1879/mar/03/supply-army-estimates.

John's parents married in Clogher, Co. Tyrone in 1848. His sisters Elizabeth and Susan were born approximately 1854 and 1856 in Fermanagh, the former in Maguires bridge (according to census); another sister Charlotte was born about 1855, according to her marriage certificate in 1879. His brother William was born in 1865 in Lissavally, Killererin, Galway.

Thank you for reading this.

PS
I have just seen this " ... Troops were enlisted from age nine years and were paid men’s wages from age 15.  ..."
http://users.bigpond.net.au/thurlow/francis_bridget.htm

[km1971]

I have just seen this " ... Troops were enlisted from age nine years and were paid men’s wages from age 15.  ..."

Not in 1880 they weren't. Your link refers to 1800. By the second half of the 19th Century, Boys (under 18) were paid 8d a day, Privates 1s or 1s 1d a day. There were only about 6-8 boys per battalion of c850. Most came from the two military asylums aged 14.

I am surprised his papers do not give his age on enlistment. If you can get to Kew the Muster books (WO12 and 16) might help; especially his first entry. If he went in as a Private you can guarantee that they thought he was 18.

Ken

[Joy Dean]

Thank you. So that makes him at least 18 then at enlistment.

This is from part of the Army records:

WO16/2017
1/10/1877 - 31/3/1878 Stationed Cape Town
Brigade or Regiment 68BD
Brigade or Regimental No. 1280
Period for which payment has been made 1 Oct to 7 January
Pay Ordinary at 1/-  Number of days 99
Remarks  To Lance Corporal 8 January.

Perhaps I should ask the researcher to look at WO12 for me, too.

[ejgray52]

i have two ancestors who were in the 1st Battalion Connaught Rangers/88th Regiment of Foot.
A great-great grandfather George Joyce, who joined up in 1864 aged 14 years and 5 months, and my great-grandfather, Herbert Child, born 1865 (his son-in-law). Both of them were in the band.
I have George's records downloaded ( very tatty and damaged), but nothing for Herbert. I suspect he served in the Boer War, as two of his children were born in Ireland at that time; both Herbert and George were from London originally.
Herbert married George's daughter in Dinapore, India in 1890. One of those coincidences that occur in family history is that in 1975 when doing the 'hippy thing' in India I had to get discount on a rail ticket back to Delhi. To obtain it I had to travel from Patna to the District Railway HQ a few miles down the line - at Dinapore!
I would love to know when Herbert joined up and left, or any details of his career. We suspect he played (in the band) for Queen Victoria in 1875 at the opening of the Town Hall; a brush with Royalty!
Does anyone have him in their family tree and can fill in the blanks?

[km1971]

Records for most men who fought in the Boer War have not been published by Findmypast yet. They were due last month, but they have changed the release date a number of times.   Originally it was 2011.

Ken