14th Hussars Ireland(completed)

[sadnil]

Hi,
I have just found my Grandfather George Smith on the 1911 census.
I have been searching for ages as I was told he was born in Sunderland. It turns out he was born in Canterbury.
His parents George Smith and Mary Newman were married in Co Limerick in 1894 where his occupation is a Private in the 14th Hussars.
Their eldest daughter was born in Curragh in 1896 follwed by Georges birth in 1898 in Kent. Was this a regiment move to Kent or was George leaving to serve elsewhere as Mary is in Sunderland on her own with the children in 1901.
By 1911 George was in civvy Street and the family were in Sunderland.
Hope that makes sense.
Thanks

Lyn

[km1971]

Hi Lyn

He was probably serving in the Boer War in South Africa at the time of the 1901 Census. There are three G Smiths recorded in the medal roll for the 14th Hussars..

I have a Historical Records of the 14th Hussars. I will check it later. From memory their depot was in Canterbury, so he may have been transferred to the Depot, or the whole regiment moved back to Kent. I will have a look.

If his papers survive they will be in WO97 in Kew. If you cannot get to Kew Findmypast are putting WO97 online (due 2011). Army records include details of wives and children in this period so you should know when you have the right man.

Can you say when he was born?

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/militaryhistory/army/step4.htm


Ken

[sadnil]

Hi,
George is listed as 44 on the 1911 so his year of birth is c1867. Not an easy name to research and I knew very little about my Fathers side of the family.
Any information you could find would be very helpful.
I am in Yorkshire so Kew isn't easy for me.

Lyn

[spof]

Hi Lyn

There was a Private 2735 S G Smith in the 14th Hussars who got a Long Service and Good Conduct medal in 1905. This was for 18 years service so if your George was 44 in 1911 then being around 38/39 in 1906 sort of ties in with a career soldier.

As you say, a name like George Smith isn't the easiest to research but if you can find some sort of BMD record, this may help.

Glen

[km1971]

Hi Lyn

I dug the book out yesterday but was a little confused, hence the delay in replying. The 14th went to Ireland in the late stages of 1894, which got me thinking that is was not a long time to meet and court an Irish girl.

Was she Irish? If not why was she in Limerick? I thought it could be another case of a soldier's widow marrying another soldier, ie the regiment took her there. Also the nearest the 14H got to Limerick was Co Tipperary, which is next door.

Another problem was that I could not see a reference of them going back to Kent. The book says they went out to SA from Queenstown (Cobh). Anyway I had a bit of spare time today and I managed to find his service record.

He was actually in the 10th Hussars when he married in Limerick. It gives her maiden name, so it is him. After 7 years in the 10th Hussars he elected to leave the army and go into the Army Reserve for the remaining 5 years. He was recalled in October 1899 and joined the 14th Hussars then. The information about the marriage must be from after that date, and you have assumed he was in the same regiment when he married. That is what I am hoping anyway.

If you PM me an email address I will send you the photographs I took. It doesn't mention the children. They must have been born when he was in the Army Reserve.

Ken

[km1971]

Hi Lyn

He attested in the 10th Hussars in Dublin on 18 November 1891 and given the number 3051. He was 22 years old. He was born in Hendon, Sunderland. His occupation was Miller. NoK was his brother Mark Smith, of 21 Whickham Street, Sunderland.

He spent 7 years in unnamed locations at ‘Home’ which was anywhere in the then UK, and elected to be transferred to the Army Reserve on 17 Nov 1898. You will need a Historical Records of the 10th Hussars to find where he was during these years. At the start of WW1 these reservists were paid 3s 6d a week and had to do 12 days training a year, so he would have earned a similar sum.

He was recalled in Oct 1899 and joined the 14th Hussars; embarked for South Africa 13 December 1899. You can tell a lot from the clasps earned with his SA medals. He was involved firstly in the Relief of Ladysmith - my GF was in besieged there with the Liverpools – then moved to the western front in time for the battles of Johannesburg and Diamond Hill. After the fall of the Boer capitals he spent two years chasing them over the Veldt in a guerrilla war. Arrived ‘Home’ 20 August 1902, and went back to the Army Reserve in April 1903 and discharged on 17 November 1903 after 12 years.

He elected to join the Section D Army Reserve (for time-expired men) on 16 May 1904, for four years, again at 3s 6d a week, and again had to do 12 days training a year. From November 1902 he would have received a pension (about 5 or 6d a day), so with the 6d AR money he would be getting almost as much as he would get while serving, and he could have found other work.

As well as the Queens South Africa medal, he earned the Kings South Africa medal  for serving more than 18 months in SA. The QSA clasps – Johannesburg, Diamond Hill, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Tugela Heights and Relief of Ladysmith – matches a G Smith, number 101, in the 14th Hussars. But I think that is a mistake in his number, as he would almost certainly have had a 4-digit number. Surprisingly his papers do not seem to have his 14th Hussars number.

http://www.stephen-stratford.co.uk/boer_war.htm

Ken

[sadnil]

Hi Ken,
Once again thanks very much. I am 61 this year and I have learnt more about my Fathers family in the last week than I ever knew growing up.

Lyn