Royal Sappirs and Miners KENT

[pcjey]

I am looking for help with a James LARKIN aged 22 years born in Mayo Ireland.  He was a Corporal in the Royal Sappers and Miners in the 1851 census with his wife Susan Aged 22 years she too was born in Ireland. The census was taken in Gillingham Brompton Chatton in Kent in 1851.  I can't find him or his wife in the 1861 census, and wonder is there any way to find records of this mans army papers.
I am trying to connect him to a William James LARKIN who was in Australia this William LARKIN was born in 1854, going on his Railway Employers papers.  [Not sure where maybe England. nothing here for him in Aust.]
Any ideas of where to start would be appreciated.
TRISH

[pcjey]

Hello fellow researchers,

    The town is Chatham not Chatton, Brompton Barracks where James LARKIN was I have been told is now the RE Museum.

Thanks to a fellow researcher, I am looking at the Re Musuem for James LARKIN, hopefully there will be some good news from that source.

http://www.remuseum.org.uk/

TRISH

[km1971]

Hi Trish

I take it you cannot get to Kew. If so Findmypast have scanned surviving papers from this period, as part of putting pre-WW1 papers online by 2011. You may be lucky as they may start putting early records online next year. If service records don't survive you then have to use the muster books (also in Kew, in WO12). One problem with 'corps' is that they are spread thinly throughout the rest of the army, unlike infantry and cavalry regiments. Most museums have few personal records but they should be able to tell you which companies were in Chatham in 1851.

You could also troll through these from their website - http://www.remuseum.org.uk/rem_his_units.htm

Ken

[pcjey]

Hi Ken.
Thank you for that information.  I am no where near the Record Office I live in Australia.  If only I was in England, I could go searching at the Archives.
On the 1851 census it says James LARKIN was in the Royal Sappers & Miners, but I don't know if that is the company or whether there is another name FOR THE Actual company he was in.
Find my Past sounds like a good option, I will take a look at that site, and see how I go.
Thank you once again your advice is much appreciated.
Regards and Happy researching  TRISH