Muster Rolls at TNA

[edalmun]

Hello,

I know there are very few people who go to the National Archives and do look-ups but I thought it was worth a try. I'm trying to find a William Aldous who I believe was in the Army around 1858. I have a possible match for him, and therefore need to look up muster rolls for a specific regiment for a specific year to find out it is is my William Aldous.

If anyone is going and thinks they might be able to do this I would be very very grateful. I've researched all sides of my family and this mystery is the most confusing, complicated and most important to me so any help would be wonderful.

Many thanks,
Elissa

[junev]

Hi,

I'm not sure if Muster Rolls would help - there are Service Records for several William's but only one whose age would mean he was possible joined 1852 but left in 1855  - Coldstream Guards born ~1834 Sproughton, Suffolk

There is also a William Aldis b Norfolk - 53 Reg. of Foot - joined 1857 left 1863

Junev

[edalmun]

I believe he may have joined up and died between 1856 and 1861. There are no obvious service records and therefore I think the only place to look is muster rolls.

I know there was a William Aldous in the 52nd Oxfordshire Regiment of Foot in 1858, but he seems to disappear and I can't find out what happened to him. I'm not sure whether he is my William but I need to rule him out.

[junev]

hi,

Just looked at all the William's in the 52nd - just in case the name has been mistranscribed but no luck

Junev

[Valda]

Hi

At this time period if a man did not serve a sufficient period to be in receipt of a pension, which could also be awarded if he was permanently disabled in battle, then when he left the service, because he died or for instance bought himself out, his service records would be automatically destroyed. The main records remaining would be the quarterly pay records - the muster rolls, though there are other records such as those covering soldiers who purchased themselves out of service (also only at TNA). Therefore checking online service records will not find him, as it will not find the majority of men who served in the army. The majority of men did not serve a sufficiently long enough time period to be in receipt of a pension, which is why service records were kept, so the army knew what their pension entitlement was. Like most men such a soldier can only be tracked easily (if the regiment is known) through the muster rolls which are not online. By the 1880s service records for all soldiers were kept even if they absconded almost immediately.
That means Elissa really does need a look up at The National Archives for the muster rolls for this regiment to be certain. It is possible at this time that the 52nd Regiment may have had more than one battalion, which if right would mean checking more than one series of muster rolls. The regiment was certainly serving in India between 1853-1865 during the mutiny and men in the regiment would have died in battle as well as from disease. Wikipedia doesn't indicate that the regiment did have a second battalion which would often be stationed at home while the first battalion was abroad and could be used to supply fresh soldiers to the first battalion as needed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/52nd_%28Oxfordshire%29_Regiment_of_Foot


Regards

Valda

[roomar]

I have just come across these postings and realize that they are quite old but I'm hoping that there is someone there who could maybe look at the 52nd Regiment to see if a William Thompson-Staff Sergeant was there.
Dorothy

[Deb D]

Were officers included on the Muster Rolls?

[roomar]

Hi, I have no idea.
Dorothy

[anpefa1]

hi elissa,

send me some more details (bmd, census, dob, etc) so that i may be searching for the right person.

i will be at tna next month.

tony