Robert Beattie of the 91st Argyllshire Regiment

[maryvb]

I am trying to track down info on my husband's great grandfather, Robert Beattie. He was born about 1809 in Scotland, and his wife Mary Ann Moffatt was born about 1820, also in Scotland. I have not been able to find a record of either of these births, or their marriage. Their children were born 1838 in Scotland, 1840 in Ireland, 1843 at Parkhurst Barracks, IOW, where Robert was a Staff Sergeant in the 91st Regiment (birth certificate), and from 1849 on in Essex. He appears to have resigned from the army about 1848 and joined the Essex Constabulary and the West Essex Militia, and he died in Essex in 1858 (death certificate).

Since the 91st Regiment was raised in Argyll, perhaps Robert came from there. How can I find out when and where he joined, and where he served, from 1838 or so until 1848? Ideally, some military record might tell me when and where he was born and maybe the name of his father. How can I obtain this information?

Any advice would be helpful. Thank you

[neil1821]

Are you absolutely sure that he was born in Scotland at all?
This chap fits the bill except for being born in Ireland..
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATID=-4007540&CATLN=7&Highlight=%2CROBERT%2CBEATTIE&accessmethod=0

- served in the 91st
- served 1827-47 which fits with your information.
- discharged in 1847 aged 39 which puts his birth c.1808

[Jebber]

He was discharged as medically unfit at Chatham on the 31 December 1847
His birth place is given as Clonguish, Longford, he Attested at Longford on the 11 January 1827.

Ten pages of his records can be downloaded from FindMyPast, a subscription site for which you can purchase credits.

[t mo]

hi
i,m with Neil  i,ve looked the pension record up and this robert beattie appears to have spent his service in parkhurst barracks as no mention on record of foreign service and he was discharged there on 16 nov 1847 will post more if this is him .
regards
trevor
ps no other records show for anyone in the 91st in and around that time period

pps and with jebber

[maryvb]

Thank you to everyone for all their help. There seems to be a lot of info on this person.

Am I sure he was born in Scotland? No. He said he was in the 1851 census, which is the only one I can find, as he died in 1858. His wife also said she was born in Scotland, and went on saying that in subsequent censuses.

On his joining the Essex Constabulary, I can find two documents, one saying he was born in Scotland and the other Longford, Ireland. (I rule out that there were two Robert Beatties in the Essex Constabulary from the army, born in 1809 with the right number of children). I notice on one of the army papers that he said he was from Scot's Corner, Clonguish, Longford -- could that have meant that there was some kind of enclave in Ireland that regarded itself as Scottish? Or could he have meant that his "ancestry" was Scottish, though he himself was born in Ireland (except that that would have to have been true for his wife as well). Or could he have meant that he was in a Scottish regiment?

Anyhow, it certainly does seem that this is the right person. I followed the activities of the 91st as far as possible on the Internet, and it seems that they were travelling a good bit around then -- St Helena, Jamaica, India -- and as was noted above, he seems to have been just about the ohnly member left on the Isle of Wight. Might he thus have had some kind of staff job? He was a staff sergeant.

Thanks again for all your help.

[t mo]

hi
i may be throwing a spanner in the works here as i,ve just gone back to look at the pension record we talked about earlier and the reason as far as i can make out only the handwritten doctors report isn,t too clear  is that robert was discharged due to chronic pulmonary disease and what looks like dysmorfea although having done agoogle search such a medical term doesn,t exist , but the gist as i see it is that he had some form of emphysema or the like , now to me that doesn,t sound like the sort of person that would then leave the army and join the police force surely even back then some medical checks would be made and his army record taken into account ,
what do others say ?
regards
trevor

[maryvb]

Youa re right -- it does sound suspicious. On the other hand, he did die pretty young-- aged 48.

[t mo]

hi
if you have his death cert what does that give as reason of death
regards
trevor

[t mo]

ps
and as he was discharged with a pulmonary disease how did he get taken on in the militia !!