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Author Topic: Army Enlistment 1799 - Age Discrepancy Query.  (Read 1789 times)

Offline DavidJP

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Army Enlistment 1799 - Age Discrepancy Query.
« on: Tuesday 29 January 13 00:24 GMT (UK) »
Hi all,

My 4x gt grandfather Benjamin King was baptised in Ringwood, Hampshire on 1st Sept 1779. On the 15th June 1799 he enlisted into the 23rd Light Dragoons and stated that he was age 17, 17 years 9 months to be precise, however as you can see from his baptism date he was actually 19 years 9 months old.

I have noticed that a couple of other threads on here have the same two year discrepancy! My question is was there some sort of inducement or whatever on enlisting to encourage men to state that they were under 18 when they were actually over 18?

Benjamin left the army & same regiment now the 23rd Lancers in 1818 when the regiment was disbanded, as a serjeant after 17 years 253 days service!

I hope this question makes some kind of sense!

Kind regards

David
Aitcheson, Aldred, Batty, Bauer, Bone, Brewer, Dean, Doyle, Durant, Fife, Finney, Gibson, Graham/Grayham, Hall, Harrison, Hersey, Hill, Holliss, Hudson, Hussey, Insley, Kelsey, King, Laver, Longmore, Luke, Mellor, Newman, North, Parker, Phillips, Porter, Read, Robinson, Rowel, Spink, Sproxton, Steer, Stevenson, Tanner, Witty/Whitty, Warburton, Wood.
(For more information on the above surnames please check the Surname Interest Table below.)

Offline Kevin Linch

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Re: Army Enlistment 1799 - Age Discrepancy Query.
« Reply #1 on: Saturday 28 March 20 16:45 GMT (UK) »
'Growing lads' over 16 and under 18 were allowed to enlist if they were shorter that the minimum height standard required for recruits over 18, so I expect some shrewd recruiting sergeant got them to lie about their age so that he could join up.

Offline DavidJP

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Re: Army Enlistment 1799 - Age Discrepancy Query.
« Reply #2 on: Thursday 28 January 21 20:02 GMT (UK) »
Hi Kevin Linch,

My apologies for my non response until now. The major reason being that my PC died on me which left me offline for quite some time. Was unable to do anything about it until fairly recently due to financial constraints. Even now I'm only using a laptop but it is better than nothing!


Many thanks for that information, most interesting and much appreciated.

Apologies again for delayed response.

Kind regards

David
Aitcheson, Aldred, Batty, Bauer, Bone, Brewer, Dean, Doyle, Durant, Fife, Finney, Gibson, Graham/Grayham, Hall, Harrison, Hersey, Hill, Holliss, Hudson, Hussey, Insley, Kelsey, King, Laver, Longmore, Luke, Mellor, Newman, North, Parker, Phillips, Porter, Read, Robinson, Rowel, Spink, Sproxton, Steer, Stevenson, Tanner, Witty/Whitty, Warburton, Wood.
(For more information on the above surnames please check the Surname Interest Table below.)

Online Rena

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Re: Army Enlistment 1799 - Age Discrepancy Query.
« Reply #3 on: Thursday 28 January 21 20:22 GMT (UK) »
What was the status of the parents?

There's also the situation where a couple deduct a couple of years from the age of their first child, because they didn't want the neighbours to know the child was born out of wedlock.   I have one Catholic baptism where the vicar has written "Couple have promised to marry in one year".  they actually married two years later.
Aberdeen: Findlay-Shirras,McCarthy: MidLothian: Mason,Telford,Darling,Cruikshanks,Bennett,Sime, Bell: Lanarks:Crum, Brown, MacKenzie,Cameron, Glen, Millar; Ross: Urray:Mackenzie:  Moray: Findlay; Marshall/Marischell: Perthshire: Brown Ferguson: Wales: McCarthy, Thomas: England: Almond, Askin, Dodson, Well(es). Harrison, Maw, McCarthy, Munford, Pye, Shearing, Smith, Smythe, Speight, Strike, Wallis/Wallace, Ward, Wells;Germany: Flamme,Ehlers, Bielstein, Germer, Mohlm, Reupke

Offline DavidJP

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Re: Army Enlistment 1799 - Age Discrepancy Query.
« Reply #4 on: Thursday 28 January 21 20:53 GMT (UK) »
Hi Rena,

Many thanks for you reply, much appreciated.

Parents Thomas King & Mary Feltham married in 1763 in Ringwood. Benjamin was the youngest of 7 children.

My thanks again.

Kind regards

David
Aitcheson, Aldred, Batty, Bauer, Bone, Brewer, Dean, Doyle, Durant, Fife, Finney, Gibson, Graham/Grayham, Hall, Harrison, Hersey, Hill, Holliss, Hudson, Hussey, Insley, Kelsey, King, Laver, Longmore, Luke, Mellor, Newman, North, Parker, Phillips, Porter, Read, Robinson, Rowel, Spink, Sproxton, Steer, Stevenson, Tanner, Witty/Whitty, Warburton, Wood.
(For more information on the above surnames please check the Surname Interest Table below.)

Online Rena

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Re: Army Enlistment 1799 - Age Discrepancy Query.
« Reply #5 on: Friday 29 January 21 00:43 GMT (UK) »
Quote from: DavidJP on Thursday 28 January 21 20:53 GMT (UK)
Hi Rena,

Many thanks for you reply, much appreciated.

Parents Thomas King & Mary Feltham married in 1763 in Ringwood. Benjamin was the youngest of 7 children.

My thanks again.

Kind regards

David

Obviously I misunderstood the reason behind your question.  Britain was gearing up to fight Napoleon, who was interested in the piece of mainland Europe that "belonged" to Britain.  This was the Kingdom of Hanover, given to James VI of Scotland (James 1 of England) on the occasion of the marriage of his granddaughter Sophia.

I'm a bit envious of your finding an ancestor's name because I'm interested in discovering if a Scottish ancester was called up.  The archives quoted me a price of £500 which I considered to be a bit steep.

I believe everyone who signed up received a sum of money; a portion for their families and some for their uniform, etc.
Aberdeen: Findlay-Shirras,McCarthy: MidLothian: Mason,Telford,Darling,Cruikshanks,Bennett,Sime, Bell: Lanarks:Crum, Brown, MacKenzie,Cameron, Glen, Millar; Ross: Urray:Mackenzie:  Moray: Findlay; Marshall/Marischell: Perthshire: Brown Ferguson: Wales: McCarthy, Thomas: England: Almond, Askin, Dodson, Well(es). Harrison, Maw, McCarthy, Munford, Pye, Shearing, Smith, Smythe, Speight, Strike, Wallis/Wallace, Ward, Wells;Germany: Flamme,Ehlers, Bielstein, Germer, Mohlm, Reupke

Offline simpleboy

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Re: Army Enlistment 1799 - Age Discrepancy Query.
« Reply #6 on: Friday 24 March 23 00:03 GMT (UK) »
Hi, if you give me your ancestor's name - I will check my database to see if his name comes up.
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