Napoleonic/Crimea Women camp followers

[carolmc]

Hi
Does anyone know if there are any records about the women who followed their husband soldiers. How they got there, lived there, died there? Did the women follow the soldiers to overseas posting, ie Gibralter and Barbados?
Any ideas appreciated Carolm

[SmowGY]

Hi Carol

No expert   But if you mean ordinary soldiers, there was an allowance of 6 wives per company, I think   In the Napoleonic wars anyway.  Officers were accompanied by their wives if they wanted to take them I know of officers wives who were present at battles in the Peninsular War (Spain).

The soldiers would have gone out on the transports with their husbands.  There were wives on the Birkenhead when she sank off the coast of South Africa, that would be between the Napoleonic and Crimean wars.

There are army BMD records on Findmypast, they would record the information about camp followers.  I don't know if they cover the dates your interested in

I hope this has helped . . . a little

[fred1951]

you might find this interesting ...  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-448446/The-wives-went-war.html

[carolmc]

Hi

The Daily mail article is fascinating, many thanks for pointing me in that direction. I have a soldier, James Rallison who died of cholera in the Crimea. In the Muster pay roll, which records his death, his wife (Charlotte) also appears. I know that she followed him from Norfolk to Preston where they got married, but can't prove whether she became a camp follower. I think probably not, but the history is interesting.

regards Carolm