Royal Artillery Muster Rolls

[greenshed]

I have been searching for an ancestor, John Mellis, and another recent topic covers that. John had connections with the Royal Artiilery, probably between 1806 and 1818. Searches through Ancestry and Findmypast have not been successful, and the Curator at the Royal Artillery Museum suggests
the only hope is for a search to be made of the Muster Rolls, only held at the National Archives and not available on line.

John and his wife Rachel had children 1820 to 1823 in the Gartly area, but it appears by 1832 appx Rachel and children moved to Aberdeen. The assumtion is that John had died around that time.

Before looking at a professional researcher, has anyone obtained access to these muster rolls in the period stated above for the Aberdeenshire area and perhaps Gartly in particular.

Thanks
Ian

[Scottish wifie]

I would get in touch with the Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire archives in Old Aberdeen they might have the records, you can email them on archives@aberdeencity.gov.uk or their website is www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/archives or phone number 01224 481775. I had a recent visit there and they are very helpful all the best Lesley

[greenshed]

Thank you Lesley, it was a surprise to finally get someone to add a post to the topic.
I have sent them an email and will see what happens. As I live in NZ, that is really the only option.

Cheers
Ian

[Grothenwell]

Hi,

i cant open and look for you but if you look at the ANESFHS database of members ancestors you may find others with Mellis lineage in Gartly or nearby
 http://www.anesfhs.org.uk/download.htm

[greenshed]

Thank you for your reply.

I had a look on that link at the "Ancestor Chart" and found the surname. I also have the surname "Stephen" in the lineage which for a time were based in Monymusk and that was also listed.

No sure where I go from there. I am hoping a second cousin living in  Aberdeen has some joy in locating John Mellis.

Cheers
Ian

[Grothenwell]

Hopefully your second cousin is a member of the ANESFHS, but if not if you contact them yourself they will tell you how to proceed in either contacting the member who submitted the charts or perhaps send you a copy.

[hdw]

I have been searching for an ancestor, John Mellis, and another recent topic covers that. John had connections with the Royal Artiilery, probably between 1806 and 1818. Searches through Ancestry and Findmypast have not been successful, and the Curator at the Royal Artillery Museum suggests
the only hope is for a search to be made of the Muster Rolls, only held at the National Archives and not available on line.

John and his wife Rachel had children 1820 to 1823 in the Gartly area, but it appears by 1832 appx Rachel and children moved to Aberdeen. The assumtion is that John had died around that time.

Before looking at a professional researcher, has anyone obtained access to these muster rolls in the period stated above for the Aberdeenshire area and perhaps Gartly in particular.

Thanks
Ian

I don't normally browse the Aberdeenshire thread of Rootsweb as I had no ancestors from there but my wife had an ancestor called Alexander Rollo from the parish of Rathen who joined the Royal Artillery at Strichen and fought in the Peninsular Wars under Sir John Moore.

Harry

[greenshed]

Thanks Harry,

Is there some records you are able to search for this information or was it family details that were handed down?

Cheers
Ian

[hdw]

On this occasion we benefited from research done by someone else, who traced Corporal Rollo's army career, his marriage and children and subsequent retirement to his wife's home parish of Tynemouth, Northumberland, where he became the sexton at the famous Priory. His headstone there records his main claim to fame - he held the lantern at the secret midnight burial of General Sir John Moore at Corunna as immortalised in the poem,

"Not a drum was heard, not a funeral note / As his corse to the rampart we hurried ..."

This story is well known to descendants on Tyneside. I'm not sure if it's so well known in his native Aberdeenshire!

Harry