List of all Battle of Waterloo men - free lookup offer

[ptdrifter]

Hi Edd many thanks for looking.

[farmeroman]

Hi Edd,
I have found a Thomas Filer on the Waterloo Medal Roll*as a drummer with the 1st Batt., 4th Regt. of Foot.

Thomas and his brother John were both Chelsea Pensioners and, although I have found Thomas's service records on FindMyPast, I have not found John's. However, there is a John Filer directly above Thomas's entry on the 4th Foot list of those awarded the MGSM (John has three clasps and Thomas four). I believe that there is a good chance that John is Thomas's brother and wondered if he was also at Waterloo?

*https://library.royalmintmuseum.org.uk/archive/waterloo-medal-roll?

Thanks for your kind offer to help with our research.

Best regards, Steve.

[simpleboy]

Hi, Steve,  'John Filer' is not on my Waterloo Roll - I have also checked the Royal Mint Roll, alas, he is not on that either.  This is not conclusive evidence, as there are many omissions from the Roll ( hundreds in fact ). There is a possibility that he was discharged before Waterloo.  The only suggestion I can give is to check the muster lists. I am not aware if the 4th Foot's musters are available on line. 'Ancestry' I believe have musters available, but I am not sure if they hold the 4th foot.  If not then it would mean a visit to the Public Records Office at KEW.
Regards
Edd.

[ShaunJ]

John Filer appears on the muster roll of 2nd Battalion, 4th Foot, for the period 25 June 1815 to 24 September 1815. The battalion was in Deal, but he was noted as "recruiting"

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/60546/images/42876_625537_0022-00609

He was previously in 1st Battalion, transferred to 2nd on 25 May 1815:

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/60546/images/42876_635001_11932-00099

[farmeroman]

John Filer appears on the muster roll of 2nd Battalion, 4th Foot, for the period 25 June 1815 to 24 September 1815. The battalion was in Deal, but he was noted as "recruiting"

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/60546/images/42876_625537_0022-00609

He was previously in 1st Battalion, transferred to 2nd on 25 May 1815:

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/60546/images/42876_635001_11932-00099

Cheers for that. 25 June was exactly one week after Waterloo wasn't it? So he was still serving in the 4th at the time of the battle. Were the 2nd not there?

[farmeroman]

Hi, Steve,  'John Filer' is not on my Waterloo Roll - I have also checked the Royal Mint Roll, alas, he not on that either.  This is not conclusive evidence, as there are many omissions from the Roll ( hundreds in fact ). There is a possibility that he was discharged before Waterloo.  The only suggestion I can give is to check the muster lists. I am not aware the 4th Foot's musters are available on line. 'Ancestry' I believe have musters available, but I am not sure if they hold the 4th foot.  If not then it would mean a visit to the Public Records Office at KEW.
Regards
Edd.

Many thanks for looking. John was my gt-gt-gt grandfather. It's a pity that none of his military records appear to have survived apart from the fact that he died an in-penioner at the Chelsea Hospital in 1876. He and his brother were both born in Colchester and he clearly served in the military so I'm fairly confident that the John on the MGSM records is him. Looks like I'll have to go to Kew at some time to see if I can find anything else about him.

[ShaunJ]

You can see from the Chelsea register that John Filer was discharged in 1816 having served in Spain and Portugal. Admitted to out-pension in 1867 and to in-pension in 1873. Childwall Alley, Priory Street, Colchester.
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/62624/images/wo23-170_m_00028

[farmeroman]

You can see from the Chelsea register that John Filer was discharged in 1816 having served in Spain and Portugal. Admitted to out-pension in 1867 and to in-pension in 1873. Childwall Alley, Priory Street, Colchester.
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/62624/images/wo23-170_m_00028

Thanks Shaun. He was definitely living in Priory Street in 1861 but had moved to Roman Road by 1871. Unfortunately I let my Ancestry subscription expire this year after many consecutive years and at present have only FindMyPast and MyHeritage subs active so I'll have to wait until I sign up for Ancestry again, probably later in the year or, hopefully, one of their free wekends.

[MollyC]

You can see from the Chelsea register that John Filer was discharged in 1816 having served in Spain and Portugal. 
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/62624/images/wo23-170_m_00028

Spain and Portugal suggests he served in the Peninsular war.  The Military General Service Medal runs to 1814.  I have a man in that list who had served from 1805 and was discharged 1815/16, and was not at Waterloo.  Perhaps a good number finished after returning from Spain.