Help with early army records

[josey]

Might John H have started in another regiment & transferred to Pay Corps if injured?

Marriage entry found by ShaunJ states father James is a clerk - this might help confirm any census return found. Marriage was in a CoE church.

Might the names of children with Margaret help?

ADDED: John's marriage 29 April 1905 witnesses Walter Pinnell/Punnell/Purnell also APC & J Morris ?father; the IMMEDIATELY next marriage in register is Walter's on 20 May 1905 witnessed by John Henry Smith. Both by licence - do the licences still exist?

Walter Edgar Pinnell's army record is on ancestry, shows he started in Wiltshire Regiment in 1896 & transferred to APC in 1903, so John too may have been transferred into APC. Walter enlisted at 14 yr 5 mo!

[Yvonne Donnellon]

So, I think I may have found our young soldier , were trumpeters usually the youngest recruits, too young for real action?  Also can you confirm this is the Royal Artillery?

[josey]

Well done! Walter Pinnell became a drummer after enlisting at 14 so perhaps youngsters did get those roles?

Yes, I would say Royal Garrison Artillery but could be wrong. Is that a census? If so can you give us the reference please.

[Yvonne Donnellon]

Well done! Walter Pinnell became a drummer after enlisting at 14 so perhaps youngsters did get those roles?

Yes, I would say Royal Garrison Artillery but could be wrong. Is that a census? If so can you give us the reference please.

I wonder if the two young lads became life long pals?  Yes it's this census, I have previously overlooked ir because it was the wrong regiment https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/7814/images/DEVRG13_2108_2108-0487?ssrc=pt&treeid=114805715&personid=332076604828&hintid=&usePUB=true&usePUBJs=true&pId=11702418&backurl=https%3A%2F%2Fsearch.ancestry.co.uk%2Fcgi-bin%2Fsse.dll%3Findiv%3D1%26dbid%3D7814%26h%3D11702418%26ssrc%3Dpt%26tid%3D114805715%26pid%3D332076604828%26usePUB%3Dtrue

[Yvonne Donnellon]

Just ordered the birth cert for John Henry Smith - Mother's name Neal
Year   Qtr   District   Vol   Page   Reg   Ent No   DOR
1883     Dec     EAST STONEHOUSE     05B     295 

Keep your fingers crossed for me!             

[josey]

Look forward to the results.

For anyone without ancestry access census is RG13; Piece: 2108; Folio: 241; Page: 17

With a name like John Smith, you are lucky he seemed to use his middle name throughout.

[ShaunJ]

Per the birth records of daughters Florence (1907) and Isabel (1910), the family were then living at 28 Bowness Street in Belfast.

Note the alternate spelling of the surname as Smyth in the Belfast Directories 1907-1912:

(now can we find the family in the 1911 census....)

[Yvonne Donnellon]

Thanks Shaun, that's great! I had ordered Kathleen's birth cert too as she was born in 1910 and I was hoping they were still at the same address for the 1911 census !

[ShaunJ]

Florence Cecilia (1907) birth record: https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1907/01712/1678109.pdf
James Henry (1908) birth record:
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1908/01647/1657792.pdf
Isabella Kathleen (1910) birth record:
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1910/01574/1634402.pdf