Charles Kent 6th Regt

[Ju]

Hi,

Charles Kent was born in c1835 in Faringdon, Berks and I think he served in the 6th Regt.

In the 1881 census he is shown as an army pensioner living in Warwick, but I can’t find him or his family in the 1871 census and am wondering if he might have been serving abroad at that time.

His wife, Harriet, was born in Willenhall in c1842 & they had a son, also called Charles, who was born in Brecon in c1869. They also had a daughter, Emily, who was born in Alderney in c1875, so am I correct in thinking that Charles’ family would have been allowed to travel with him?

I’d be very grateful if someone could look at his service record to possibly find where he was in 1871 together with any additional information about where he might have served.

Thank you,

Ju

[ShaunJ]

His record shows that he was in Ireland at the time of the 1871 census.

https://search.findmypast.co.uk/record?id=GBM%2FWO97%2F2013%2F051%2F001&parentid=GBM%2FWO97%2F2013%2F419954

https://www.findmypast.co.uk/transcript?id=GBM%2F1871%2FNIX%2F00133576

[Andy J2022]

If his date of birth was c.1835 I would expected him to enlist at the age of 18-20, so around 1853-55.

In October 1857 the 6th Regiment of Foot (later the Royal Warwickshire Regiment) formed a second battalion, while the 1st battalion were in India helping put down the Indian Mutiny. This makes it perhaps more likely that he joined the 2nd Battalion, in which case he would have gone with them to Gibraltar in 1858, and then to the Ionian Islands (Corfu) in 1862, followed by Jamaica in 1864 and back to Scotland in 1867. In 1868-9 they were stationed in England. By 1870 the 2nd battalion was in Ireland, followed by the Channel Islands in 1874. These dates coincide with the places where their children were born.

There is a pension record (see below) on FindMyPast for a Corporal Charles Kent number 1217 formerly of the 2nd Battalion 6th Foot who was discharged on 2 April 1878 after 21 years and 71 days service, meaning that he joined up around the 21st  of January 1857. I think it is highly likely that this is your Charles Kent. As noted by ShaunJ, at  the same time as the civilian census in the UK in 1871, the Army conducted a worldwide index (details in WO 12/2468 at TNA). Corporal Charles Kent 2nd Battalion 6th Regiment  number 1217 is recorded as being in Buttevant, Co Cork, Ireland.

[ShaunJ]

The record shows that he didn't serve outside the home islands.

[Andy J2022]

Which record are you referring to Shaun?

[ShaunJ]

It's on the first page of his army file. Per the first link I posted.

[Andy J2022]

OK thanks. Missed that.

[Bookbox]

at  the same time as the civilian census in the UK in 1871, the Army conducted a worldwide index (details in WO 12/2468 at TNA).

Just for clarity, the so-called ‘Worldwide Army Index’ was not compiled by the army. It is a recent creation by military historians Kevin Asplin and Roger Nixon. They compiled it by painstakingly extracting data from the regimental muster-books (WO 10, 11 & 12, held at TNA) for each quarter when the UK census was taken in 1841, 1851, 1861 and 1871, so it acts as a ‘census substitute’. These databases were later acquired by FindMyPast.

[Andy J2022]

Thanks for that information, Bookbox. I have been labouring under that misconception for several years. Furthermore I wasn't aware there was a worldwide index in 1841.