85th of foot
Replies: 1
Re: 85th of foot
I assume that you have a copy of his service record from the Public Record Office, WO/97/948/76.
Knowing that he was from the Parish of St. Cuthberts in Edinburgh is interesting. The fact that he received his pension in Ireland is more so. There were many Robinsons in Ireland at that time and I wonder if this could have been where his family was from originally. Of course the name is very prevalent in Scotland.
With Pension records in hand, have a look at who from his company signed the declaration that he had given "good service." The Captain signing is usually the company officer and will make it easier to track his movements in Canada. This can reduce research considerably. For example, in 1836 the 85th arrived in Halifax. In the following year they had detachments in Halifax, Annapolis and Cape Breton. Similarly when they were Quebec and Ontario the regiment would be split up into detachments to man the various posts. Your man might have baptised a child in Niagara one year and Amherstburg the next and Kingston the year after that. Monthly troop distribution lists tell you which company of which regiment was where each month and that helps narrow down a search for any children baptised.
The average number of children per married couple in the British Army at the time was about 2.23, so the soldiers were not having big families in barracks.
There were no medals that I can think of for which Andrew would have been eligible. General Service Medals for the Napoleonic Wars which ended in 1815 were granted to veterans of the wars in 1847-48 but were not issued posthumously. Some medals were issued for the 1st Afghan War but the 85th were not involved. The best that he would have done was to have received a "good conduct badge," possession of which entitled him to an extra penny a day on his pension.
Ron
Knowing that he was from the Parish of St. Cuthberts in Edinburgh is interesting. The fact that he received his pension in Ireland is more so. There were many Robinsons in Ireland at that time and I wonder if this could have been where his family was from originally. Of course the name is very prevalent in Scotland.
With Pension records in hand, have a look at who from his company signed the declaration that he had given "good service." The Captain signing is usually the company officer and will make it easier to track his movements in Canada. This can reduce research considerably. For example, in 1836 the 85th arrived in Halifax. In the following year they had detachments in Halifax, Annapolis and Cape Breton. Similarly when they were Quebec and Ontario the regiment would be split up into detachments to man the various posts. Your man might have baptised a child in Niagara one year and Amherstburg the next and Kingston the year after that. Monthly troop distribution lists tell you which company of which regiment was where each month and that helps narrow down a search for any children baptised.
The average number of children per married couple in the British Army at the time was about 2.23, so the soldiers were not having big families in barracks.
There were no medals that I can think of for which Andrew would have been eligible. General Service Medals for the Napoleonic Wars which ended in 1815 were granted to veterans of the wars in 1847-48 but were not issued posthumously. Some medals were issued for the 1st Afghan War but the 85th were not involved. The best that he would have done was to have received a "good conduct badge," possession of which entitled him to an extra penny a day on his pension.
Ron