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→Enlistment term
== Conditions and activities==
=== Enlistment term===
From the end of the Napoleonic Wars until 1847, men were enlisted for twenty-one years, practically for life. From 1847 enlistment was for ten years, later increased to twelve; with a pension after twenty one years for extended service. From 1870, as part of the Caldwell Reforms, “short service” was introduced, where men enlisted for a period of time in the Army, the balance of time in the reserves (total twelve years). The standard term varied over time, including six and six, seven and five, three and nine, nine and three years, <ref> grumpy. [https://web.archive.org/web/20160207052213/http://www.victorianwars.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=6122 1870: Short Service] ''Victorian Wars Forum'' 17 October 2011, now archived. Retrieved 20 September 2018. <br> Guest (previously QGE). [https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/243429-cavalry-terms-of-engagement-1902-1914/?do=findComment&comment=2448106 Cavalry: Terms of Engagement 1902-1914] ''Great War Forum'' 27 September 2016. Retrieved 23 May 2018.<br>Muerrisch et al. [https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/240487-terms-of-service/?do=findComment&comment=2415522 Terms of Service] ''Great War Forum'' 27 June 2016 et al. Retrieved 21 March 2021.</ref> but terms may have been modified for regiments going to India.<ref>[http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=TS19000303.2.59 The British Army. (By The Right Hon Sir Charles W. Dilke)] ''The Star'' , Issue 6734, 3 March 1900, Page 7 Papers Past, National Library of New Zealand.</ref>
===Wives and families travelling to India===
For soldiers deployed from Britain to overseas garrisons only a proportion of men were allowed to be accompanied by their wives. For most countries the proportion was six wives per one hundred soldiers. However for India, and Australia, the ratio was twelve wives per one hundred men, including NCOs. The number of children was unlimited.<ref>Fuller, Tony [https://web.archive.org/web/20201031010929/https://mlarchives.rootsweb.com/listindexes/emails?listname=india&thread=12906952 Women on ships – again] ''Rootsweb India Mailing List'' 11 August 2000, archived. (The author was researching at the Tower Hamlets Library).</ref> These wives and children were provided with food, accomodation and transportation by the Army and were classified as "on the strength". There are thought to be very few soldiers' wives in India who were "off the strength", however, for one marriage in India ([[76th Regiment of Foot|76th Regiment]]) see External links below. An 1870 Cork newspaper advertisement sought a passage to India for a soldier's wife.<ref>[https://www.thesocialhistorian.com/part-one-james-and-laura-mackie/ "James and Laura Mackie, Part 1"] Scroll down. thesocialhistorian.com</ref>
