Madras Army

The Madras Army was one of the East India Company Armies. Its origins lie in the raising of the first troops at Fort St George which was constructed in 1640 to defend Madras.

Divisions

Madras Artillery
Madras Cavalry
Madras Infantry:

Madras Regiments

A list of Madras Army regiments, alphabetically by type, can be found in the main article Madras Army Regiments.

Records

British Library

The links for the following catalogue references are National Archives Discovery links. For British Library equivalent links, search directly in the British Library’s "Search our Catalogue Archives and Manuscripts".

Online database Roll of subscribers to Madras Military Fund 1808-c.1939 IOR/L/AG/23/10/1. Biographical details included.

Other records available in the British Library India Office holdings include:

Madras Army Records IOR/L/MIL/11. Discovery catalogue entry which includes links to subgroups.

Please note that the Registers of Madras Army European Soldiers IOR/L/MIL/11/101-108 1786-1860 commenced in 1831 and only contain men still serving in the Army at that date. They are the recommended records to look at initially for men serving from 1831. If a man left the Army prior to 1831 for any reason, including death, he will not appear in these records. The Muster records are an alternative source of information.

FamilySearch (LDS (Mormons)) have filmed many of these records, most of which are now available as digitised microfilm. Search the FamilySearch catalogue by entering keywords such as Madras Army. In particular, “Registers of Madras Army European soldiers, 1786-1860” (catalogue entry) and “Madras army muster, quarterly, annual and casualty rolls, 1762-1907” (catalogue entry) are available.

Note: Microfilm ordering services ceased September 2017, however selected microfilms have been digitised and are currently available for viewing on a FamilySearch computer at a FamilySearch Centre or FamilySearch Affiliate Library. Locate these records through the FamilySearch catalogue. It is expected that in time all microfilms will be similarly available in this format. See FamilySearch Centres for viewing details.

Military Department Library: Madras Army IOR/L/MIL/17/3 1787-1904 includes
- Madras Army List IOR/L/MIL/17/3/1-329 1810-1895
- Madras Army General and Regimental Histories, Biographical Compilations IOR/L/MIL/17/3/511-520 1852-1943.
Soldiers’ and Officers’ Wills IOR/L/AG/34/30 1825-1881 (varies according to Presidency and whether a soldier or an officer). These records are available on findmypast

Fibis Database

Cadet Papers and Registers. Applications for Cadetships in EIC Armies 1789-1860 includes Madras Army. These are records for officers. The series is divided into two separate sub-series:- Cadet Papers (1789-1860) L/MIL/9/107-254 and Cadet Registers (1775-1860) L/MIL/9/255-269.
First Soldiers of the EIC Army
Madras Muster List April 1762 - Officers and Troops Musters IOR/L/MIL/11/109. List comprises some 1700 men from various countries.
FIBIS database 3rd Battalion Madras Artillery for 1st January 1832 Musters IOR/L/MIL/11/138. Artillery, 1st Eur Regt, Effective Supernumeraries, Vet, Pensioners.
FIBIS database: 2nd Madras European Regiment for 1 January 1832 - thought to be destroyed Musters [poss IOR/L/MIL/17/3/337]. Transcribed from L/MIL/17/3/ series. Monthly lists from part of this series are believed to be destroyed.
FIBIS database: Prize Batta - Coorg Campaign 1834. Transcription of Coorg Campaign, 1834 (Madras Artillery only) from British Library records IOR/L/MIL/5/258.
FIBIS database Madras General Orders by the Commander-In-Chief . General Orders of Courts Martial proceedings - 1827-1837 from BL IOR/L/MIL/17/3/415-421.
FIBIS database: China Campaign, 1842 - Madras Artillery & Staff only. Transcription of Medal Roll for the China Campaign, 1842 taken from IOR/L/MIL/5/67 held by the British Library.
FIBIS database: Soldiers’ and Widows’ Pension details -1896 IOR/ L/MIL/14/214 & 215 Includes previous members of the Bengal, Madras and Bombay Armies, including men from the Unattached List. May also include a few members of the Indian Army which officially was formed in 1895. These records are available on LDS microfilm 2029979 Items 1-2 with catalogue entry, however the FIBIS database record contains all the information available in the microfilm.
FIBIS database Madras Military Fund. Transcription of Madras Military Fund - Personal Information. This list includes personal information of subscribers to the Madras Military Fund, designed in 1808 and closed to new subscribers in 1862, to provide pensions for officers of the Madras Army. From British Library records IOR/L/AG/23/10/11-22. Also available on FamilySearch digitised microfilm catalogue entry. It appears from the index records that in some instances there were certificates available which should be available in the original records at the British Library, or in the digitised microfilms. Each index record includes the exact IOR reference and relevant microfilm number.

Other sources

The National Army Museum holds a card index detailing officer's services. This index is unpublished and not available elsewhere. See the NAM article for details.

External links

Madras Presidency: Army Wikipedia
Madras Army Wikipedia
Officer biographies - Bengal and Madras Armies from Macquarie University’s Seringapatam 1799
Distribution Return of Her Majesty's and the East India Company's Troops Serving under the Presidency of Fort St. George (Madras) 1 April 1857 The Nafziger Collection of Orders of Battle (page 171 of the Finding Aid)
The Civil and Military Patronage of the East India Company, 1784-1858 by John Michael Bourne 1977 PhD thesis, University of Leicester.

Historical books online

The Presidential Armies of India by Colonel S Rivett-Carnac 1890 Archive.org has chapters on the Madras Army.
Alphabetical List of the Officers of the Madras Army by Edward Dodwell, 1838 (Archive.org)
A List of the Officers who have served in the Madras Artillery, from its formation in 1748 down to 1861, in which year it was amalgamated with the Royal Artillery : giving the dates of their appointment, promotion, retirement, death, etc. compiled by Major John Henry Leslie, Royal Artillery (Retired List) 1900 Hathi Trust Digital Library.
A List of the Officers of the Army, Ordnance and Medical Departments, serving under the Presidency of Fort St. George

1st April 1822 Google Books

Tamil Digital Library (using the Search) has six volumes catalogued as A List of the Officers of the Army, five of which appear to be this publication. Download appears possible. 1 June 1807, 1 March 1812, possibly 1 October 1813, 1 September 1817, 1 August 1819.

The British Officer: his Position, Duties, Emoluments and Privileges… by J H Stocqueler 1851 Archive.org. Includes "Part VI The East India Company’s Service", from page 260. Contents, Part VI.
Indian Army Uniforms under the British from the 18th century to 1947: Cavalry by W Y Carman 1961. Archive.org Lending Library. Includes a Regimental index, page 232.

Indian Army Uniforms by W Y Carman 1969. Full title: Indian Army Uniforms under the British from the 18th century to 1947 : Artillery, Engineers and Infantry. Archive.org version, mirror from Digital Library of India. Note: Original colour plates are in black and white and most illustrations are of poor quality.

History of the Madras Army by Lieutenant-Colonel William John Wilson Volume 1 1882 Archive.org Volume 1, Google Books. Covers the period 1746-1780. Volume 2 1882. Covers the period 1780-1799. Volume 3 1883. Covers the period 1799-1817. Archive.org. Volume 4: From 1746-1826 : with an account of the European artillery, engineers, and infantry up to their amalgamation with the Royal Army in 1861, and of the native cavalry and infantry up to 1887 1888 Archive.org; Volume 5: Maps 1889 Archive.org.

All 5 volumes, Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek.

"Some Old Records of the Madras Army 1757-1759" edited by the Rev. H Hosten, SJ Journal and Proceedings of the Asiatic Society of Bengal New Series, Volume 12, 1916, pages 273-286. Archive.org
Sepoy Recruitment in the Old Madras Army by H Dodwell, Curator, Madras Record Office. 1922. Archive.org, Granth Sanjeevani Collection. Part of the series Studies in Indian Records published by the Indian Historical Records Commission.
Yusuf Khan : the Rebel Commandant. "The bravest and ablest of all the native soldiers that ever served the English in India" by S C Hill, formerly Officer in charge of the records of the Government of India. 1914 Archive.org. He was executed 1764. Contains part of the same map in the link which follows, with a translation of the information, page 266.

A plan of Madura, catalogued as Rajshahi Revolt against British Rule (1763-4). George III's collection of military maps, Royal Collection Trust.

Page 71 Genuine memoirs of Asiaticus: in a series of letters to a friend, during five years residence in different parts of India, three of which were spent in the service of the Nabob of Arcot by Philip Dormer Stanhope 1784 Google Books. In 1775 he briefly received a commission in the Madras Army, but almost immediately changed to the service of the Nabob of Arcot who had several regiments commanded by European Officers.
‪Head Quarters, Choultry Plain, thirteenth July, MDCCXCVI [1796]. General Orders: by the Commander in Chief ‬[Madras Army] Google Books. A restructure of the Regiments.
Stringer Lawrence, the Father of the Indian Army by Colonel J Biddulph 1901 Archive.org. The subject arrived at Fort St David in January 1748, He had been earlier appointed Major of the Garrison at Fort St George , which had since been taken by the French. By 1752 he was Commander-in Chief of all the Company’s military forces in the East Indies.
Memoir and correspondence of General James Stuart Fraser of the Madras Army by Colonel Hastings Fraser, 2nd edition 1885. Archive.org. General Fraser was in India 1799 to February 1853, the last fourteen years as Resident at Hyderabad
The Chief Secretary: Madras Diaries of Alexander Falconar 1790-1809 Edited by N S Ramaswami 1983. Tamil Digital Library. Also contains a Notebook/Diary of Artillery Lieutenant Matthew Campbell 1821-1830 from page 67. Includes on page 77 a list of Campbell's clothes, and also other items relating to military technical matters. Based on diaries found in India. Archive.org mirror version.
Sketch of the Services of Major-General Briggs, of the Madras Army. [Drawn up by himself] 1840 Google Books

Memoir of General John Briggs, of the Madras Army; with comments on some of his words and work by Major Evans Bell 1885 Archive.org. General Briggs joined the Madras Army July 1801, and left India in 1835.

Twelve years' military adventure in three quarters of the globe: or, Memoirs of an officer who served in the armies of His Majesty and of the East India Company, between the years 1802 and 1814 Volume 1 by John Blakiston 1829. Volume 2. Google Books. He joined the Madras Engineers in 1802. Pages 1- 115 of Volume 2 cover the period April 1811 to February 1812 , and mainly relate to the Expedition to Java.
Strictures on the present government civil, military and political of the British possessions in India; including a view of the recent transactions in that country, which have tended to alienate the affections of the natives: in a letter from an Officer resident on the spot, to his friend in England 1808. Letter is signed Najeeb (page 124). Google Books.

An account of the origin, progress, and consequences of the late discontents of the army on the Madras establishment 1810 Google Books.

Accurate and Authentic Narrative of the Origin and Progress of the Dissentions at the Presidency of Madras: Founded on Original Papers and Correspondence [by George Buchan] 1810. Google Books.

A Letter from an Officer at Madras to a Friend formerly in that Service now in England, exhibiting the Rise, Progress and Actual State of the Late Unfortunate Insurrection in the Indian Army 1810 Google Books. Events in 1808-1809. 2nd edition corrected, 1810. Archive.org, digital page 68 of a book file about the Indian Mutiny of 1857 titled The English Captives in Oudh.

Observations on the disturbances in the Madras Army in 1809 by Sir John Malcolm 1812 Google Books. Part I. Observations on the causes and progress of the disturbances in the Madras army, Part. II. A narrative of the conduct of Lieut.-Colonel Malcolm during the disturbances in the Madras army

Journals of the sieges of the Madras Army, in the years 1817, 1818, and 1819 by Edward Lake of the Madras Engineers 1825 Google Books

Plans and Views illustrating the Journals of the Sieges of the Madras Army, etc by Edward Lake, 1825. British Library Digital. Notes: Imperfect; wanting the titlepage and list of plates.

Military reminiscences: extracted from a journal of nearly forty years' active service in the East Indies Volume 1 by Colonel James Welsh of the Madras Establishment 1830. Google Books Volume 2 Google Books (service from 1790)
"Journal of A Company’s Officer". The Asiatic Journal and Monthly Register for British India and Its Dependencies, New Series Voumes I and III, May-Oct 1843 and May-Oct 1844. Google Books. No I page 345, No II Page 506, No III The Kemedy Campaign page 69, No IV page 158, No V page 397. The author initially was a Lieutenant Fireworker who came to Madras Presidency in the 1810s probably 1811. His account continues until the 1820s.
Thirty years in India: or, A soldier's reminiscences of native and European life in the presidencies, from 1808 to 1838 by Major Henry Bevan late 27th EIC Madras Native Infantry 1839 Volume 1, Volume 2 Google Books
‪Memorials of Service in India‬: ‪from the correspondence of the late Major Samuel Charters Macpherson‬ Political Agent at Gwalior during the Mutiny, and formerly employed in the suppression of human sacrifices in Orissa.1865 Google Books. Archive.org (has better maps) He initially joined the Madras Army in 1827. In 1831 he was appointed assistant surveyor-general and was engaged in both military and survey work. In 1841 he was appointed as Assistant to the Agent at Ganjam, Political Agent at Bhopal in 1853, and Political Agent at Gwalior in 1854.
Ten Years in India: or, The Life of a Young Officer by Albert Henry Andrew Hervey of the 40th Regiment Madras Infantry (1850), Volume I, Volume II, Volume III Google Books. A later edition was published in 1988 as A soldier of the Company: Life of an Indian Ensign, 1833-43.
General Douglas Hamilton, Madras Army 1837-1871. His Army career is detailed in the Preface page ix Records of sport in Southern India : chiefly on the Annamullay, Nielgherry and Pulney mountains, also including notes on Singapore, Java and Labuan, from journals written between 1844 and 1870 by the late General Douglas Hamilton, Madras Army 1892 Archive.org. With many illustrations.
Fifty years' reminiscences of India : a retrospect of travel, adventure and shikar by Colonel Pollok, [FitzWilliam Thomas Pollok] Madras Staff Corps 1896 Southeast Asia Visions Cornell University. Archive.org version. The author arrived in Madras in early 1849, and was posted to a Native Infantry Regiment. In 1853 he was appointed to the Sappers and Miners in Burma.
Regulations for the Dress of General, Staff and Regimental Officers of the Army of Fort St George 1838 Google Books. Cloth trousers were worn from 15th October to 31st January, and white linen trousers for the remainder of the year.
Revised Index of all General Orders from 1800 to 1839 inclusive… by a Staff Officer ,Madras 1841 Google Books
Revised Standing Orders, Sections II, III, IV, V and XI for the Native Infantry of the Madras Army 1866 Google Books
Routes in the Peninsula of India Comprising the Whole of the Madras Presidency and Portions of the Adjacent Territories of Bengal and Bombay by Major F H Scott, Deputy Quartermaster General of the Madras Army 1853 Archive.org
Sketches of the most prevalent diseases of India : comprising, a treatise on the epidemic cholera of the East : statistical and topographical reports of the diseases in the different divisions of the army under the Madras presidency : embracing also the annual rate of mortality, & c. of European troops : and practical observations on the effects of calomel on the alimentary canal, and on the diseases most prevalent in India by James Annesley 1825 Archive.org.

2nd edition, with corrections and large additions, 1829 Archive.org

‪Report on the Medical Topography and Statistics of the Presidency Division of the Madras Army‬: ‪including Fort St. George, and its dependencies, within the limits of the Supreme Court. Compiled from the records of the Medical Board Office‬ 1842 ‪Google Books
Report on the Medical Topography and Statistics of Coorg Compiled from the Records of the Medical Board Office, Madras 1843 Google Books Includes the cantonment of Merkara.
Report on the Medical Topography and Statistics of the Centre Division of the Madras Army Compiled from the Records of the Medical Board Office, Madras 1843. Archive.org. Granth Sanjeevani Collection. Includes "Saint Thomas's Mount" page 85, but lacks the map of the cantonment mentioned earlier in the book. Also see St Thomas' Mount.
Report on the Medical Topography and Statistics of the Southern Division of the Madras Army Compiled from the Records of the Medical Board Office, Madras 1843 Google Books. Includes the European cantonment at Trichinopoly
‪Report on the Medical Topography and Statistics of the Ceded Districts: Compiled from the Records of the Medical Board Office Madras‬ 1844 Google Books Includes the cantonments of Bellary and Cuddapah
Report on the Medical Topography and Statistics of the Provinces of Malabar and Canara: Compiled from the Records of the Medical Board Office, Madras 1844 Google Books
Report on the Medical Topography and Statistics of the Mysore Division of the Madras Army Compiled from the Records of the Medical Board Office, Madras 1844. Archive.org
Report on the Medical Topography and Statistics of the Northern, Hyderabad and Nagpore Divisions, the Tenasserim Provinces and the Eastern Settlements Compiled from the Records of the Medical Board Office, Madras 1844. Includes Plan of the Cantonment of Kamptee. Archive.org, Granth Sanjeevani Collection. The latter two groups are Burma and Penang, Singapore etc.
"Statistical Report on the Sickness and Mortality among the Troops serving in the Madras Presidency. Prepared from official documents printed by order of the Madras Government" by T. Graham Balfour, M. D., Grenadier Guards page 33 Edinburgh Medical and Surgical Journal Volume 68 1847
Reports on mountain and marine sanitaria; medical and statistical observations on civil stations and military cantonments, jails - dispensaries - regiments - barracks, &c. within the Presidency of Madras, the Straits of Malacca, the Andaman Islands, and British Burmah from January 1858 to January 1862 by Inspector General of Hospitals Duncan Macpherson. 1862 Archive.org. Part of the series Selections from the Records of the Madras Government.
- Sketch Map: Territory in India, Burmah and Straits Settlements occupied by Madras Troops.
Report of the Commissioners Appointed to Inquire into the Sanitary State of the Army in India : with Abstract of Evidence, and of Reports Received from Indian Military Stations 1864 Archive.org
- "Abstract of Sanitary Details in Reports from Principal Military Stations in India. Madras Presidency" page 403. Includes details of the military stations in Burma.
- "Remarks on the Climate of Stations. Madras Presidency" page 535. Does not include details of the stations in Burma, which are classified as part of the Bengal Presidency.
Report Of The Sanitary Commissioner For Madras. 1869 Includes statistics relating to the cantonments in the Madras Presidency and Burma, Google Books
Routes In Maddras District 1922. Title as catalogued. Archive.org version, mirror from Digital Library of India. Publications about Routes were generally published by the Quartermaster General's Department.
Madras Infantry 1748-1943 by Lt.-Col. E G Phythian-Adams late 3rd Madras Regiment published 1943. Archive.org version. mirror from Digital Library of India.

The Madras Soldier 1746-1946 by Lt.-Col. E G Phythian-Adams Revised and enlarged edition 1947 Archive.org.

The Decisive Battles of India : from 1746 to 1849 inclusive by Colonel GB Malleson Fourth Edition, New, 1914, first published 1883. With maps. 2nd edition 1885 Darker text, but lacks some maps. Archive.org.
Vignettes From Indian Wars by Lieut-General Sir George MacMunn, Colonel Commandant Royal Artillery 1932 Archive.org, Digital Library of India Collection.
Questions and answers on guard and sentry drill, selected from the general regulations of the Madras Army‬ by Edward Thomas Fasken, Quarter Master and Interpreter 5th Battalion Artillery 1850 Google Books
"Sketching from Nature: Soldier Artists in India" by Patricia Kattenhorn page 17 Under the Indian Sun : British Landscape Artists edited by Pauline Rohatgi and Pheroza Godrej 1995. Published by Marg Publications, National Centre for the Performing Arts, Bombay. Archive.org Books to Borrow/Lending Library.