Bengal Army

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Bengal Army
Bengal Army
List of Bengal Army Regiments
Bengal Infantry Regiments
Bengal Infantry Finder tool
Bengal Artillery
Bengal Horse Artillery
Bengal Sappers and Miners
East India Company Army

The Bengal Army was one of the three Presidency Armies of the East India Company.

A list of Bengal Army regiments can either be found in the Bengal Army Category or alphabetically, by type, in Bengal Army Regiments.

Divisions

FIBIS resources

See Also

The Batta Mutiny of 1766

Records

Main article: East India Company Army

Includes details of Embarkation records.

British Library

Records available in the British Library India Office holdings include:

Subcategories
  • L/MIL/10/1-19 Bengal Army Lists, 1781-1849.
  • L/MIL/10/20-69 Bengal Service Army Lists, 1759-1858
  • L/MIL/10/70-74 Bengal Service Army Lists – Medical, c1765-1858
  • L/MIL/10/75-102 Bengal Services, 1860-1893
  • IOR/L/MIL/10/122-129 Registers of Bengal Army European Soldiers 1788-1860. Please note that these records were 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.
Update June 2017. Some transcribed records in this series are now available in the FIBIS database. Refer FIBIS resources above.
  • The Muster Rolls commence IOR/L/MIL/10/130-185
  • L/MIL/10/301-326 Bengal Army Discharges, 1820-1882. The FamilySearch catalogue provides additional information about these records: "Between 1859-1861 the EIC European forces (of which the Bengal Army was a part of) were transferred to the British Army. Discharge papers are for those men who chose to take an unpensioned discharge rather than be transferred into the regular British Army".
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 Bengal Army. In particular, “Registers of Bengal Army European soldiers, 1788-1860” and “Bengal Army muster rolls and casualty returns, 1716-1860” are available.
Note: Microfilm ordering services ceased September 2017, however most 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. See FamilySearch Centres for viewing details.
  • Military Department Library: Bengal Army IOR/L/MIL/17/2 1791-1903 includes
    • Bengal Army List IOR/L/MIL/17/2/1-267 1819-1889
    • Bengal Army: General and Regimental Histories, Biographical Compilations, Indian Mutiny IOR/L/MIL/17/2/474-505 1845-1927
  • 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

Books

  • List of the Officers of the Bengal Army, 1758-1834 by V. C .P. Hodson, 4 vols. (London, 1927-47) Note that the dates refer to the date of joining the Army. Alphabetically arranged and annotated with biographical and genealogical notices, giving details of: (1) rank and brief career history (2) family information (3) service records: regiments or battalions in which the officer served (4) references to wills if they exist, to monumental inscriptions, or to mentions in publications. These volumes are now available online, refer below. The British Library shelfmark is OIR.355.332.
    A description of the fascinating information contained in the appendices is explained in Bengal army officers names nationalities fatalities and a phantom Untold Lives blog of the British Library.
    FIBIS has transcribed the indexes of these books, which are available on the FIBIS database.
    The LDS (Mormon) Family History Library filmed the above books (catalogue entry), which are now available as digitised microfilm. It had been recommended that all three LDS films be viewed, as there is a lot of cross referencing. [2] See FamilySearch Centres for access information. However, while ever online versions of the volumes are available, it is unlikely the microfilms will need to be consulted.
  • Ubique: War Services of Officers of the Bengal Army by T.C. Anderson, originally published 1863, is available in reprint editions,[3][4] and online on a pay website, refer below. Note data from this book is available on the FIBIS database, refer above.

External links

Historical books online

Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV. Central Secretariat Library (CSL) [Delhi] Digital Repository. Archive.org mirror versions: Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV.
Alternative files Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV. All Central Secretariat Library (CSL) [Delhi] Digital Repository. Archive.org mirror versions: Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV.
  • Ubique: War Services of Officers of the Bengal Army by T.C. Anderson was originally published 1863 in Calcutta, in a limited edition of 150 copies[5] with 668 pages including eleven appendices, and provides service and biographical details of the British Officers of the Bengal Army serving in 1861. It is available in a reprint edition from Naval & Military Press[3] ("It is an essential source of information to supplement Major Hodson’s four volumes") which is in turn available on the Ancestry owned pay website fold3 located in Military Books/India. Note data from this book is available on the FIBIS database, refer above.
Ubique: War Services... is also available as a FamilySearch digitised microfilm, catalogue entry, viewable at a FamilySearch Centre or FamilySearch Affiliate Library. This appears to be a microfilm of a 1985 reprint edition.
Transcribed version cdlib.org
Originally published as The Travels of Dean Mahomet, A Native of Patna in Bengal, Through Several Parts of India, While in the Service of The Honourable The East India Company Written by Himself, In a Series of Letters to a Friend 1794. Volumes I And II in one digital file Volume II; Contents, Vol. I, Contents, Vol. II Archive.org.
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.
Clothing regulations of the Bengal Army Calcutta Gazette office, Calcutta 1855. Link to a pdf, Digital Repository of GIPE (Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics [Pune India]). Clothing regulations are in respect of soldiers ("other ranks"), not officers, (who have dress regulations).
The Continuation or Supplement, of The Code of Bengal Military Regulations by Captain Henry Grace 1799. Archive.org
Also available British Library Digital. Images from the book British Library on flickr.com
‪Abstract of General Orders from 1846 to 1847 Inclusive with a preceding Index 1840-1847 Compiled by Captain O Cavanagh Delhi 1848 Google Books
Abstract of General Orders from 1847 to 1849 Inclusive Compiled by Captain O Cavanagh Delhi 1851
Abstract of General Orders for 1850-1851 with Index compiled by Captain O Cavanagh Delhi 1852
1988 reprint of 1970 edition title From sepoy to subedar : being the life and adventures of Subedar Sita Ram, a native officer of the Bengal Army written and related by himself edited by James Lunt, illustrated by Frank Wilson. Archive.org Books to Borrow.
Article about the book: "Chronicles of Sita Ram" by Bhupesh Bhandari October 13, 2012 Business Standard. The author enlisted in 1812 and retired in 1860. "There has been a great debate amongst historians about the authenticity of Sita Ram’s accounts... [but It] is a fantastic insider’s account of life in the battlefields and the barracks".
  • Memoir of the late Lieut.-Colonel Richard Scott (From his Private Journals) from The Naval and Military Magazine Volumes 1, 2, 3 and 4 1827-1828 Google Books
Part 1– Appointed 1768, Part 2- Sir Eyre Coote's Campaigns of 1781, 1782, and 1783, Part 3- Campaigns in India –includes General Stuart's Operations; General Goddard's March; and the Proceedings of the Bombay Army and its Government, Part 4- includes Popham’s Capture of Gwalior; General Goddard’s Operations, Campaigns of Lord Cornwallis, Siege of Bangalore, Part 5 March to Seringapatum, Part 6, Part 7
"Lieutenant -Colonel Richard Scott" from The East India Military Calendar: Containing the Services of General and Field Officers of the Indian Army, Volume 1, page 315 by by John Philippart 1823 Google Books

References

  1. Bailey, Peter. Army Records Rootsweb India Mailing List 20 March 2012, archived.
  2. Murphy, Sylvia. Author - Major VCP Hodson Scroll down. Rootsweb India Mailing List 11 Sept 2000, archived.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Ubique: War Services of Officers of the Bengal Army by T.C. Anderson 1863. Naval & Military Press reprint.
  4. Savannah Publications, London.
  5. UNSW Library catalogue
  6. peterharrington.co.uk. Accessed 21 September 2016.