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Read The National Archives is working with findmypast.com to scan and place online two series of records: WO 97 (Royal Hospital Chelsea: Soldiers' Service Documents 1760-1913) and WO 96 (War Office: Militia Attestation Papers 1806-1915). The aim is to have all the records online by 2011. This India List [http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/INDIA/2009-10/1255209460 post] is about WO 97 documents. Another useful TNA source is the WO22 subseries "Army and other pensions paid out locally in India, Ceylon and China" detailing names and payments made. If you cannot find any service or pension records, and your research interest left the army between 1884 and 1887, it is worth checking the WO 121 microfilms "Register of men discharged without pension". Although the catalogue does not mention this, the films contain many records of men leaving the army in India under the heading "Nominal list of men discharged by the Commander-in-Chief in India..." As the following register provides name, regimental number, rank, corps, date and cause of discharge, attestation date (and a few other administration details) it is an invaluable resource for those not able to find these details elsewhere. ====Research guides====The National Archives Research Guideshave the following research guides:
→Records: add wo121 no pension details and some minor reorg
<small>'''See also''' - [[Military reading list]] and Occupation:[[Soldier]]</small>
There are various sources of information for finding out about a man in the British Army. For a comprehensive description of sources available in the India Office Records, see Peter Bailey's article in ''[[http://members.fibis.org/archive/J13.pdf FIBIS Journal ]]'' 13].
===Military records===
====Muster rolls====
Unlike those of the presidency armies, muster rolls for British Army regiments stationed in India are not at the British Library but are instead at [[The National Archives]] at Kew in London. The majority of the Muster records up to 1878 are in [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/browser.asp?CATLN=3&CATID=13072&GPE=False&MARKER=0 WO 12]. The catalogue describes the records as:
An 1889 example of data from a Marriage Roll can be seen [http://web.archive.org/web/20040417222802/members.ozemail.com.au/~clday/married.htm here] on Cathy Day’s archived site.
====Service and pension records====Discharge papers (WO 97), usually contains containing service/attestation information) , and pension records (WO 22) may also be found at TNA. Discharge papers up to 1854 are listed alphabetically by name and can be searched online. Records in WO 97 are usually only for men discharged to pension as these were the papers sent to the Royal Hospital Chelsea and preserved. Copies (paper or digital) of TNA records can be ordered by distance for a fee. Another useful TNA source may be the WO22 subseries ''Army and other pensions paid out locally in India, Ceylon and China''. The National Archives is working with findmypast.com to scan and place online two series of records: WO 97 (Royal Hospital Chelsea: Soldiers' Service Documents 1760-1913) and WO 96 (War Office: Militia Attestation Papers 1806-1915). The aim is to have all the records online by 2011. This India List [http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/INDIA/2009-10/1255209460 link] is about WO 97 documents.
*[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/RdLeaflet.asp?sLeafletID=13 British Army: Officers' Records 1660-1913 (Military Records Information 4)]
*[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/rdleaflet.asp?sLeafletID=14 British Army: Soldiers' Discharge Papers, 1760-1913 (Military Records Information 5)]
