29,525
edits
Changes
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
If you cannot find any service or pension This India List [http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/INDIA/2011-04/1303469139 post] mentions '''WO 120''' and '''WO 121''' records, . Catalogue references are: *[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/browse/C14328?v=r '''WO 120'''] "From about 1812 dates of death have been noted and your research interest left in the army between 1884 and 1887last series these dates extend to 1877" The WO 120 records are available on [[LDS]] microfilm with this [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=315468&disp=Regimental+registers+of+pensioners%2C+ar&columns=*,0, it is worth checking the 0 catalogue entry].*[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/browse/C14329?v=r '''WO 121''' microfilms ] records. These records are available online on findmypast.co.uk as part of British Army Service Records 1760-1915, refer [[British Army#Chelsea Pensioners|above]]. The records include "Register of men discharged without pension", 1884 to 1887. Although the catalogue does not mention this, the films contain there are 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 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. Searching the records is free, but charges apply to view the records, although they can be viewed for free at TNA (and other institutions with a FMP subscription).
→Service and pension records
Discharge papers ([http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/browse/C14305?v=r'''WO 97''', (to '''1913''')]), usually containing service/attestation information, and pension records ([http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/browse/C14231?v=r '''WO 22''']) may also be found at TNA. Records in WO 97 are usually only for men discharged with a pension (ie having served 12 years or having been invalided) as these were the papers sent to the Royal Hospital Chelsea and preserved, but from 1883, most causes of discharge, (apart from death (with a few exceptions)<ref>There are WO 97 records for a few men who died in the Anglo- Boer War (and papers in the Ancestry "WWI" series for men who died during the Anglo-Boer War) according to this [http://www.victorianwars.com/viewtopic.php?f=82&t=3511&start=15#p23904 Victorian Wars Forum post] dated 1 October 2011 by Meurig. This further Victorian Wars Forum [http://www.victorianwars.com/viewtopic.php?f=82&t=7112#p30127 post] dated 30 May 2012 by Mark A Reid also mentions a few other deaths. </ref>) were included. Note however, '''the survival rate of discharge papers appears to be low for men discharged overseas<ref>''My Ancestor was in the British Army'', page 63 by Michael Watts and Christopher Watts 2009</ref> [ie not in Britain, and therefore low for India]. If a man went on to serve during World War 1 then his records would normally have been removed from WO97 and placed with his WW1 service records<ref> ''My Ancestor was in the British Army'', page 64 by Michael Watts and Christopher Watts 2009 and [http://newsarch.rootsweb.com/th/read/DEVON/2010-03/1269096802 Chelsea Pensioners] dated 20 March 2010 from Rootsweb Devon List.</ref>. WO 97 records are also unlikely to include men who immediately went on active service with a Milita unit, (whose discharge papers may have been transferred to the Milita unit)<ref>India List [http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/INDIA/2011-06/1308580161 post] dated 20 June 2011</ref>'''. The records often contain a wealth of genealogical information, including birth date and location, next of kin, physical description, service locations, medical history and medals. They may include information about marriages, births of children or deaths of family members.
The National Archives has worked with findmypast.co.uk to scan and place online '''WO 97''' (Royal Hospital Chelsea: Soldiers' Service Documents 1760-1913) . All WO 97 records, for the years '''1760 to 1913''' are currently available on findmypast.co.uk as part of a group of records called [http://www.findmypast.co.uk/chelseasearch/army-service-pensionersrecords/all '''British Army Service Records 1760-1915'''] . This group of records consists of*Militia servicerecords 1806-1915 (WO96)*Chelsea Pensioners British Army service records1760-collection1913 (WO97)*Royal Hospital, Chelsea: pensioners' discharge documents 1760-1887 (WO121) (see [[British Army#Other Pension Records| Other Pension Records below]])*Royal Hospital, Chelsea: pensioners' discharge documents, foreign regiments 1816-1817 (WO122) *War Office: Imperial Yeomanry, soldiers' documents, South African War 1899-search1902 (WO128)*Royal Hospital, Chelsea: documents of soldiers awarded deferred pensions 1838-start.action findmypast.co.uk]. 1896 (WO131) Searching the records is free, but charges apply to view the records, although they can be viewed for free at TNA (and other institutions with a FMP subscription).
=====Kilmainham Pensioners=====
The records online atfindmypast do not at findmypast.co.uk now include those men discharged through the Kilmainham Hospital in Ireland, (outas [http://www.findmypast.co.uk/search/army-service-records/kilmainham '''British Army Pensioners - Kilmainham, Ireland 1783-pensioners to 1822 and in-pensioners to 1929)''']. These records, are held under TNA reference [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/browse/C14327?v=r WO 119], are currently (2012) being digitised which include out-pensioners to 1822 and will be hosted on the findmypast website in due course-pensioners to 1929. For more information see [http://wwwThe in-patient records may not have been digitised, but this point is currently unclear.nationalarchives.gov.uk/news/548.htm TNA News Archive] which mentions that names with brief service descriptions Searching the records is free, but charges apply to view the records, although they can now be found in [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/ The National Archives Catalogue] viewed for free at TNA (and this could provide other institutions with a welcome break for family historiansFMP subscription).
=====Other Pension Records=====
Another useful TNA source is the '''WO 22''' subseries "Army and other pensions paid out locally in India, Ceylon and China" detailing names and payments made, including [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/browse/C168751?v=r '''WO 22/228-230'''] Bengal, [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/browse/C168760?v=r '''WO 22/237-238'''] Bombay and [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/browse/C168789?v=r '''WO 22/266-270'''], mainly Madras.
These records are included in the National Archives catalogue entry [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/browse/C537 Records of the Royal Chelsea and Kilmainham Hospitals]. The latter hospital was in Ireland. This category of records also includes *[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/browse/C14324?v=r '''WO 116'''] Disability and all Royal Artillery pensions and *[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/browse/C14325?v=r'''WO 117'''] Pensions awarded to soldiers for length of service.
Some of these records, in particular WO 116 (for what appears to be WO 116/1-165 being Cavalry and Infantry Disability to '''1882''' and Royal Artillery to '''1893''') and WO 117 (to '''1913''') are available to '''download free of cost''' from [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/digital-microfilm.asp The National Archives Documents Online: Digital Microfilms]. These are stated to be large pdf filespdfs, which need a broadband internet connection. This Ancestry.com British Army Message Board [http://boards.ancestry.com/topics.Military.uk.britarmy/2203.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.2.1/mb.ashx post] details some of the information found. This India List [http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/INDIA/2011-04/1303469139 post] mentions '''WO 120''' and '''WO 121''' records. Catalogue references are: [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/browse/C14328?v=r '''WO 120'''] "From about 1812 dates of death have been noted and in the last series these dates extend to 1877" and [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/browse/C14329?v=r '''WO 121''']. Also refer the paragraph above. The WO 120 records are available on [[LDS]] microfilm with this [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=315468&disp=Regimental+registers+of+pensioners%2C+ar&columns=*,0,0 catalogue entry]
Service and pension records from '''World War 1''' from the National Archives are available on the pay site [http://www.ancestry.com Ancestry .com]. They do contain some papers for men who did not serve in WW1.<ref>Victorian Wars Forum [http://www.victorianwars.com/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=7266&start=15#p31162 post] dated 17 July 2012 by Meurig</ref>
