RESEARCH

Army & Family History Research.

I am no longer available for carrying out research at TNA & others archives for others. However I am still happy to give advice.

Information held on database

Details on many of the men, who were serving with the 1^st Foot Guards, during the period 1793 - 1823. At present varying amounts of information has been gathered on over 13,500 men. In addition to a search by surname, searches can also be done by COUNTY, OCCUPATION, or YEAR of ENLISTMENT among others.

Where did the men come from see below for guide:

 

 

 

e.g. Private John BERRY; a weaver from Prestwick Lancashire enlisted in the 1^st Foot Guards on 28^th February 1807 at Manchester aged 17yrs. He was discharged with a Chelsea out pension on 8^th September 1830.At this time he was a Private and his character was described as ‘very good’. He had served at Walcheren in 1809, Portugal, Spain & France between 1812 & 1814. He died in the Manchester area on 28^th July 1854. TNA WO97/155, WO23/35,  

Serjeant Thomas Eastwood; a Carpenter, from Huddersfield Yorkshire; enlisted in the 1^st Foot Guards 7^th February 1793. He was discharged with a Chelsea out pension 1^st June 1809, while serving as a Serjeant in Col Anson’s company. He had been appointed as Corporal 27^th October 1796 and Serjeant 25^th November 1799. He had served in Sicily from 1806 – 1807 & northern Spain, and Corunna 1808 -1809. His description at discharged was 5’9½”, brown hair, grey eyes, dark complexion. He died in the Chatham area on 28^th October 1854. TNA WO25/874,WO120/9, WO23/35 & 46, WO121/95. Regimental Archives R184

Charges for surname searches

Surname search £4 per name (total of five names for multiple entries). Information can be supplied by e-mail on receipt of payment.  (+SAE, additional 70p overseas postage). Details place of birth & year of enlistment, or if not available, year of enlistment and fate or any other information held.

Details of all information held additional £10 per name (+ SAE + 70p overseas postage). If only limited information held then £6. Information can be supplied by e-mail on receipt of payment.

Full details on Waterloo men £12 per name (+ SAE + 70p overseas postage) Information can be supplied by e- mail on receipt of payment.  (considerable information held on most these men). No charge if book is purchased.

More complicated searches ask for estimate. +SAE

 

INTRODUCTION to CD ATTESTATIONS 1775-1817 1^st FOOT GUARDS

 

he index contains a data card on each man found in the documents described below, giving if available, his Surname, Forename, Place of Birth, Date Enlisted, and sometimes some other remarks. There is also a surname index that gives various spellings of some surnames, and also on occasions an alias. Often even when a man can sign his name the name at the top is spelt differently to the signature.

For the majority of the men I also hold more details in a database, information on this can be obtained from my web page or by writing, both addresses are given elsewhere.

 

DOCUMENTS

 

This is an index to the surviving ATTESTATIONS from 1775-1817, for the 1^st Foot Guards (1^st or Grenadier Foot Guards from 1815). There are however also 56 attestations relating to the Coldstream Guards during the period 1777 – 1805, but only for the letters ‘N’ & ‘O’ and a man named ‘HOAKES’ or OAKS. These documents are to be found at the Regimental Headquarters Grenadier Guards. Many years ago the documents were bound together into volumes, and some attestations were sorted alphabetically, by first letter although this was not always so. With the exception of the period 1775-1795, each volume covers a year and some years are covered by more than one volume; odd documents are bound in the wrong years.

Also found in some of these volumes are, RECORDS of SERVICE & RE ATTESTATIONS for some men joining in the same period.

 

Each document is identified by two numbers, the reference number i.e. R189, refers to the Volume the document is found in and the page number i.e.183, refers to the place the page is found within this document. These page numbers are not on the actual documents, but give an idea as to where in the book any document is to be found. If there are other documents, relating to the same man, then these are cross-referenced.

 

SURNAME SHERWIN      FORENAME Robert

PLACE of BIRTH Lei Loughborough

ENLISTED1806 20Dec Nottingham

REMARKS also re attested R213(2)

NUMBER 95                REFERENCE R204

 

SURNAME SHERWIN     FORENAME Robert

PLACE of BIRTH Lei Loughborough

ENLISTED 1813 28Oct Queens Sq Westminster

REMARKS Re attestation; attested R204(95)

NUMBER 2                REFERENCE R213

 

If both documents are in the same volume then the cross-reference only shows the page number e.g. (2).

 

Volume details

R185          1775-1795 (not all years covered mainly 1790)   153 documents

R186          1796                    305 documents

R187          1797                    265 documents

R188          1798                    247 documents

R189          1799                    256 documents

R190          1799                    245 documents

R191          1800                    344 documents

R192          1800                    284 documents

R193          1800                    347 documents

R194          1801                    230 documents

R195          1801                    234 documents

R196          1802                    39 documents

R197          1803                    246 documents

R198          1803                    316 documents

R199          1803                    327 documents

R200          1804                    270 documents

R201          1805                    356 documents

R202          1806                    228 documents

R203          1807                    155 documents

R204          1806(sic)              238 documents

R205          1808                    154 documents

R206          1809                    300 documents

R207          1810                    215 documents

R208          1811                     152 documents

R209          1811                     174 documents

R210          1812                    226 documents

R211          1812                    245 documents

R212          1812                    237 documents

R213          1813                    271 documents

R214          1813                    224 documents

R215          1813                    177 documents

R216          1813                    267 documents

R217          1813                    225 documents

R218          1813                    280 documents

R219          1814                    202 documents

R220          1815                    330 documents

R221          1816                    157 documents

R222          1816                    171 documents

R223          1817                    217 documents

TOTAL                                  9,309 documents

 

 

 

 

 

ATTESTATIONS

 

 

The attestation document is, with some exceptions completed when the man enlists in the Regiment, and during the period covered by these documents, usually contains the following details - Surname and Forename; Occupation; Age; Place of Birth; Date and Place Joining; sometimes Date & Place Attesting (going before the Magistrate which is usually within a few days of joining); Brief Description, (height, eye & hair colour & complexion, some records, particularly earlier ones, may also have some additional details in the description). The forms vary from period to period and also the format can be different. Many men transferred from the Militia and some from other Regiments, this is also mentioned on occasions on the document concerned.

Those enlisting in 1803 are often volunteers from the Army of Reserve. Whereas those joining in 1812 and 1813, in particular though not exclusively, enlisting outside their home areas, were often volunteers from the Militia.

There are attestations for men who only briefly served in the Regiment often only days, who subsequently, deserted, were rejected, or were deserters from other Regiments among other reasons.

 

SURNAME BATES       FORENAME William

PLACE of BIRTH Dby Alveston

ENLISTED 1806 15Nov Loughborough

REMARKS Claimed as deserter from Royal Artillery

NUMBER 187              REFERENCE R202

 

Some early records seem to have a second attestation often when the man arrives in London where he is attested again.

SURNAME BARRANCE      FORENAME William

PLACE of BIRTH Cam Melbourn

ENLISTED 1800 14Feb Nottingham

REMARKS two attestations (96)

NUMBER 70       REFERENCE R191

 

SURNAME BARRANCE   FORENAME William

PLACE of BIRTH Cam Milbourne

ENLISTED 1800 4Mar Westminster

REMARKS two attestations (70)

NUMBER 96          REFERENCE R191

 

Those that join under the age of 18yrs often do not attest until many years later.

 

SURNAME LOWREY   FORENAME Edward

PLACE of BIRTH Lan Lancaster

ENLISTED 1813 26Apr Westminster

REMARKS LOWRIE signed this; enlisted 1801 boy

NUMBER 156      REFERENCE R215

 

RE ATTESTED

These documents relate to men who initially signed on for seven years, often coming from a Militia Regiment. Around the date that their service was due to expire they volunteered to sign on for unlimited service. The re attestation documents start from 1813 and at this time the soldier was either serving somewhere in Spain or Portugal or in London. The last such document is date 1823. For those men for whom there is no attestation, the year of joining is shown on the data card. This information is not on the document but is obtained from the database mentioned on page one, held on around 14,000 men serving in the 1^st Foot Guards during this period.

The Re attestation usually contains Surname & Forename; Rank sometimes Battalion and sometimes also Company; Place of Birth (this does not always agree with the place shown when he initially joined); Age at re attesting; Date and sometimes Place re attesting.

Re attesting is different from re joining, this means that the man has actually left the Army, but has then decided to re join, sometimes not that long after leaving.

 

Re Attested

 

 

RECORD OF SERVICE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These records show details of dates of service of a soldier, there are 116 such records. Details shown are SURNAME; FORENAME; REGIMENT; DATE ENLISTED; DATE ATTESTED; AGE; DATES SERVED INCLUDING PROMOTIONS & WATERLOO if he served there; DATE DISCHARGED and REASON, i.e. died; discharged; discharged to pension; deserted etc. The first discharge year for these records is 1829. These are particularly useful for men that did not receive a pension as it makes it easier to identify these men when combined with other information held.

There are attestations and/or re attestations held on some of the men who have records of service. These are cross-referenced.

 

SURNAME BAILES   FORENAME George

ENLISTED 1809 10Oct

REMARKS BAYLES; Record of service; also re attestation R222 (35)

NUMBER 14     REFERENCE R206

 

SURNAME BAYLES     FORENAME George

PLACE of BIRTH Yks Barton

ENLISTED 1816 14Sep Queens Sq Westminster

REMARKS  BAILES; Re attested; also record of service R206 (14)

NUMBER 35       REFERENCE R222

 

All the men for whom there are only a record of service have been identified by other means. The details are again held on the database mentioned earlier. However this information is not included in the index

See details of costs in publications.

 

 

 

 

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