"Fighting in a foreign field"
Where might my Irish ancestor have fought?
Young men from Ireland have variously taken the King or Queen's shilling over the last 200 years or so and joined up to the British Army, as it would have represented an escape from poverty and scarce land resources, especially for younger sons. Some of them may have already got some military experience by serving locally in county militia regiments, which were more part-time in nature (The National Archives at Kew, London has some of these original records - search under WO13 - Militia and Volunteers Muster Books and Pay Lists. See also William Spencer's TNA guide, "Army Records - A Guide for Family Historians.)
They may have ended up in India having joined the private army of the East India Company prior to it's incorporation into the British Army in the late 1850's. They may have fought in British regiments in European conflicts e.g. the Napoleonic campaigns, the Crimean War etc. The American Civil War was also fuelled by emigrant Irish soldiers on both sides of the conflict and veterans were awarded pensions. Irish emigrants to the US were also drafted in WW1 and WW2.
Young men from Ireland have variously taken the King or Queen's shilling over the last 200 years or so and joined up to the British Army, as it would have represented an escape from poverty and scarce land resources, especially for younger sons. Some of them may have already got some military experience by serving locally in county militia regiments, which were more part-time in nature (The National Archives at Kew, London has some of these original records - search under WO13 - Militia and Volunteers Muster Books and Pay Lists. See also William Spencer's TNA guide, "Army Records - A Guide for Family Historians.)
They may have ended up in India having joined the private army of the East India Company prior to it's incorporation into the British Army in the late 1850's. They may have fought in British regiments in European conflicts e.g. the Napoleonic campaigns, the Crimean War etc. The American Civil War was also fuelled by emigrant Irish soldiers on both sides of the conflict and veterans were awarded pensions. Irish emigrants to the US were also drafted in WW1 and WW2.
What clues are there that my ancestor might have fought abroad?
Family lore is always a good place to start - my grandfather always said his love of curried mince was because his father had been born in India, but as his father died when he was only 3, I think that may have been stretching things a bit! However, his father's birthplace was indeed given as India in the 1901 Scottish census and his aunt and several of their half siblings whom I found in the preceding English censuses all had specific locations in India named as their birthplaces. So, census birthplace for either your ancestor or older siblings is a good clue.
Perhaps a bit more tenuous, but if a man disappears from Irish church registers with no indication that he marries or expires and there are no clues to be found in emigration records, then do consider the army and perhaps do some speculative searching within some of the collections referenced.
Follow these links to specific pages relating to world theatres of war and conflicts where I share my experience of using online and original collections or pass on good advice that I've learned from others.
Family lore is always a good place to start - my grandfather always said his love of curried mince was because his father had been born in India, but as his father died when he was only 3, I think that may have been stretching things a bit! However, his father's birthplace was indeed given as India in the 1901 Scottish census and his aunt and several of their half siblings whom I found in the preceding English censuses all had specific locations in India named as their birthplaces. So, census birthplace for either your ancestor or older siblings is a good clue.
Perhaps a bit more tenuous, but if a man disappears from Irish church registers with no indication that he marries or expires and there are no clues to be found in emigration records, then do consider the army and perhaps do some speculative searching within some of the collections referenced.
Follow these links to specific pages relating to world theatres of war and conflicts where I share my experience of using online and original collections or pass on good advice that I've learned from others.
(c) Irish Geneaography - 2020
