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Archiver > DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY > 2001-05 > 0989093278


From: Crawford MacKeand <>
Subject: Re: PRO visit crumbles brick wall!
Date: Sat, 5 May 2001 16:07:58 -0400 (EDT)
In-Reply-To: <c1.e0af4a6.28256d0d@aol.com>


Hi Irene,
You might need to look at those records and see if he was charged
under a specific section of the Army Act. The one that I remember was the
ubiquitous Section 40. If you were charged under Section 40 that was read
as being charged for "Conduct prejudicial to the maintenance of good order
and military discipline," which basically meant anything that they didn't
like! (I exaggerate just a little.)

Crawford.



On Sat, 5 May 2001 wrote:

> Hi
> On Thursday I went to the PRO in London. All new readers are given an
> induction tour....... which was very helpful. As we went round the guide
> pointed out the free leaflets which might help us. One of these was how to
> find an ancestor''s regiment.
>
> I've been looking for my 3 x gt grandfather David Howie for about 15 years.
> He , of Loudoun parish, married Margaret Shinnan in Craigie in 1803 and had a
> son John in 1804 in the same parish. I knew that James Howie b abt 1806 son
> of David had been in the army because he was a chelsea pensioner in 1861, and
> several of David's grandchildren had been soldiers. This, with other things,
> made me suspect the David had been in the army too.
>
> The leaflet directed me to a specific computer in the PRO. All soldiers
> discharged before 1854 are on it. So I put in James Howie and up came mine!
> Astounded I put in David and up came David Howie born in Fenwick, Ayrshire
> and discharged in 1802. I ordered the document with the discharge paper and
> I'm sure he is mine. He'd served 14 years in the Dragoons, was discharged
> with ulcered legs from having served in the West Indies, and recommended for
> the bounty of the Chelsea Hospital. He was 33 years old and born in Fenwick
> ....... the only David born in Fenwick around then was the son of John Howie
> and Margaret Wallace in Drumcloich who had a son in 1768....... and my David
> called his first son John!
>
> His son James was discharged in 1847 and his papers are much more
> informative. He served for 22 years. He was 5ft 7in brown hair blue eyes and
> a swarthy complexion. He had various tattoos .... including an E.R. on his
> forearm.... his wife was Elizabeth Reid. His conduct was indifferent .....
> something to do with his two courts martial.... he was reduced to private in
> both instances, imprisoned for 2 days and fined a penny a day for 30 days.
> But it doesn't tell me what he'd done. Perhaps there are other records of
> courts martial ..... I've still got to sit down and read thoroughly the other
> leaflets about army records I picked up. I also need to find out if there
> are records for Chelsea pensioners which might give me David's pre-1841 date
> of death.
>
> Any advice on what to do next gratefully received!
>
> Irene ( temporarily in sunny Hightae, Dumfriesshire)
>
>
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73 de Crawford WA3ZKZ, VP8CMY, ex G4ARR
"If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end in doubts;
but if he will be content to begin with doubts he shall
end in certainties." Francis Bacon

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