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Archiver > DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY > 2001-05 > 0989497474


From: MrBrad <>
Subject: Re: PRO visit crumbles brick wall!
Date: Thu, 10 May 2001 08:03:54 -0500


Irene,

Do you mean the PRO in Kew or is there also one in London proper???

Regards,
Brad



At 10:49 AM 05/05/2001 EDT, 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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