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From: "m.dobson" <>
Subject: Re: [SFHG] Chelsea Pensioners
Date: Sat, 13 Dec 2003 00:07:31 +1300
References: <200312102102.hBAL2svc002858@lists2.rootsweb.com> <003b01c3c040$78be8e60$96cf8351@oemcomputer>


Hi Don and other interested members of the list.

I live in NZ but have several forbears, including my father, Royal Irish
Rifles WW1, who served in the British Army, many of the earlier generatioms
pensioners. Recently I spent several months researching how to find
military records for a presentation to our local Genealogical Society ( of
which I am president) as many Kiwis have forbears that served in the
military. I will stand corrected but I would like to attach the following
from my research notes (and part of my presentation) which may help to
explain the pensioner situation. The references are all Public Record
Officee sections.

Malcolm Dobson SFHG # 8376.
Gisborne NZ

Soldiers and NCOs:

Pension Records

Introduction
Charles II set up the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham, in 1679, and the Royal
Hospital, Chelsea in 1681. The two hospitals, in Ireland and England
respectively, reflected the separate army establishments for the two
countries, which did not become joined until the Act of Union in 1800. Even
then, it was not until December 1822 that the payment of Kilmainham
out-pensions was taken over by Chelsea Hospital, and in-pensioners remained
in Kilmainham until 1929, when the last transferred to Chelsea.

2. Entitlements to pension
Soldiers who left the Army with a disabling injury, or as invalids or (for
relatively few soldiers before the later 19th century) after completing an
agreed term of service, were entitled to a pension from, or institutional
care at, Chelsea or Kilmainham. A description of an ex-soldier as a
'pensioner' usually
means he was in receipt of an out-pension from one of the military
hospitals, not that he was an in-pensioner, actually resident in the
hospital. The major series of records (and the first place to look for any
soldier) resulting from the grant of a pension are the attestation and other
discharge documents in WO 97 , covering 1756-1913: see British Army
Soldiers' Discharge Papers (1760-1913), for more details. Regimental
registers in WO 120 can include men not included in WO 97. Soldiers on the
Irish
establishment had separate discharge records in WO 118 and WO 119 , until
December 1822:after that they are included in WO 97 . Discharges under
special conditions, 1830-1870, are in WO 25/3850 to WO25/3877 , arranged by
regiment.

3. Out-pensions
Out-pensions cover the vast majority of pensioners. Out-pension Admission
Books are arranged by date of exam and are not indexed: you need to know at
least the approx date of admission to pension.

Out-pension awards: Chelsea
Pension admission books come in two series, each arranged by year of
examination or claim, and provide, name, rank, age, total service, rate of
pension, foreign service/stations, character report, place of birth, trade;
later volumes give medal allocation. For disability, 1715-1882, in WO 116 ,
for length of service, 1823-1913, in WO 117. For 1830-1844, admission books
are duplicated by registers in
WO 23/1 to WO 23/16 , where in addition the intended place of residence is
given: they have indexes from 1838-1844. Certificates of service for men
discharged between 1787 and 1813, and awarded
Chelsea out-pensions, are in WO 121/1 to WO 121/136 , arranged by date of
admission to pension, and give cause of discharge, name, rank, regiment,
details of service, age, place of birth and trade or occupation. Later
volumes give physical descriptions. They are indexed by name on PROCAT.
Certificates of service of soldiers awarded deferred pensions, 1838-1896,
are in WO 131 , with a separate name index.

Out-pension awards: Kilmainham
For men awarded out-pensions by the Board of Kilmainham Hospital, there are
certificates of service, 1783-1822, in WO 119. They are arranged by
discharge number, found in admission books in WO 118 1808-1834 pension
minutes WO 47/2760 to WO 47/2851
1816-1844 registers of Ordnance pensions WO 54/338 ,to WO 54/493
1822-1855 pension minutes WO 55/540 to WO 55/572.

Out-pension awards: colonial pensions
Admission books for pensions payable in the colonies, 1817-1875, are in WO
23/147. Lists, registers and admission books of black and Cape Corps
pensioners, 1837-1879 are in WO 23/153 and an admission book of 'native' and
colonial pensioners, 1880-1903 is in WO 23/160 .
Registers of Indian army pensions, 1849-1868, are in WO 23/17. A list of
out-pensioners discharged between 1821 and 1829 who had served in tropical
climates is in WO 23/25.

Out-pensions: payment records in the UK and the colonies, 1842-1862/1880s
Before 1842 pensions were paid by officials locally (tax collectors in
England, Scotland and Wales, and Post Masters elsewhere), and no records
seem to survive. In 1842 pensions staff officers were appointed, who made
monthly returns to the War Office, recording who had moved in to, or out of,
the district, whose pensions had ceased, and who had died. If you know the
place where an ex-soldier died (e.g. from a death certificate) or was living
(e.g.from a census return), it may be well worthwhile using these registers.
They are also useful for soldiers who retired in the colonies, and for
colonial troops. The registers, in WO 22 , are arranged by payment district
or country, and give the pensioner's name, regiment, rate of pension, date
of admission to pension, rank and the district to which or from which he had
moved. The returns for UK payments cease in 1862, but returns relating to
pensions overseas and in the colonies extend into the 1880s.

4. In-pensioners
To be eligible for admission as an in-pensioner, a man had to be a life
pensioner of the Army (i.e. in receipt of a service or disability pension),
aged 55 or more (unless in receipt of a disability pension) and free from
the liability of supporting a wife or children.

Chelsea 1702-1789 muster rolls WO 23/124 to WO 23/131
1795-1813 list of in-pensioners WO 23/134
1799-1892 sample of pensioners' certificates WO 900/9 to WO 900/38


----- Original Message -----
From: "Don Fraser" <>
To: <>
Sent: Friday, December 12, 2003 12:42 PM
Subject: [SFHG] Chelsea Pensioners


> Hello list,
> I have a ancestor who is shown in the 1851 census
for Dumfries, Scotland as being a Chelsea Pensioner. I have always been
under the impression that to be a Chelsea Pensioner you had to stay in the
Royal Chelsea Hospital. He could possibly have been 'on leave' when the
census was taken, but I doubt it due to the distance involved. I have seen
several other pensioners in various censuses and think perhaps that they may
have been wounded in action, incapacitated and were given a pension from the
hospital.
> All thoughts gratefully received.
> Don Fraser 6605
>
>
> ==== SFHG Mailing List ====
> The Public Record Office website is at http://www.pro.gov.uk/
>


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