Does anyone know about Army ranks?

[poppybat]

Hi All

Whilst grave-hunting on a trip last week, I came across the headstone of a family member who I'd "lost" after 1891. Turns out this was because he died... what puzzled me was that he died in Glasgow but was buried in his home village in South Wales. His headstone revealed he was in the army (I think), but I'm a bit lost as to what the rank means...

The inscription reads:

"Frederick Morley Padfield
Col. Sergt. S.W.B.
...
who died at Glasgow
March 2nd 1897
aged 29 years"

I imagine that SWB would be South Wales Borderers, but I can't work out his rank - was he a colonel or a sergeant? Can you be both???
Not quite sure what he would have been doing in Glasgow either - does anyone have any ideas?

[Olde Crone Holden]

Not a military expert, in fact I know NOTHING - but was he a "Colour sargeant".

OC

[herky]

Could it be Colour Sergeant? I am sure I have heard that term!!

[Little Nell]

Colour Sergeant

Colour Sergeant - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[poppybat]

Thankyou all so much! I was getting very confused and obviously not googling well enough! Now I have the right rank, I just need to find out about that early death in Scotland...

[stuart Penny]

As an ex-Captain I can confirm this is COLOUR SERGEANT. This rank is also known as STAFF SERGEANT in some regiments. This rank falls between Sergeant and Company Sergeant Major.

Hope this helps.

Stu

[herky]

The death will be on Scotlands people and you will be able to view it online for 1 credit for the index and 5 for the image. 30 credits cost £6.
Good luck

[herky]

Interestingly there is only one Padfield family in the 1901 Scots census.
Ernest J Padfield and his wife Kate E, both b 1872, Somerset but living in Shetland. He was a Wesleyan Minister
Probably not connected to your Welsh Padfield??
Now I wonder what your man was doing in Scotland? It is a mystery.

[poppybat]

My Padfields seem to be clustered around this one village in Wales (Risca), and a generation before that in Somerset (maybe Somerset is the key here?)... the rest of the family are either in the mining or grocery trades, so this one military man is a bit of a mystery. I did wonder if perhaps he was in Scotland with his regiment, but online regiment histories don't indicate anything of that kind.

[herky]

Hi Poppybat,

I am afraid my noseyness got the better of me and I had a few SP credits just asking to be used.
Your poor Frederick had nothing to do with the forces when he died.
I will PM you and arrange to get the cert to you.

[Olde Crone Holden]

But there do seem to be an awful lot of Glaswegians in the South Wales Borderers! Maybe he was on leave and visiting with another soldier?

I came across Childer's Reform Act, but I cannot honestly understand it.

You need his death cert I think - £1.20 well spent in this case!

OC

[poppybat]

herky, you are a star! Thankyou sooo much! And now I'm even more intrigued....