Army Pension Records?

[MalcolmES]

Army Pension Records?

On his death certificate and on the 1911 census my great grandfather is shown as an Army Pensioner. I don’t have his service # or regiment.

He lived at the same address in Smethwick, Birmingham from pre 1901 until his death in 1911. Are there any pension records that I can search by name and address in order to establish his regiment?

Thanks
Malcolm

[Somerset Sal]

I don't know of anything relating to army pensions searchable by address. There are a lot of pension records on Ancestry and the only thing I can think of is searching those for people with the same name and then looking at each of those to see if the right address is there.

Do you have access to Ancestry? If not, and if your great grandfather has an unusual name, let me have what details you can and I'll have a look for you. If his name's John Smith then finding him will be rather a tall order!

[MalcolmES]

Thanks Sal,

Ancestry may not have records early enough. His name is Thomas Sullivan, he was married on 20 Aug 1881 (not in the army) in Salford Manchester and moved to Birmingham just before the 1901 Census. My best guess is he was in the army from the late 1850’s to the late 1870’s.

Thanks
Malcolm

[Somerset Sal]

Oh that's a weird coincidence: my gt g'pa was also a Thomas Sullivan, born 1865 and a bombardier in the army when he married in 1886! You're right about the Ancestry records not going back far enough: they have the records of WW1 pensioners.

On my first and only visit to the National Archive I asked about tracking down my Thomas Sullivan and was told I'd need to look through the muster records. But you'd need to look at an awful lot for such a long period... Have you found him in any earlier censuses? The NA researcher also said that I'd need to take into account that a lot of soldiers served overseas - helping keep the Empire in order. If I think of anything that might be useful I'll let you know!

[MalcolmES]

Thanks Sal, I have him on the 1841 and 1851 census then not again until the 1891 census.

I thought that I maybe I could work back from the 1911 census/pension and his address and find him that way. I would appreciate it if you come up with anything.

Regards
Malcolm

[Somerset Sal]

Can you give me the address and census reference for the 1841,1851 and 1891 censuses? With my own family, whenever they moved home they rarely went very far. In 1861 He might be within a street or two of his earlier addresses.

Please tell me his date of birth, if you have it and I'll see what I can find.

My own Sullivans did a disappearing act in the 1901 census and I'm still trying to track them down!

[Little Nell]

maybe he was a chelsea pensioner?

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[Phoenix]

Ancestry is supposed to be filming these.

Until then, you would find them at Kew, in nice cardboard boxes in strict alpha order.

If you have the details, I can look him up tomorrow, if you like? (Though be quick as the office is supposed to be closing early today)

[Oakum Picker]

If he was discharged prior to 1881, I think you need to know the regiment.

[Phoenix]

It looks like there are 3 series to search for that period: infantry. royal artillery & cavalry of the line. It's just the bit after the full cataloguing that is challenging.