age at enlistment into army in 1870's

[congletonian]

Does anyone know the minimum age at enlistment in the 1870's ? I have an ancestor who was a 10 yr old boy at boarding school in 1871 census and by 1881 he is a gardener. I know he was in the 4th hussars at some point after leaving school but wondered when he could have joined up. Also as he had left the army by 1881 when he was 21 do you know if there was a minimum period of service??

Thanks for looking

Liz

[grumpy]

Liz,
When you open the link go down to the Cardwell reforms and read from there. As far as I know the terms of enlistment varied somewhat
depending on what branch of the service that a man joined. My g/father joined the RA in 1885 at the age of 16 but put his age to 18, so naturally
I suspect that the joining age for the Artillery was 18. He joined for 7 years initially, but once again it depended upon the arm of the service that
you joined.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Army_during_the_Victorian_Era

David

[congletonian]

Thankyou David

that link is really interesting and I think explains why my gt grandfather's length of service seemed relatively short. He was still at boarding school in 1875( I have a certificate dated then for his high marks in algebra) and then he was 15 but by the time he is 21 in 1881 he is no longer in the army. If he went in at 18 he'd only be in for 3 years ! I'll keep researching

Liz

[grumpy]

Liz,
You could check the British Army lists on FMP to see if he joined the army, otherwise give me his name and I can look up.
Cheers David

[congletonian]

thanks David

my cousin had a look on FMP but didn't find him.Maybe you'd have more luck? He's Frederick George Andrews born 1860 at Binsted Hampshire. I believe he was in the 4th (Queens Own) Hussars

Liz

[grumpy]

Liz,
I am sorry, but I have to come to the same conclusion as your cousin. Of all the Frederick Andrews that come up in the search there is no one that fits
the bill. Back to square one.
David

[congletonian]

thanks for looking David.

definitely back to the drawing board

Liz

[annswabey]

There are other records which could be searched - at Kew though, not online- for example Muster Rolls, but you have to be certain of his regiment to search those. They'd give you a quarter by quarter account of where he was and when, and his first entry in the Musters should give date of enlistment and his last should give date of discharge.

[congletonian]

thankyou Answabey

I will look into that but may need a researcher to do it for me ?

Liz

[Janet]

You could check the sort of school he attended. I had a Great Uncle who went to an army boarding school age 12 in 1889 and at age 14 in 1891 was transferred to the Oxford Light Infantry with the trade of tailor and then to the Loyal North Lancs 3 yeras later as a drummer boy age 17. I was lucky in that the school had a lot of records which was sent to me when I wrote to them.

Many of these army schools were for both boys and girls and were educated to a good standard where if they did not enter the army they could take up a trade, so a gardner would have been a good trade back in the 1880's. Mine left the army school and did go on into the army but as a tailor, although he eventually became a Gymnast Instructor.

Janet

[congletonian]

that's interesting Janet
my gt grandfather went to Ackender house school followed by Clewer House school Windsor and I'm pretty sure he was still there in 1875 as I have his certificate for good work in algebra and he's written 1875 on it !

I wonder if this was a feeder school then for the army ? His friend George Munro went into the 4th hussars too but he was a couple of years younger and was still in the army age 19 in 1881 . I believe he also went to Clewer House school. Now I need to look for the school records if they exist.

Liz

[PhotoFamily]

Apparently they exist at Berkshire County Record Office, Reading.

[congletonian]

wow thankyou Photofamily. I'll look there.

Liz