Genealogy Chat

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Thanks to those for mailing me re my ancestor Thomas Jenkins. I wondered if you knew why this may be : Thomas is shown a member of the Herefordshire 36 foot reg at Norton Barracks. When I look at the image I see all the men around him are from the same area as Thomas - i.e. Welsh border counties. I understand the Herefordshires became part of the Worcestershires in 1881 but when I see Thomas, a corporal in the 1891 he is at Westminster Barracks and when I look at the image I see the men seem to come from all over the country and indeed Scotland. It says "Foot Guards". Does this mean he changed regiment or were some men just sent to make up the contingency at Westminster please?

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The 36th united with the 29th to become the 2nd Battn. The Worcestershire Regiment and were in Kinsale, Ireland in 1881, and Curragh, Ireland 1891. This dosen't answer your ? but no one else is talking to you. Keith

Could it similar to now when sections of the army do guard duty at (for example) Buckingham palace for a session. Maybe so many from each contingent of foot guards went to make up the Foot Guards in westminster for a number of weeks. Ann Glos

Thanks Keith and Ann! Interesting Keith. I see from googling that the Foot Guard are the Buckingham Palace lot - I didnt realise they were drawn from different Regiments. The thing is he must have been there some time as he managed to father a child in 1890 before he married and then in 1901 he has 3 further children (after a gap of 4 years - guess on duty then?) all shown born Westminster though registered Southwark. By then he had left the army and was a Railway Porter. Mysteries, mysteries.

Just a thought, I know if Regiments were going oversea to fight they got up to fighting strength by taking soldiers from other Regiments, this happened a lot in Ireland, I will have a look if the Guards were in action between 81-91 Keith

THe 2rd Battn. Coldstream Guards were in action in Egypt in 1882 and were also in Wellington Barracks in 1891, he could of been drafted to them when they went oversea's. Or is this getting to complicated? If you have this service record it could help. Keith

Oh wow, Keith thats brilliant. Hubby will be pleased (his side). He loves military history but has yet to find anyone colourful in his background (sick that one of mine was a captain in Napoleonic war). I noticed there were a couple of drummers on the same census page as him, guess that may be a clue to the regiment? There is a four year gap between the first child (born 1890) and the next in 1894. This would also mean he may have been away from 1889 to 1893. So that could help me too. I have asked a chap to look up this Jenkins at Kew for me but it has been pointed out that a lot of the records were destroyed. If he signed up at 18 did they do 20 years like now? In which case that would tie in nicely with when he actually married.

Hi Heather If you search 1891 Census there are 2 Thomas Jenkins at Wellington Barracks, the officer of the younger one has stamped the form with his Regiment (2rd Battn.Coldstream Guards). I don't know how big the barracks are, if they hold more than 1 Battn. My be if you phone the Guards Museum they could help. I think there was only 3 Regiments of Foot Guards then, Grenadier-Coldstream-Scots. This site is useful for finding deployments of Battn. www(.)regiments(.)org/regiments/ Keith

Thats very kind of you. I shall have to see where the other Thomas Jenkins was from, may be a clue, eh? I tell you what surprised me when I was looking through the pages of that census was that there was a coffee shop manager and a school master and some dressmakers all employed there. Brings home what it would have been like at that time. Bit of recreation for the lads and a bit of education. I assume the dressmakers are there to help with the uniforms (well, I hope so, anyway!) I will go back and look now.

Now thats interesting Keith. Ive just gone back at the 24 year old Thomas Jenkins (mine is the 29 year old) and I see that he came from Worcestershire. As you know my chap was at Pershore Worcestershire in 1881 at Norton Barracks. It may be this guy is somehow related (though as Ive mentioned before, if your name is Jenkins you seem to have about 3 choices of christian name!). And perhaps they made the decision to apply to another regiment together. Oh I shall go mad if I dont get this chaps service records - It will be so MANy brownie points with hubby!

Heather, try contacting the regimental museum and see what info they may have. They probably won't have individual soldiers records but they may have something and may also be able to photocopy the relevant section of the regimental history for you. I have some soldier ancestors and have had some great help from the regimental museums, including the information that my gg grandfather's brother was also in the same regiment, a fact that I did not know. Christine in NZ

Many thanks, I have contacted the Worcestershires but no reply as yet. I am hoping that the young chap who is going to Kew will turn up the stuff I desperately need to justify at least some of the time I "waste" on all this! (quoting hubby)

Hi Heather, I'm no historian but I ws in the army in my youth and was 'attached to the Coldstream Guards at Chelsea Barracks. I was in REME but there were Royal Signals, Royal Engineers and other regiments all in the same barracks. A Battalion (there were 2 in Chelsea Barracks) consisted of 3 Rifle companys - all Coldstreamers and a company of ancilliary staff, tailors, cooks, Pioneer corps and odds and sods - us - generally collectively known as 'the Quatermasters Staff' If your soldier had specialist skills he could have ended up anywhere and also although regiments were recruited locally they were, and still are, willing to accept recruits from almost anywhere. good hunting Dave

Many thanks Dave. I didnt realise it would be easy to swop regiments! I know when my son was interested the chap I spoke to said in theory you could swop but in practice you would probably have to resign and re enlist. Thats been at the back of my mind in all this I think. He enlisted probably at 18 as he was 19 at Norton Barracks in the Herefordshire, which became the Worcestershires. It just seemed a big leap from welsh country boy to the big city. I await with baited breath.

Heather, It wasn't so much a 'swop' as a secondment. You still retained your original regimental identity. Dave

Got yer, Dave.