Genealogy Chat

I have tried to find my gg grandfathers service records on F nd my past but they are not there. His name was George Curtis he was a sgt. in 1841 census stationed at Royal Citadel Plymouth.He served in 53rd regiment Shropshire light infantry.His year of birth was 1811, he was 30 years old on the 1841 census.Can I get any other records on line? thank you to everyone

Hi Sandii - where was he born?

Sorry MarieCeleste I dont know, but he did get married in Plymouth in 1841 to a local girl.

Are you sure he was in the army? The building being called a Citadel suggests it might be the Salvation Army - although I could be wrong.

I don't think the early army records on Findmypast are complete.

Kath. x

Royal Citadel, Plymouth | English Heritage
www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/.../royal-citadel-plymouth/ A dramatic 17th-century fortress built to defend the coastline from the Dutch, and keep watch on a recently rebellious town. Still in use by the military today.

From Google. The next entry has several photos.

Kath, See

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Citadel,_Plymouth

Roy

Thanks Roy..................I said I could be wrong - and I was, lol.

Kath. x

Try the National Archives........google for website

Have you found him on any later censuses?


have you bought his marriage certificate? That will tell you his age, and the name of his father.

Thanks everyone. I have his marriage cert. His fathers name was John Curtis and George was 30yrs old. In 1842 his regiment was serving at the garrison at Edinburgh castle where his son G.F.Curtis was born,but by 1851 census his wife and son were in Cornwall and she had married again

From the 1841, it looks as if he was in the 53rd Reg, Royal Engineers - maybe there are some regimental records somewhere? Where did you get the Shropshire Regiment from?

Thanks for that Potty, I could make out that it was 53rd but assumed, perhaps wrongly that it was the 53rd . Shropshire reg. There is a book called Historical Records of the 53rd Shropshire reg.by Richard Cannon 1849 and in it the 53rd were in Plymouth in 1841 and then went to Scotland which is what George Curtis did but perhaps the Royal Engineers did to. p. s. where did you get Royal Engineers from? Thanks Potty I shall look for him among the engineers!

53rd Regiment was not Royal Engineers but they were Shropshire light infantry

I have not seen the 1841 census but he could have been stationed with or in Royal Engineers barracks

You did and still do get members of the armed forces from several regiments and corps serving together

Roy

He will be included in records at the National Archives but if his discharge papers are not on FindMyPast then there won't be anything online.

What do you want to know about his service?

Thanks for your interest everyone. By 1841 he had become a sgt. and he might have gone to India, what I know for sure is that by 1851 he was not with his wife and son indicating that they must have separated because she remarried or else he died whilst he was serving. A mystery.

Shropshire Archives have deposist of the 53rd Shropshire Foot Regiment.....

[email protected].

usual archive visiting rules apply,,,

,,,,,a readers ticket can be supplied on the day by prior arrangments,,,,,take two passport photos ,some from of ID with address,....if a national readers ticket has been supplied for use at other ROffices or Archives it can be used nationwide...and only pencils can be used,

Most Foot Regiments from that time did training at Edinburgh Castle.

If he died in service his death might be on FindMyPast in the Army deaths, and if he died in India it might be on the FIBIS website or the familysearch site.

Thanks Kay and annielaurie have just checked FIBIS ,his name is not on their database , but what a fab.site it is.Kay thanks for that info about most foot regiment training at Edinburgh castle,something else I didnt know.!

On the image of the page next to the one George is on, the Royal Engineers is written at the top, together with other items. Looking again at the images it is obvious that that only refers to that page and not the preceeding one where just 53rd Regiment appears. Sorry for any confusion!

Thats alright Potty, thanks for your interest.