England Army Records Other Ranks (National Institute)

Records of Other Ranks (cont.)
Character and Conduct were not always exemplary, as shown below.

CHART: Summary of Record of Service for Thomas Kerr WO97 

The Statement of Service may include extra notes such as in the following:

CHART: Summary of Record of Service for Donald Ross

Joynson (in Wood 1999) noted that not all soldiers claimed their pensions immediately after discharge. He gives examples of claimants who had left the army over 50 years previous to their pension application.

Chelsea Regimental Registers WO 120

If your soldier is not found in WO 97 then try this other set which does not duplicate WO97 and covers 1715-1877. The lists of pensioners are arranged first by the regiment in which they last served then by admission date to the hospital and rate of pension. 31 films are available for various periods between 1717 and 1857 starting at.

Pension Admission Books WO 116 and WO 117

These consist of medical disability pensions from 1715-1913 in WO 116, and length of service pensions from 1823-1913 in WO 117. The books give the date of examination and a brief record of service, reason for award of pension, place of birth and physical description.

Examinations of Invalid Soldiers
Examinations of Invalid Soldiers WO 116

These cover the period 1833-1913 and are contained in date order and then by regiment in huge books about 2' by 3' unopened. The entry for William East is below :

CHART: Examination of Invalid Soldier

Kilmainham Pension Admission Registers WO 118 Those discharged from 1704 in Ireland, predominantly but not exclusively Irishmen, had their pensions administered by the Royal Hospital Kilmainham until 1822 when Chelsea took over all pensions. They are on 13 films from 1759-1863 starting at and include indexes.

Colonial Discharges WO 69, 70 and 120 Separate classes of papers exist for soldiers discharged in Canada (WO 70), South Africa (WO 69), and India (WO 120) from 1772-1899. Chelsea Hospital out-pensions were also paid to former British soldiers who had emigrated to the colonies, and some of these can be found in WO 120/69-70 (1814-1857) and WO 23/31 for 1845-1854. See Crowder for an index for British Army Pensioners Abroad 1772-1899 from WO 120.

Pension Returns WO 22 Each payment district kept records of pensions paid out and these have survived from 1842 to 1883. If you know the district where your soldier lived after discharge, but not his regiment, this is a useful entry port to the army records. Some examples on film are:


 * Australia—3 films starting at 
 * New Zealand—7 films starting at *Tasmania—film

Description Books 1778-1878 WO 25 Depot Description Books 1768-1908 WO 67 A small percentage of current soldiers are described in WO 25, whilst new recruits are covered much more extensively in WO 67. The WO 25 records generally give the full name of each recruit, his age and place of enlistment, place of birth, trade in civil life, and physical description. WO 67 also gives promotions and reason for becoming non-effective. They are available from 1778, (but mainly after 1825), until 1908 but not all regiments start so early or go so late. There are 202 films for WO 25 starting at, 9 films for WO 67 starting at , and another set starting at. Each film is listed and described by Kitzmiller in A Comprehensive Guide to Locating British Regiments and Their Records 1840-WWI.

Muster Rolls and Pay Lists WO 10-16 The minutiae of army life for the common soldier can be found in the pay lists and muster rolls once his regiment is known. They are the best place to start for those not discharged to pension if they did not serve long enough or died in service. The pay lists follow each soldier from enlistment to discharge, whilst the muster rolls are records of each regiment, so they are both arranged by regiment. The details include monthly lists of officers and men, with dates of enlistment and discharge or death, rank, pay, absences, and punishments meted out. When a soldier died or was discharged it usually notes his age and trade on enlistment and his place of birth. Details of marriage and children are often included from 1868 to 1883 (Swinnerton 1998).

CHART: Pay Lists and Muster Rolls

Deserters records WO 25 Army life was extremely harsh and thus desertion was common. Various registers of deserters from 1744 until about 1875 can be found in WO 25, and each issue of the Police Gazette [and Hue and Cry] in HO 75/11 included physical descriptions of new deserters. An index to the Police Gazette deserter listings has been prepared by the Manchester and Lancashire FHS (Marsden). Six films of this magazine covering various dates between 1797 and 1840 are available, see. There is a book on deserters during the period 1802-1831 written by Ann Chiswell and available on film item 13.

Bounties were offered for capture and some adverts for these still exist as well as details of those receiving the rewards. Certificates protecting a man from false identification as a deserter can also be found.

Handbill Offering Reward for Deserter
CHART: Handbill Offering Reward for Deserter

Deserter’s Protecting Certificate
CHART: Deserter’s Protecting Certificate 

Army Pay Book Families may find their soldier’s pay book at home or in a museum, and this contains a page for each year with the name of the station and, for each month, amounts due to him signed by an officer, and amounts due from him signed by himself. Another space is for particulars of advances of pay and the reason for them, or compensation received in lieu of clothing etc. The pay book had to be carried on his person all the time and the back page was reserved for his will. Family historians may also come across the term military testament which is a soldier’s noncupative (oral) will.

Recruitment Poster
Such items can be found illustrated in books and in collections of ephemera at archives. This one is probably of WWII vintage.

CHART: A Recruitment Poster

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