Militiaman or RWF

[Taff Wrexham]

Hello,
In 1881 my ancestor John Allmond appears on the 1881 census (NB as John/James Hallmond) aged 20 born Wrexham as a 'militiaman' in Wrexham Hightown Barracks. On the enumeration book the title is: 23rd Brigade Depot.
I cannot find him anywhere on the 1901 census but he is on the 1911 census.

1881 census
RG11; Piece: 5520; Folio: 141; Page: 6

My first question is this: does this entry mean he is in the RWF or not? (In this census there are many entries for Militiamen and in the latter part there are many entries for Privates listed as RWF.)
My second question depends on the first.
If he IS in the RWF, how can I find any information on him? Please note the surname varies on censuses as: Allman, Allmand, Alman, Almand, Almon, Almond and the same with H on the front as well as other varieties.
If he IS NOT in the RWF, would he be entitled to a pension? On his death certificate his occupation is given as: 'A Disabled Army Pensioner'.

My third question involves the possibility of him being in the Boer War. Given that he would be about 40 in 1901, would he have been too old?
I have a possible candidate as per image below.

3070


Any help advice will be gratefully received.

Tony

[ap1]

Welcome Tony,

There's also this, which relates to the issue of the Burma Medal for service in Burma between 1885-87:

3071

http://www.zoominto.com/zoomapi/ZoomButt.gifhttp://www.zoominto.com/zoomapi/ZoomButt.gif

[ap1]

and just to cloud it further. I've found a J Almond wounded in the Boer War in 1900:

Different regiment though.

http://www.zoominto.com/zoomapi/ZoomButt.gif


http://www.zoominto.com/zoomapi/ZoomButt.gifhttp://www.zoominto.com/zoomapi/ZoomButt.gif

[Taff Wrexham]

Oh wow. That most definitely looks a better idea than him being in the Boer War.

[Taff Wrexham]

There are loads of Almonds in Lancashire but I've NEVER seen a HALLMOND before. The Burma War looks very likely particularly as he was a Militiaman under this name. Hope someone can answer my questions re. Militiamen vs RWF.

[Taff Wrexham]

Can you tell me how you found the John Hallmond - Burma; I seem unable to locate this.

[Baconwallah]

The Militia initially was intended for home defence functions. It was a nice alternative to real army service, gave exercise and fresh air and some money into the bargain. It had no business reinforcing the regular army abroad. This changed in 1907 with the Haldane Reforms, when the Militia became the Special Reserve (which now was intended to reinforce the regular army in time of war) and the Territorial Force which remained a Home Defence force. And then, in 1914, things changed again, of course.

In short: a Militiaman in the Burmese War? Highly improbable. In the Boer War? Less improbable as individual militiamen could - and did - volunteer for foreign service, badly trained as they were, and were formed into Volunteer Companies (Imperial volunteers, City Volunteers in London etc.).

There was a Pte E. Almond 5409 in the RWF the Boer War, according to the Medal Roll.

Hope this helps.

John

[Taff Wrexham]

In short: a Militiaman in the Burmese War? Highly improbable. In the Boer War? Less improbable as individual militiamen could - and did - volunteer for foreign service, badly trained as they were, and were formed into Volunteer Companies.

John

Hi John,
Thanks. From what you say I'm beginning to think that he might have joined The RWF some time after the census of 1881. That would explain the Burma service and the death certificate claim of army pensioner.

Were the Imperial Yeomanry militiamen?

Tony

[Baconwallah]

Hi John,
Thanks. From what you say I'm beginning to think that he might have joined The RWF some time after the census of 1881. That would explain the Burma service and the death certificate claim of army pensioner.

Were the Imperial Yeomanry militiamen?

Tony

His joining the Regular Army from the Militia would indeed explain things, Tony.

The Imperial Yeomanry would have had militiamen in its ranks, but many other sorts of volunteers as well, even including big game hunters. They had one thing in common: all were used to horses.

John.

[ivor43]

hi all.

John would you consider the spelling ,Hallmond, of the 1881 census a error by the census taker in misunderstanding what he heard. it did happen quite frequently.


ivor

[Baconwallah]

More likely in London than in Wales, I should think, Ivor. But it's not impossible.

John

[ivor43]

I was thinking , if there was a Lancashire connection, then there could have been a possible accent problem even though he was born in Wrexham.

ivor

[Taff Wrexham]

I would say almost certainly. The Allmands had many variations ranging from Aman to Ormand. I guess it was how it was pronounced and heard. Furthermore, the majority of them were illiterate.

[ap1]

Can you tell me how you found the John Hallmond - Burma; I seem unable to locate this.

Ancestry UK Tony, record located within the Card Catalogue .

[Taff Wrexham]

Found it eventually.

[ivor43]

Hi all.
As i lived in the Wrexham area i know that historically the local Coal field in the period we are looking at would have rivalled S.Wales. It brought Miners in from all parts of the country, so miners from Lancashire would not have been unusual. and i know a real Lancashire Dialect is very difficult to understand.
But , and this may be totally wrong, from the mid 1600's German miners were being employed in British mines, a lot in the Tin mines of the S West. so i wondered if there may be a possibility that the spelling Allmands may have been a corruption of the French word for German. Allemagne.
We probably will never know.


ivor

[Taff Wrexham]

Several derivations of the name. The Allmands I am chasing were Agricultural labourers through and through. I can trace them to Worthenbury (5 miles from Wrexham) around 1700.