1st Bn 23rd Regt RWF, East India 1861

[bathbun]

Hi, I have been researching my GGGrandfather and traced him to enlistment aged 18 at the Plymouth Citadel 1850, through the Crimea and the Seige of Lucknow. He left India 17 Aug 1861 on the Marseilles bound for England. I am keen to know where this troop ship sailed to and when it landed. Can any one help? Also, he was imprisoned for 7 days in 1853 under the 50th Article of War - I have searched the internet but am still no wiser about what this is. Can you help?

Thanks

[Baconwallah]

As the 1st Bn remained in India, I assume that your GGGF was sent home time-expired. The ship may have landed anywhere. I tend to think that Chatham would be a likely landing place, but your guess is as good as mine. This is going to be a needle in a haystack.

As for Art 50, I have no idea.

John

[bathbun]

Time expired? Does this mean when he enlisted it would have been for a set time? He served 11 years 2 months and I have been told that this would mean he would have no pension therefore no records. I also see that there was a bounty paid when he enlisted, could you explain this to me?

Thanks

[Baconwallah]

Men enlisted for a set period which varied unpredictably and also depended on the branch of service. The men I know about, those who fought in the Great War, enlisted with the Special Reserve for three or nine years, or with the Regular Army for "seven and five" (seven years with the Colours, five with the Reserve) or sometimes "three and nine". If the man was stationed abroad when his time with the Colours was up, a year would be added to his Colour service (and subtracted from his time with the Reserve). The Colour service could be extended voluntarily to include the years with the Reserve, thus in effect making a full twelve years with the Colours. Of course it was also possible to enlist for the full twelve years in one go.

Guards regiments always recruited for 3/9 as they would not be sent abroad unless there was a real war on. Gunners too, if I'm not mistaken, enlisted for 3/9.

Taking into account the journey home, it looks like your GGGF enlisted for the full twelve years with the Colours. He may also have extended his original 3 or seven years, if that system was already used in the 1850s.

As for the bounty, I've heard that too but know nothing about it. In the years before the Great War no bounty was paid on enlistment (apart from the proverbial "Queen's -or King's - shilling").

Pension: I don't think a pension was paid, unless the man had suffered a disability during - and caused by - his service. But here I bow to superior knowledge - other members of the Forum may know more about bounties and pensions than I do.

Hope this helps.

John

[ap1]

(FROM Wiki)The first set of Articles of War for the British Army were written under William III, taking the place of the medieval Rules and Ordinances of War, a list of regulations issued by the king at the beginning of every expedition or campaign[6]. The Mutiny Acts empowered the king de lege and his government de facto to govern their army by creating a set of Articles of War for each conflict[7]. To a large degree, they were superseded by King's Regulations in force at all times. The Articles of War fell out of use by the Army when they were omitted from the 1955 Army Act.

[bathbun]

He was one of about a dozen soldiers imprisoned for a week, so not a very severe offence, but under a big heading of 'Imprisoned under the 50th Article of War', still curious! As far as the bounty, it looks like £4 was paid in old money, do you think this would have been to him?

Thanks for all your help,

[Baconwallah]

A very short period of detention must have meant a very minor crime. In the 1850s punishments were considerably harsher than they were in the early 1900s. So we're probably talking about something like: drunk on parade, unmade berth, using obscene language, late for tattoo, wetting the bed or any other crime that later would not qualify for more than a few days Confined to Barracks.

I assume that the bounty would have been paid to the soldier concerned. There are cases on record when a man enlisted, accepted the bounty, never showed up at the Depot but had a great time with the money, and then enlisted with another regiment preferably a long way away from the first one, never showed up etc etc. The same thing happened in the American Civil War. I would not be surprised if that was why the bounty system was abolished.

John

[Shadwell]

Hi,

I believe the 50th article of war relates to the Regimental Courts Martial procedures rather than the actual offence he committed.

Hope this helps.