A Napoleonic Wars RWF - Info?

**LarsA** · 11-03-2015, 22:02

I found the below on the Great War Forum, and thougt I'd repost here to see what we can fin. A member of the 23rd in the Napoleoic times, details as per below.

ATB,

Lars

What I have discovered from Find My Past is that my relative George ALEXANDER born 'HOARE' i.e. Oare Wiltshire enlisted in Dorset 23 April 1805 then served as a Private for 17 years 197 days, being discharged at Boyle 5 November 1822 due to age, being deaf and having a gun shot wound. On 1 March 1812 at St Peters Carmarthen George Alexander of the 23rd Regt had married Mary James spinster of this parish. George brought his wife back to his home parish in Wiltshire where she outlived him & is recorded on the 1841 & 1851 censuses.

**ap1** · 12-03-2015, 20:03

Hi Lars, I can't find him on any of the medal rolls in the Kirby/Holmes book that covers the 23rd of Foot through the Napoleonic period?

**LarsA** · 13-03-2015, 12:18

Thanks, I'll let the poster know!

ATB,

Lars

**ap1** · 13-03-2015, 12:46

Remind me on Mon Lars, there is a registry book at the archive I can have a look at.

**Clive Hughes** · 13-03-2015, 23:01

I too have checked that he wasn't on the Waterloo medal roll, and nor was he in the Dorset Militia Rolls 1757-1860 (many recruits for the Army were transfers from the Militia, so it was worth a shot). He wouldn't have been eligible for any other medals, as the one for the Peninsular War didn't appear until 1848 and was given to surviving applicants only.

I've had a look at the discharge paper for this man: he was a labourer aged 28 on enlistment and he was 45 when he left the service. There's a physical description on discharge; he signed by mark and had a "most excellent" character. On the back a medical certificate adds that by 1822 he had been deaf for 4 years and suffered a gunshot wound through the right leg in the Battle of the Pyrenees (28th July-3rd August) 1813.

A transcript of a Regimental Index from 1806 adds that he was then with the 2nd Battalion 23rd. This was stationed in Wrexham and then Chester, but with few men and struggling to gather recruits during this period. Some Militia volunteers were used, and the battalion recruited as far as the Midlands. By 1807 the unit was sending reinforcements to the 1st Battalion. The 2nd Battalion was moved from Alderney to Carmarthen and the Haverfordwest/Milford Haven area in August 1811, then concentrated at Haverfordwest in 1812: they were sending many drafts to the 1st Battalion at this time and were only about 150 strong. Perhaps he got married because he was likely to be rostered for overseas duty, or to go off to H'west?

So he was in the 2/23rd about 1805-06; in the UK in Carmarthen in 1812; and by 1813 wounded in action with the 1st Battalion on the border between France and Spain - but not so seriously as to warrant his immediate discharge. And not present at Waterloo 1815, though most of the now single-battalion regiment was engaged except a depot company formed of sick and recruits etc. in the UK.

His movements can be traced using the two battalion Muster Rolls for each year, at the National Archives Kew. This should indicate when he arrived, was hospitalised as sick/wounded, or sent on detached duty from his unit.

As Al says,we can have a look at the Description Book in the Archives, it might tell us what he looked like aged 28 if nothing else!

Clive