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Even more Chelsea Pensioners records now on findmypast.co.uk
We’ve just added more Chelsea Pensioners British Army Service Records 1883-1900 to our site. There are now 289,783 records for you to search.
We’ll keep you posted on all the new updates we make to these records – you can expect to see plenty more in the coming months.
Search for your military ancestor in our Chelsea Pensioners records today.
A customer’s discovery in the Chelsea Pensioners records
Customers can often be so much more eloquent about the amazing discoveries that they make in our records than we can. Here’s a great example of what you might find in the Chelsea Pesioners records we released last week:
The details provided are amazing. He moved up through the ranks to become a Sergeant in the Royal Artillery. He was 5′ 6″ tall, with a fresh complexion, grey eyes and red hair. He was a Wesleyan and his occupation was that of a miller when he enlisted. His next of kin is initially named as his father, Philip, then changed to his sister, Mary – confirming her married name and address – then his brother, John, presumably after his father’s death.
He served in India, Egypt and Afghanistan in the 1870s and 1880s. He fractured his right leg in January 1890 when a horse fell on it, whilst he was on duty.
His medical record mentions his vaccinations and illnesses suffered whilst in service. These included hospitalisation from ague, a sprained ankle and primary and secondary syphilis, which was quite common amongst soldiers at that time.
All in all, it makes interesting reading. As well as giving lots of information about James, it also provides additional details of family relationships, consolidating what I knew about my ancestors.
His return from the army in the 1890s could also explain a family myth. My great-grandfather left Devon and eventually settled in Hertfordshire. One of my second cousins had been told he left when his brother returned “a war hero” and took over the running of the family farm. Perhaps his first cousin, James, was the returning war hero and the story has got changed over time?”
Originally posted at: http://www.bbcwhodoyouthinkyouaremagazine.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=5132&hilit=&sid=6c73909b15c27394fdd81ddbd8178a78
A customer's discovery in the Chelsea Pensioners records
Customers can often be so much more eloquent about the amazing discoveries that they make in our records than we can. Here’s a great example of what you might find in the Chelsea Pesioners records we released last week:
The details provided are amazing. He moved up through the ranks to become a Sergeant in the Royal Artillery. He was 5′ 6″ tall, with a fresh complexion, grey eyes and red hair. He was a Wesleyan and his occupation was that of a miller when he enlisted. His next of kin is initially named as his father, Philip, then changed to his sister, Mary – confirming her married name and address – then his brother, John, presumably after his father’s death.
He served in India, Egypt and Afghanistan in the 1870s and 1880s. He fractured his right leg in January 1890 when a horse fell on it, whilst he was on duty.
His medical record mentions his vaccinations and illnesses suffered whilst in service. These included hospitalisation from ague, a sprained ankle and primary and secondary syphilis, which was quite common amongst soldiers at that time.
All in all, it makes interesting reading. As well as giving lots of information about James, it also provides additional details of family relationships, consolidating what I knew about my ancestors.
His return from the army in the 1890s could also explain a family myth. My great-grandfather left Devon and eventually settled in Hertfordshire. One of my second cousins had been told he left when his brother returned “a war hero” and took over the running of the family farm. Perhaps his first cousin, James, was the returning war hero and the story has got changed over time?”
Originally posted at: http://www.bbcwhodoyouthinkyouaremagazine.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=5132&hilit=&sid=6c73909b15c27394fdd81ddbd8178a78
New military records on the way: WO96 & 97
The Chelsea pensioners’ records form one of the National Archives’ most popular sets of records in the reading rooms at Kew, and findmypast.com, in association with The National Archives, are currently scanning the WO97 documents (Royal Hospital Chelsea: Soldiers Service Documents 1760-1913) for online release.
The WO96 papers (War Office: Militia Attestation Papers 1806-1915) documents are also being scanned and it is hoped that both sets of records will be available online in their entirety by 2011. A total of around nine million images will be made available, which will be searchable by name.
Visitors to the National Archives at Kew will not be able to access those records that are being scanned. Documents are being scanned in batches and a scanning schedule is available on The National Archives’ site.
Was your ancestor a Chelsea pensioner?
The 1841-1911 censuses are a useful cross-referencing tool that may reveal one or more of your ancestors as Chelsea pensioners. In-pensioners are the iconic gents in scarlet coats and tricorne hats who reside at the Royal Hospital in Chelsea. Census returns may indicate their Chelsea pensioner status under the ‘occupation’ column.
In other instances finding someone described as an ‘army pensioner’, or references to them being ex-army or ex-military, are all good clues that they might have been a Chelsea pensioner.
We will update the blog with further news and likely launch dates on both sets of records as we get them.
New military records on the way: WO96 & 97
The Chelsea pensioners’ records form one of the National Archives’ most popular sets of records in the reading rooms at Kew, and findmypast.com, in association with The National Archives, are currently scanning the WO97 documents (Royal Hospital Chelsea: Soldiers Service Documents 1760-1913) for online release.
The WO96 papers (War Office: Militia Attestation Papers 1806-1915) documents are also being scanned and it is hoped that both sets of records will be available online in their entirety by 2011. A total of around nine million images will be made available, which will be searchable by name.
Visitors to the National Archives at Kew will not be able to access those records that are being scanned. Documents are being scanned in batches and a scanning schedule is available on The National Archives’ site.
Was your ancestor a Chelsea pensioner?
The 1841-1911 censuses are a useful cross-referencing tool that may reveal one or more of your ancestors as Chelsea pensioners. In-pensioners are the iconic gents in scarlet coats and tricorne hats who reside at the Royal Hospital in Chelsea. Census returns may indicate their Chelsea pensioner status under the ‘occupation’ column.
In other instances finding someone described as an ‘army pensioner’, or references to them being ex-army or ex-military, are all good clues that they might have been a Chelsea pensioner.
We will update the blog with further news and likely launch dates on both sets of records as we get them.