What regiment did my ancestor serve in- Soldiers?
RECORDS FOR FINDING SOLDIERS' REGIMENT NAME OR NUMBER
- Home Sources: especially medals and awards, discharge papers, diaries and journals, personal knowledge, pictures - especially of soldiers in full military dress, old letters, etc.
- Civil Registration of Births, Marriages, and Deaths: July 1837-present; certificates usually give regiment name or number and/or rank.
- Census Records: 1841-1911; find the soldier and/or family; search other census records; often gives the regiment name or number of soldier (or officer)
- Regimental Registers of births, baptisms, marriages, deaths, burials of soldiers and their families: 1761-1924; The National Archives & FHL has birth indexes.
- Chaplain Returns of baptisms, marriages, burials at stations abroad: 1796-1880; The National Archives & FHL has films.
- Beckett's Index of Chelsea Pensioners: 1806-1838; WO 120, FS Library has films
- Widows' Pensions - Compassionate & Miscellaneous Papers, Registers & Indexes: W.O. 24, pieces #3108-3125; 1748-1851.
- Militia Attestation Returns: W.O. 96 - all; whole military, 1806-1915, alphabetically arranged.
- Judge Advocate General's Office; Courts Martial; confirmed at Home & Abroad: W.O. 93, indexes (to W.O. 91 & 92 Court Martial records); 1650-1922.
- Soldiers' Documents: 1760-1913; W.O. 97; (FS Library has 1760-1854 only); alphabetically arranged for each of the major attachments and corps.
- Medals & Awards; Meritorious Service Awards: 1846-1923; W.O. 101, pieces 1-7; indexed (not comprehensive for the whole army).
- Soldiers' documents (& various) Regiments: 1760-1882; W.O. 97 (mostly alphabetical); FS Library has pieces #1-1279 only, 1760-1854; arranged alphabetically for whole army
- Regimental Registers of Pensioners: 1717-1857; W.O. 120