Scotland Military Records: Difference between revisions

== Army ==

Pre-1872 army records are organized by regiment. Most regiments have published histories which tell the places they served and the battles they fought. A bibliography of these histories is:  

White, Arthur S., comp. ''A Bibliography of Regimental Histories of the British Army.'' London, England: The Society for Army Historical Research, 1965. (Not at FHL.)  

To find military histories at the [http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/FHLC/frameset_fhlc.asp Family History Library], look in the Locality Search of the catalog under"  

GREAT BRITAIN - MILITARY HISTORY.  

Records of officers and enlisted men are usually separate. Records of officers usually include only commissioned officers, which were field marshal, general, lieutenant-general, major-general, brigadier, colonel, lieutenant-colonel, major, captain, lieutenant, ensign, cornet, paymaster, adjutant, quarter-master, surgeon, assistant surgeon, chaplain.  

'''Types of Records'''  

Army records include the following:  

'''Chaplains’ Returns.''' Army chaplains throughout the British Empire kept records that list the baptisms, marriages, and burials by regiment. These returns (from 1796 to 1880) are indexed and available at the Family Records Centre in London.  

'''Lists of Officers.''' Published annually, these records give the name, rank, and regiment (FHL book 942 M25g; film 856427-452).  

'''Muster Rolls.''' Records usually list name, age at enlistment, date, and place of enlistment. Army musters exist from 1760 to 1878.  

'''Pay Records.''' These include pay lists, warrants, and ledgers.  

'''Pension Records.''' Pensions were available to officers, their widows, and children. The earliest of these records date from 1713 and include both service and personal information.  

'''Records of Service.''' These records are for officers and were kept from 1771 to 1911.  

'''Regimental Description Books.''' These books include name, age at enlistment, birthplace, previous trade, and physical description. Most books start about 1805 and continue to 1850.  

'''Regimental Registers.''' These are registers of births, baptisms, marriages, and burials of soldiers or members of their families that were compiled by regiment. Baptisms are indexed. Marriages and burials are partially indexed. These records (1761 to 1924) are available at the Family Records Centre.  

'''Soldiers’ Documents.''' Since military service was usually for one’s lifetime, discharge was often due to wounds or other physical impairment. Soldiers were discharged through an Army hospital, such as Chelsea. These records are available only for those soldiers who were discharged to pension. They have various arrangements depending upon the time period. Records exist from 1760 to 1914.  

=== Location of Original Records ===

The above records are at the Public Record Office, Kew, unless stated otherwise. Pre-1707 records are at:  

'''Scottish Record Office'''<br>P.O. Box 36 <br>HM General Register House <br>Edinburgh EH1 3YY <br>Scotland <br>Internet: http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/  

Post-1914 records are at:  

'''Army Records Centre'''<br>Bourne Avenue <br>Hayes, Middlesex UB3 1RF <br>England  

=== Records at the Family History Library ===

The [http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/FHLC/frameset_fhlc.asp Family History Library]has:  

*Soldier’s documents.  

*Regimental description books.  

*Lists of officers.  

*Records of service.

You can find military records by looking in:  

''Army Records.'' Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1978. (Family History Library [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&columns=*%2C0%2C0&titleno=280386&disp=Army+records++ book 942 M2a; film 990313 item 5.)] This is a typescript list of army records in the Family History Library’s collection.  

You can also find them by looking in the Locality Search of the Family History Library Catalog under either SCOTLAND or GREAT BRITAIN and the following topic headings:  

MILITARY  

MILITARY HISTORY