Introduction
This website attempts to identify the dates
and deployments of various British military units
prior to 1870
within Canada and elsewhere in the western hemisphere. The
goal of this site is to provide an overview of the British
Army and
soldiers who served in this region. It also serves as a finding aid for
family
historians looking for regiments and the soldiers who served in them.
Hopefully
it will also be of interest to general historians.
Regimental Information
In general, the following Information is included for each unit:
Battalion level information is provided in some instances where regiments were deployed in part only. Similarly, company level information is included for units such as the Royal Artillery which were traditionally on "attached" assignment to infantry and other units. I have also constructed a table showing geographic distribution of regiments of foot by era to assist researchers. This site does not encompass detailed unit histories - particularly for eras or regions outside of the stated scope. Where possible, however, links to more detailed histories are provided. For details on the major military campaigns in book form, see the recommended reading list. For outlines of selected conflicts and battles on the Web see the Olive Tree Military Section. For other websites related to this topic see the Sources page.Regimental or unit number
Soldiers Documents
All regiments on this website have a link indicating the corresponding microfilm which provides individual soldiers' attestation and discharge papers . These documents exist for many soldiers who survived their service time and were discharged. They usually provide place of birth, age on enlistment, army service and details of appearance. This document group is generally known as W0 97. The group WO 120 provides summary information similar to that in group WO97. The microfilms listed do not include general regimental documents such as muster rolls (WO 10 through 16) and pay lists.
You can use the Public Record Office catalog to see if a specific name occurs within record group WO 97. It is helpful, but not necessary to know the regiment number or place of birth in order to limit the results returned. An overview of the various types of records available for British regiments can be seen at the GENUKI site. Both new and experienced researchers can benefit from the information on that site before plunging into the actual records.
Examples of the type of information available can be seen in the 1818 WO97 documents for Sgt.John Gibson and Pvt. William Pender and the 1818 WO120 document for Sgt. William Shea.
Copies of regimental records can be consulted at:
British Regiments in Canada
Search this site
I am indebted to the the Light Infantry Benevolent Society in England for much of the deployment information, Ron Dale of Parks Canada, the National Archives of Canada in Ottawa and the Public Record Office in Kew, England for additional information and insight.
If
you have any suggestions or
found this site helpful please let me know
Wes Cross
Page Stats
Updated Feb 21 2008
Original launch November 29, 2003