1660–1815
The rise of the permanent army and the famed British infantryman meant more records, from rolls of wives to pension lists
The disbandment of Parliament’s army in 1660 brought the hope, by many, that regular troops (apart from a few guards) would be abolished. People had had enough of being ruled by Cromwell and his army and the ordinary soldier became a figure of contempt or suspicion.
When Charles acquired Tangier, in Morocco, as part of his dowry from Catherine of Braganza, the need for a small standing force was recognised to garrison it. Parliament suspected the King of keeping any kind of army to use against them, keeping tight control over military spending. Even today a standing army can only exist with Parliament’s express permission, renewed periodically.
At first, regiments were formed for short periods and named after the Colonels who recruited them. Gradually an order of precedence was created. The Guards were senior regiments, followed by the cavalry, then infantry regiments numbered in the order they were formed. Artillery was controlled by the Board of Ordnance and supplies provided by specially paid civilians. For the whole period tactics depended heavily on disciplined formations firing muskets at close range, followed by the bayonet charge supported by charging cavalry. The discipline of the British infantryman was much admired.
Major early campaigns included the Wars of Spanish Succession (1701–14), Jacobite Rebellion (1745), War of the Austrian Succession (1740– 48); Seven Years War (1756– 63) and the American War of Independence (1775– 83). The French Revolution and Napoleonic war saw the army increase from 40,000 men in 1793 to 250,000 by 1813.
The Militia, reformed during the Seven Years War and recruited by ballot, was almost permanently embodied for home defence; volunteer Yeomanry Cavalry regiments were raised and a Reserve Army created.
Life for the ordinary soldier was tough, but not necessarily tougher than that of a labourer, and he was, at least, guaranteed regular pay and food. Marriage was discouraged. Soldiers had to get permission to marry “on the strength” when their regiment accepted responsibility for his wife and she was allowed to stay
with him in barracks. These wives might be allowed to go abroad with the regiment (subject to permission) and received pay for doing laundry and other chores. But there was no pension if her husband died and often widows married back into the regiment quickly and many sons, brought up in the army, joined the regiment when old enough.
One advantage soldiers did have, if they survived, was a pension. Charles II founded the Chelsea Royal Hospital to care for disabled soldiers but soon there were so many that a system of Out Pensioners was created. To obtain a pension soldiers had to have served 25 years (later reduced to 21) or be discharged because injured or sick. A private would receive a pension of 5d and a Guardsman 18d per day, funded by a deduction of one day’s pay annually and a levy of 12% on money paid when officers purchased promotions.
What are generally called Service Records are really pension discharge papers and begin in the late 18th century. These don’t give genealogical information at this time but will give parish of birth and enlistment age so you can trace soldiers through local records. Someone appearing on a census as a Chelsea Pensioner should have a discharge document. The National Archives (TNA) volunteers have indexed all discharge documents between 1760–1854 on TNA’s catalogue so, though the documents themselves aren’t available there, you can be sure they should be on Ancestry or Findmypast.
Regimental Musters (some available online, others at TNA) for this period are essentially lists of names kept to prove pay was being allocated correctly. Few details exist to allow a positive identification of an individual unless he shares a name with another soldier when their trade on enlistment is sometimes noted eg “Weaver from Huddersfield” to tell them apart. Napoleonic Militia Musters are at TNA, but not online.
Records for officers, though plentiful, are scattered throughout WO series at TNA and very few early ones have been digitised. Napoleonic officers’ services may be found by name in WO 25 series and downloadable free through TNA’s website and its digital microfilm collection. WO 31 series at TNA (not online) contains correspondence about officers, usually relating to their initial commission and subsequent promotions (which can be found using The London Gazette) and a search for letters issued on or around each date can sometimes produce much information on their career.