MILITARY RECORDS FOR FAMILY HISTORY

Public Record Office at Kew

It would be a good idea to obtain a copy of the leaflet published by the Office before attempting any research here. It might be necessary to know the name of the Regiment to make any research effective and the persons service number. The birth, marriage and death records which occurred in the regiment are stored at the PRO. Which records are available to the researcher depend on the Regiment and Service. A visit to the local Regimental Museum might help in identifying armed forces items which are in your archive. A Regimental Museum could help with general information about life in that Regiment and information about Campaigns.

Other armed forces connected records at Kew include:

1. Chelsea Hospitals records
2. Ships musters (complete from 1740, some date back to 1680) which include some personal details,
3. Naval Description books from the 1790's (which give dates and places of birth of seamen)
4. Navy Lieutenants passing certificates
5. Certificates of service ratings 1802-1894
6. Bounty papers - 1675-1822
7. Pensions records and baptism, marriage and burial records (with pensions details) for Greenwich Hospital.
8. Muster rolls for the local Militia.

Family Records Centre

Births, marriages and deaths of soldiers stationed in the UK 1724-1924. Marriage records can include a note with the names, births and baptisms of children subsequently born of the marriage.

Family Records Centre - overseas

Army Register Book 1881-1959 details of those serving overseas, births, marriages and deaths.

Royal Navy Register Book 1837-1959 and the Royal Air Force Register Book 1918-1959.

1959 One register for the armed forces overseas introduced at that date, Certified copies of entries can be obtained at same cost as other Certificates.

Further reading

:

Jeremy Gibson and Mervyn Medlycot, Militia Lists and Musters 1757-1876 - A directory of holdings in the British Isles. A useful resource for local defence force information.

Derek Boorman, At the going down of the Sun: British First World War Memorials, William Sessions Ltd., 1988.

Norman Holding, World War 1 Army Ancestry (and more Sources of...) FFHS., 1991

Simon Fowler (et al) Army Service Records of the First World War, PRO, 1996.

Useful Address:

Commonwealth War Graves Commission, 2 Marlow Road, Maidenhead, Berks, SL6 7DY - Can help researchers with pictures and information of War Graves abroad.

This page is compiled by Timothy J. Owston of York, England, March 2008.
Please contact me with any comments or information. Please don't contact me to do research.
You can Email me at:
owston.tj@virgin.net
My home page is at:Home Page