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Crimean Soldier Records - Need More Info

Crimean Soldier Records - Need More Info

Posted: 20 Aug 2013 8:25PM GMT
Classification: Query
Surnames: Bentley, Barnett
I am trying to get more information on Thomas Bentley (b. abt 1835 England) who served during the Crimean War. He eventually married one of my ancestors and immigrated to the US. According to his obituary, he served in the 21st Scots Fusiliers for 11 years participating in the battles of Balaclava, Sevastopol, and Kinburn. It also stated he received two silver medals.

I think the listing below may be him, but I would really like to find more information on him, like where he is from in England:
"Bentley Thomas Private 3326 21st Foot (Royal North British Fus.) Wounded Second Battle of Inkermann 05 November 1854"

Would anyone be able to tell me where else to look? Any information would be greatly appreciated!

-Christine

Re: Crimean Soldier Records - Need More Info

Posted: 25 Aug 2013 8:32AM GMT
Classification: Query
I found info on Findmypast you have to be a member. or try the british archives.

Re: Crimean Soldier Records - Need More Info

Posted: 25 Aug 2013 8:37AM GMT
Classification: Query
Under finmypast there are three records for a Thomas Bentley 1835 +10 years. unforotunately I dont have access anymore. hope this helps

Re: Crimean Soldier Records - Need More Info

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 12:57AM GMT
Classification: Military
Edited: 29 Aug 2013 5:54PM GMT
Checking the actual Crimea Medal Roll (not a transcript or database), Private 3326 Thomas Bentley appears to have been the ONLY Thomas Bentley to serve with the 21st Regiment of Foot and received the Crimea Medal (awarded clasps for Balaclava & Sevastopol; no clasp created for Kinburn), and he is the same one whose details you quoted from the Crimea Casualty Roll.

For a soldier discharged before 1883, provided they were discharged to pension for either disability or long service there should be record in document series WO97 at the National Archives, Kew, these documents are now available online.

I have checked the records and there is no preserved record in WO97 for a Thomas Bentley (or variant spellings) who served at anytime in the 21st Regiment of Foot, therefore your Thomas Bentley wasn’t discharged to pension.

I also checked the 1861 World Wide Army Index for him but there is no record of a Thomas Bentley who was serving with the 21st Regiment of Foot, so he must have been discharged before April/June 1861.

The only way to trace his service from enlistment through to discharge is via the regiment’s Muster Books & Pay Lists in document series WO12 at the National Archives, Kew; unfortunately the records in WO12 are not available online and there is no guarantee there will be any place of birth details in the book that shows his 1st enlistment.

Jeff

Re: Crimean Soldier Records - Need More Info

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 1:09PM GMT
Classification: Query
Edited: 29 Aug 2013 5:58PM GMT
Jeff,
Thank you so very much for all your assistance! What you found out makes some sense, as his first daughter was born around 1860 and I believe they came to the United States in 1863, so he wouldn't have still been in the military at that point in time.

What is interesting is that I recently discovered that their daughter that was born in 1860 was actually born in the West Indies. I had assumed that they must have been there as a result of his military service, but now I wonder if he was already discharged then and they there were there for some other reason. I haven't been able to find any records placing them in that location except that their daughter's (Isabel) children consistently list West Indies as their mother's place of birth.

I will keep digging around to see if I can find anything else based on this new information. I really appreciate your help!

Christine

Re: Crimean Soldier Records - Need More Info

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 2:21PM GMT
Classification: Query
After service in the Crimea, the 21st Foot moved to Malta June 1856 and then in 1860 moved to the West Indies & Demerara, returning to England in 1864. (Note unable to confirm the battalion as a whole was at Demerara [British Guiana], so if any were at Demerara it would have been a detachment of one or more companies.

According to the Army Lists, collated on the Nafziger collection of Orders of Battle, from Mar 1860 – Aug 1864 the main body of the 1st Battalion, 21st Foot was at Barbadoes (sic).

What were the names of his wife & daughter?

Jeff

Re: Crimean Soldier Records - Need More Info

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 2:27PM GMT
Classification: Query
Edited: 29 Aug 2013 5:58PM GMT
His wife's name was Jane (Barnett) Bentley, and their daughter was Isabel (also known as Belle and Lizzie). She was born about 1860 (could be a year before this or after - I only have one census record with her year of birth).

Re: Crimean Soldier Records - Need More Info

Posted: 28 Aug 2013 1:44AM GMT
Classification: Query
Edited: 28 Aug 2013 1:48AM GMT
No record found in the GRO index to either army or regimental returns of births/baptisms or marriages under the names you gave.

As there is uncertainty as to how and where he met his wife, I believe to progress further you need to establish how and where he took his discharge from the 21st Regiment of Foot. As there is no preserved pension record for him the only way of doing that is using what records there are for the 21st Foot in the National Archives, Kew. At least then you will have some factual baseline to work from and maybe establish his origins.

The ideal records would be regimental casualty returns that record men becoming ineffective i.e.
sick, wounded, transferred, discharged, deserted and died; if they exist they will be in document series WO25.
The only other records are Muster Books and Pay Lists, some are quarterly others monthly, the last entry for a soldier should give how and where he was discharged; Musters are in document series WO12.

An advanced search of the new Discovery catalogue at http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ for records of the 21st[and 21] Foot 1851-1864 revealed:

Casualty Returns
There doesn’t appear to be any surviving casualty returns for the regiment’s 1st battalion, at least not indexed. All there is in the catalogue is:

WO 25/3365 Index to Casualty Returns: 21 Foot 1 and 2 Battns.:
Dates 01 January 1850 - 31 December 1910
I don’t know what information the index contains.

Muster Books & Pay Lists

These for the whole of his service so it should be possible to track backwards from his service in the Crimea (for the 1st Batt, 21st Foot present 1854- 1855) to his enlistment and forwards to from the Crimea to his discharge, and if you are lucky his place of birth may be recorded as well as mention of his marriage, the ones of possible interest to you are:

WO12/3819 21st Foot 1st Battalion: 01 January 1850 - 31 December 1851 to WO 12/3832 21st Foot 1st Battalion: 01 January 1863 - 31 December 1864

Professional researchers will charge an hourly rate to check those records, some start at around £25 GBP per hour, plus copies and for the period you are looking at it shouldn’t take more than a couple of hours.
I have no links to any researchers, but you will find a list of those specialising in military records at Kew via the NA’s web site at http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/paid_research.htm or use your browser to search for – military research online – and you should quickly find one specialising in Military records at Kew.

If you decide to go down the researcher route, try to give as much information as you know as clearly as possible and define the limits of what you want and request an estimate. Also Kew now permits digital photography of their records so ask if digital images are available of relevant documents.

By the way, in your original post you mentioned, “stated he received two silver medals”, one was the Crimea Medal, to check what the other was search UK, Military Campaign Medal and Award Rolls, 1793-1949 on Ancestry for his entries.

Jeff

Re: Crimean Soldier Records - Need More Info

Posted: 17 Mar 2015 4:47PM GMT
Classification: Query
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