Tracing old soldiers

[neddyw]

My husbands maternal great grandfather was a solider. I know his name but dont know where or when he was born. I know he was in either the Royal Irish Fusiliers or the Royal Scots Fusiliers. Does anyone know how I can get more details on him without having to go down to London?

[dot.hawkes]

you need to start with this site:
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/militaryhis tory/army/?homepage=mh-army
and then obtain a book by michael J Watts and Christopher T watts called My Ancestor was in the British Army ISBN0 946789 47 9

[Surreylass]

if you can tell me his name i will find it all out for you online ( i have subscription to ancestry). if you know an approximate year of birth that would help.

[Surreylass]

or can you tell me his grandfathers name and yr of birth as i can backtrack to his father that way

offers there if you want help

[neddyw]

Im afraid all the searches I have tried have not found any members of the family.

The information that is definately right is that he was called John Fogg. He married Bridget Joyce (Possibly also named Mary) in Dublin 9th May 1891. No age is given on the marriage certificate. His profession is Corpl RI Fusiliers and his address is Maryhill Barracks, Glasgow Waddington Barracks Dublin. His fathers name is also John Fogg (cloth finisher). They have a daughter Esther Fogg on 22 November 1891 in the Barracks, Williamsburgh, Paisley. His prfession is Corpl Royal Scottish Fusiliers. They have another daughter Hilda in June 1894 who is born in Uppermill, Saddleworth, West Yorkshire. Hilda married Thomas Hughes (in Oldham) and they had a daughter Hilda (also born Oldham) who was my husbands Gran.

I have been told that they had other children Annie, Buckley and Emily and I believe that they moved from Saddleworth to Oldham but I dont know when.

I have searched for the family in the census for England and Scotland but have had no luck.

Maybe a fresh pair of eyes will have more success!!

[dot.hawkes]

when you say no age is given, do you mean it says 'of full age'? That means he was 21 usually.
Have you not found them on the 1901 census at all? I know it is not indexed as such but if you use ancestry.co.uk you should find them, do you not have an address from one of the childrens births? If he was in saddleworth does that mean he left the army at that time? The Oldham Branch of the manchester family history society will probably have indexed their area as a local project and certainly Oldham library will have done too when it was released in 2002.
Only about 8 months to go before the 1911 is released too.

[neddyw]

His age is given as full but I have also been told that people lied about their age. The only address I have for the children is that Hilda was born on Cooperative St, Uppermill, Saddleworth, West Yorkshire. I know that the family moved to Oldham but I dont know when. I have searched the 1901 census over and over and tried different variations of names and ages etc but cannot find anyone. I dont know when John left the army. I'm starting to think that my mother in law has imagined the whole thing!!!