Royal Horse Artillery

[bluestockingdaisy]

Hello. I am trying to find a George William Hardwicke born 1854 in Ashbocking, Suffolk. He joined the Royal Horse Artillery in about 1871 and served in the War in the Sudan.
He married in 1896 and died in 1919 in London.
We have his details in the 1861, 1891 and 1901 census.
I would like to find his army career
Can anyone help?
I've attached a photo of him with his medals,and it would be nice if they could be identified??
Thank you

[Geoffers]

The National Archives (TNA) holds army records and has loads of research guides on its web-site, they are a useful starting point for information.
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/researchguidesindex.asp
Click on 'B' and then look through the links prfixed 'British Army' - try the links which have 'Discharge Papers' and 'Pensions' in their titles.

Geoffers

[bluestockingdaisy]

Thank you but I couldn't find anything on the Royal Horse Artillery, I find all these WO records are so difficult to understand.
I thought the records may be at a BarracksI. I obviously need more help!
Thank you

[neil1821]

Medals are the Egypt medal 1882-1889 (with one clasp or is it two?) and the Khedive's Star which cover the wars in Egypt & Sudan. Both awarded for the same war, one by the British Crown and the other by the Khedive of Egypt

http://www.northeastmedals.co.uk/britishguide/egypt_1882.htm
http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/dept/coins/collection/watson/page190.html

The best way to track him down in the records may be initially to look in the Egypt medal roll which is in class WO100 at Kew. This should give you his rank, unit, service number etc which are the most important bits of information to have when searching further.

Can I ask how you know he was Royal Horse Artillery?

[bluestockingdaisy]

Hello Neil and thank you very much for the information on the medals, it's very interesting.
He was definitely in the Royal Horse Artillery, he was my husband's grandfather and his mother told him how he led General Gordon's horse after his death when they all returned from the Sudan, with his riding boots inverted to show that he was dead. When he was discharged he bacame a 'horse keeper' in London
I'll look in the Egypt Medal Rolls as you suggest
Thank you for your help, it's much appreciated

[Jack Richards]

Continuing from the guidance offered by Geoffers, some year ago I trawled through the records at Kew relating to an ancestor of mine who was in the Royal Artillery and then the Royal Horse Artillery during the Peninsular War.

If you wish to see a glimpse of what you may find at Kew relating to his pay and the Muster rolls and other snippets, please have a look at part of this ancestors army service at my web site - enter the site and click on Volume XV-XV1 - Edward Richards part one.

As to Medals, this ancestor was later awarded the General Service Medal for the Peninsular War and also several clasps/bars to go with it - probably one of the most clasps/bars. The medal still survives in a private collection, but I cannot discover it's whereabouts.

Hope this helps a little.

Oh and if by chance you do go to Kew and view the original books etc, in such as WO10, beware they are very large and heavy. Regards

[bluestockingdaisy]

Thank you Jack, that's helpful and I like your website. I think we will have to pay someone to find George as the information would be interesting.
Best wishes