British Army in India

[Gina]

My 3x great grandfather was called James ISTEED(also known as HISTED,ISTED). He served in India in late 1840's, early 1850's being discharged in 1853.James was married in Bombay in 1851. He and over hundred other soldiers and their familys were discharged and set sail leaving Bombay,India on 25th Dec 1853 setting sail for Australia.
How do I find out about his time in the army, when he and where he enlisted, what year he went to India etc?

Gina:)

[Geoffers]

The National Archives (TNA) at Kew has a load of research guides to give guidance, have a look at this link (http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/researchguidesindex.asp#b)and click on the relevant guides prefixed 'British Army'.

Do you know in which regiment he served?
Did he have any children in India?
Do you have his marriage certificate?

[Terry Reeves]

It may be that you will have to consult the India Office records at the British Library also.

http://tinyurl.com/4hstp9

Terry Reeves

[Gina]

thank you for your help with those sites, but I find to hard to find any information.

information I have received from someone else has said James Histed(or Isteed) was in the 86th &/or 28th regiments c1840-c1853

On his marriage certificate it states -
James Histed,(sic ISTEED) private in Her Marjesty 86th Regiment. Bombay
3 feb 1851,Bombay,India. (LDS film 528777)
James and his wife Elizabeth WHITE had 2 daughters in India before they left for Melbourne, Australia.
Charlotte born c1851 in Calcutta,India
Bertha Letita born 1853 in Bombay,India

Gina

[Geoffers]

As well as the online catalogue at the India Office LIbrary site, you might try FIBIS (http://www.fibis.org/).

I appreciate the difficulty in accessing information in the UK, but unfortunately the main repository for army service records is The National Archives at Kew - the previously given link will tell you how the records are organised.