can someone help with service no

[pejay]

I wonder if someone can help please.I am trying to get enough details to get some research done at TNA, the problem is I am not sure how to find a service no. I have full name, regt served in.but I do not have dates or the service no. It seems I need this number for the research, but when I go online at TNA absolutely nothing in the records comes up, it is like this person never existed as a soldier. Any help /suggestions more than welcome.

[Jillychris]

I don't know what years we are talking about here, but did he marry or have Children when he was in the Service. If so his number may be on the marriage certificate or birth certificate of his Children if this was after 1837.

I hope this helps.

Regards
Jill

[pejay]

Hi and thanks for your reply.I really am banging my head against a wall at the moment.I have a birth cert for one of his children, and alas it just states private 10th regt of foot. It seems I need the number to get someone to do the research for me, I thought i knew the regiment but I have found out the 10th foot had 2? battalions and I am not sure if I would need to know which one he was in. please forgive my total ignorance of the army.

[neil1821]

Pejay,
Can you give us his full name?
Also any approximate dates. Even his date of birth would help, we can infer roughly when he may have served.

Neil

[pejay]

Hi and many thanks for your reply too Geoffers. I am really struggling with this ancestor, he would be a g grandfather, he served in th 10th reg of foot - later the Lincolnshire Regt I am not sure when he joined up, he was Irish and i did find out the 10th regt was in Ireland in 1861 - 63 I don't know if he joined up then I think he was discharged sometime between 1881 - 1891 I have gone through the WO numbers online with a fine tooth comb and am not picking anything up. I did email the museum of the Lincolnshire regt in desperation but got no reply. any help gratefully received.

[neil1821]

Ok, so that's a regiment and an approximate date range!
I can try a few lookups in medal rolls and suchlike for you with a name as well.

Neil

[pejay]

Hi Neil, many thanks for your interest. His name was Owen Kelly, born in Waterford, Ireland 1842/43, I think. He was a Private in the 10th regiment of foot.

Many thanks.

[Peter Goodey]

I think he was discharged sometime between 1881 - 1891

If you're lucky you'll find the discharge papers at the National Archives in this block:-

Soldiers discharged 1882-1900

For this period all discharge papers were filed alphabetically, for the whole army (WO 97/2172 to WO 97/4231 ). Some discharge papers may have been misfiled, and are now in a second alphabetic sequence in WO 97/6355 to WO 97/6383 . These documents are seen in the original, and are ordered on computer.

[Geoffers]

I have gone through the WO numbers online with a fine tooth comb and am not picking anything up. I did email the museum of the Lincolnshire regt in desperation but got no reply. any help gratefully received.

Using TNA's catalogue, I searched on Kelly in the word or prhase field and in the department or series code entererd WO97.

It came back with WO97/3206 covering the names KELLY.L to KELLY.P

If he was pensioned for long service, you'll find these in WO117, but they are not indexed on the catalogue.

A trip to TNA could be in order.

Geoffers

[neil1821]

Pejay,
I have a lead for you. From what you said earlier, it seemed a possibility that he would have served long enough (18 years) to qualify for a Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.

Checking the rolls, I came across this entry:
208 Private Owen Kelly, 10th Regt (no battalion mentioned unfortunately)
Date of recommendation for his medal was 1st Oct 1876
Given that he had to have served 18 years for the medal, his enlistment date would be circa Sept 1858

Can't absolutely prove he's your man from the roll, but it seems likely. 208 would be his service number.

Neil