Trafalgar Survivors

[NatashaBatsford]

Hi all

Sorry I haven't been on for a long time, small child stops play rather at the moment.

My friend has contacted me with a query that is outside of my normal realm of knowledge (such as it is) and I was wondering if anyone had any tips:

"Henry Harding was born in Hertfordshire and he definitely survived Trafalgar. Which means he was on Gibraltar after the battle, and he left the ship at Rosia.

Then it all goes a bit cold. He was born in 1773 so most of the records I could find don't go far enough back. I'm going to check the military museums and see what I can find from Tring.

He was awarded the Naval General Service Medal in 1849 but thats just the date the medal was introduced (he would have been 73 then) and it was given to all the survivors of Trafalgar if they, or thier next of kin if they had passed on since, applied in writing so he wasn't nesseccerily alive in 1849, but he might have been."

My question really is around attestation at that time. It's way before anything I've looked at. What do you think might be around from that kind of time period. Also, any more info around this medal, or even just some contextual info about Trafalgar survivors would be great.

Thanks

[Geoffers]

My question really is around attestation at that time. It's way before anything I've looked at. What do you think might be around from that kind of time period. Also, any more info around this medal, or even just some contextual info about Trafalgar survivors would be great.

For a start - Have a browse of this TNA research guide especially the bit about the Trafalgar database (Note the facility for advanced search which includes just searching by ship's name).

[Geoffers]

....further to my last, having searched the Trafalgar Database, you may also wish to have a view of this TNA research guide - Royal Marines - followed by a trip to Kew.

Also, any more info around this medal, or even just some contextual info about Trafalgar survivors would be great.

The lists for calims of the medal are at TNA in ADM171

The London Gazette has Collingwood's despatch and general orders for the action off Trafalgar - it runs over a few pages and provides an interesting account.

You might try searching TNA's catalogue to see if your chap's widow made any claim for a pension. Just enter a surname in the word or phrase field, restrict the year range to cover when he may have died and in the department or series code enter ADM6; you might also try ADM45 in case there were any claims for money or effects.

[DorothySandra]

He was awarded the Naval General Service Medal in 1849 but thats just the date the medal was introduced (he would have been 73 then) and it was given to all the survivors of Trafalgar if they, or thier next of kin if they had passed on since, applied in writing so he wasn't nesseccerily alive in 1849, but he might have been."

My question really is around attestation at that time. It's way before anything I've looked at. What do you think might be around from that kind of time period. Also, any more info around this medal, or even just some contextual info about Trafalgar survivors would be great.

Thanks

I can add a little thing: the medal was only awarded to actual survivors, not their next of kin, so you can be sure that he was alive at the time of the award. It is a notorious bit of military meanness.

[Bertie]

There is a Henry Harding on the Trafalgar Ancestors link on TNA; go to
https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/t...s.asp?id=17643

It shows him age 34 (in 1805) born Tring on the HMS Victory (!!) and a Private, Marine; he was on board between 17 Apr 1803 and 15 Jan 1806, where he was discharged back to Chatham HQ. He is also shown as previously being at Chatham HQ.

I suspect therefore he joined the Chatham Division of the Royal Marines.

If you can get to TNA and look up the description book(s) for the Chatham division for likely years you should be able to find an entry for him showing details of where born, age, physical details etc. It should also give information on when he left the service (and reason). The desrciption books are just big ledgers with entries (more or less) in alphabetical order so easy to navigate

It's unlucky that he is pre and post HMS Victory at Chatham HQ as if only one or both was another ship you could track his service via the records relating to that ship.