8th Veterans Battalion

[merrit150]

Does anyone know how to trace a soldier who would have been in a Veteran Battalion in 1805/6? I haven't been about to find them on FWR site. Many stayed in Australia and became part of the infamous "Rum Corps"of New South Wales though I am looking for their pre Australian histories.

[christanel]

Welcome to British-Genealogy merrit150

If you would like to give us the name of the person you are looking for, where and when born and possible wife and children's names we could take a look to see what is to be found. Do you have him in any census or does he die before 1841?

Christina

[merrit150]

Hi Christina,
I seem to have just deleted my reply so will try again! My ancestor was Samuel Sherlock who came to Australia on the the 'Fortune' in 1806. He was part of the 8th VB guarding convicts on board but stayed behind when the ship sailed for Bengal in August. He worked in Sydney and seems to have been coming and going on various vessels for a time. He eventually settled in Port Dalrymple and Launceston but moved to Victoria after his second wife died. He died there in about 1845.
He married twice here. First to Maria/Sarah King and then to Mary French. Both had come out as convicts. He has been well researched by others in the family after he came here so and I am wondering where to look for records that might give me information about his military career in the VB prior to being on the 'Fortune'.
Thanks for your interest. Meryl

[thewideeyedowl]

Hi Meryl, and a very warm welcome to Brit Gen

I have found this info on the Royal Veteran Battalion during the Napoleonic Wars, The RVB and Royal Garrison Artillery were, it says, used as dumping grounds for old soldiers: https://www.napoleon-series.org/milit..._Veterans.html. The Battalion deployed to Australia was not the 8th. Might be a good idea to run some searches on the ship HMS(?) Fortune.

Haven't got time to investigate further at the moment, and the above probably isn't much help. Sorry.

Incidentally, I started by running a quick search for Samuel Sherlock on TNA (The National Archives), but the results were for a man who had served in different regiments of foot and the records were from 1830 or some time later; details available on FMP, apparently. Probably not your man, anyway, and I think you may have seen that on FMP?

Owl

[merrit150]

Hi Owl and thank you too along with Christanel for your warm welcomes to British Genealogy,
I will follow both your suggestions and see what comes up.
Meryl

[christanel]

Looking at the public trees on ancestry your Samuel was born c1778 - Greasby Cheshire. and died Yarraville Victoria.

This may help in the search for his military exploits prior to 1806 although I haven't found anything yet.

Christina