Military marriage during the Peninsular wars

[Michael Duke]

Cpl. Peter Angus was discharged from the 3rd Regiment of foot (The Buffs) 21st May 1821 at Mullingar in Ireland, he was paid 17 shillings and 4 and a half pence in travel money to get his family to Dublin.
What I need help with is how can I find records of his marriage and family during the years 1807 and 1821? Whilst he was fighting all over Southern Europe.
thank you for reading this Michael Duke

[Allan F Sparrow]

This looks like a big one! Do you have any information on the wife and family? If not, the only approaches that occurs to me are
(a) delve into the Irish records, though I have no idea what is available
(b) try to find whatever you can about where the regiment served in the years you mention - there could well be information around, but I know there are contributors on this forum who know much more than I do on such sources.

I hope you'll get some better advice soon!

Allan

[thewideeyedowl]

1821 census:

Corporal Peter Angus, b 1790, Crinkle, New Barracks; Birr, King's, Ireland.
Wife Catherine Best 28
Son William 1

Plus, lots more names on the page: https://familysearch.org/search/reco...ntry%3AIreland.

Hope this will kickstart this line of research.

Owl

[thewideeyedowl]

Sorry - mistake.

Wife is Margaret(?), 31, and child Catherine, 1.

I had just picked up the name at the top of the page. Moral: More haste, less speed....

Owl, with apologies

[geneius]

There are a couple of 1793 - 1814 Peninsular Medal records for Peter Angus of 3rd foot on FMP he received 4 clasps Alb / P/ N/N

The attestation papers are `1790 - 1807 with no mention of the name of his wife or family

He was born 1790 Thurso Caithness attested 17 May 1807

[Michael Duke]

Thankyou all for these replies the adrenaline is now flowing. I knew about the clasps he had them for the battles of Vittoria, Albahuru, Pyranees, Nive, Nouvelle Nive and Toulouse.
On his discharge papers there is a note from a medical person indicating that "his body is much worn out from active service and recurrent bouts of Ague". (Ague is the old word for Malaria).
I will carry this on tomorrow if you wish because Old Wise Owl has ruffled my feathers,
best regards Michael

[Michael Duke]

Sorry Owl, the last words of that last sentence should read "with excitement"

[Peter Goodey]

how can I find records of his marriage...during the years 1807 and 1821?

If you're saying he married while he was in the army, there are GRO indexes of army marriages available on FMP. They've named the collection "British Nationals Armed Forces Marriages 1796-2005".

The indexes are notoriously incomplete.

However if you know the approximate date of marriage and the regiment, you can apply for a certificate to GRO overseas section in the usual way.

There's also National Archives series WO 156 but there's not much there for that period.

[thewideeyedowl]

Hi Michael

You might by now have found this, but these are the results I got for Peter Angus/born c1790/Cathness/spouse first name Margaret (as per 1821 Census): https://familysearch.org/search/reco...me%3AMargarwt~.

I wonder which Margaret he married? I note from the record of his christening that his mother was called Catharine, which would explain why his daughter was so named (though perhaps with a different spelling?).

Also, for general background, take a long look at Barbara Chambers' website: https://britisharmyresearchnapoleonic...APOLEONIC-WARS. That should take you to the Home page, then navigate. She has researched extensively at TNA and produced a number of CDs, and one of them includes the 3rd Regiment of Foot.

Finally, for day-to-day life on the home front, read In These Times by Jenny Uglow, Faber & Faber, Nov 2014. It shows the war through the eyes of the folk who were living through it, and I am completely immersed in it at the moment. (Was lucky enough to be given a copy!)

Owl