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Cimqag
25-08-2006, 10:51 AM
I have a marriage certificate of 1853 of bachelor Thomas RILEY aged 42 (registration in Blackburn, Lancs.) showing his occupation as 'Pensioner'. I thought this might mean 'Out-Pensioner', i.e. old soldier (or sailor) granted an army pension.

I have checked TNA documents in WO97 (soldiers' discharge papers) and done a TNA catalogue search for his name but there is nothing that fits. There are other documents in TNA relating to out-pensioners but I wondered why would an old soldier would not be in WO 97 yet in some other document series.

Or could 'Pensioner' mean anything else?

Geoffers
25-08-2006, 3:07 PM
Or could 'Pensioner' mean anything else?
It could just be a person receiving a pension from another source.

Have you tried searching TNA's catalogue for class WO121, as well as WO97? Have you tried variant spellings of RILEY - e.g. REILY?

Geoffers

Cimqag
25-08-2006, 3:17 PM
Many thanks for your quick reply.

I've checked WO121 - nothing.

I've tried alternative spellings of Riley.

However, I'm now waiting to see what is stated on his death certificate (1855) to see if that throws any more light on it.

I don't know if he would have been likely to receiving a pension from another source as he was illiterate and probably didn't have much of a job - unless some benevolent past employer gave him one for some reason.

Peter Goodey
25-08-2006, 7:46 PM
Have you read

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/RdLeaflet.asp?sLeafletID=15 ?

WO 97 isn't fully name indexed in the catalogue, you know. About when do you think he was discharged?