Somerset Light Infantry

[Elma]

Can someone point me in the right direction? In 1890 my granddad Walter Benjamin Godfrey joined the Somerset Light Infantry 4th Battalion Nos 2499. He was just 18 years of age. It says he was served a 'notice". What does this mean? He signed up for six years but served 1890-1893. As far as I can see the SLI were fairly quiet at this time but I remember granddad saying he served in the Boer War. I have never found him in the 1901 census, so perhaps he did. I have his military records for WW1. Can anyone suggest anything that might help me. With thanks Elma

[peter nicholl]

FMP, a pay to view site, has a record of him, which confirms the Boer War story.

[simmo1]

Hi

Ancestry also has 2 medal rolls for the Boer War which must be him.
1 has his service number as 5499 , Walter Godfrey, 4th P A Somerset L I for the KSA with 1901 and 1902 clasps and the other has same details and number for the QSA with Cape Colony clasp.
Are you sure his service number was 2499 and not 5499?

regards

Robert

[Elma]

FMP, a pay to view site, has a record of him, which confirms the Boer War story.

Thank you Peter, the only record I can find on FMP is 1890-1893 which is not the Boer War. I will look again.

[Elma]

Hi

Ancestry also has 2 medal rolls for the Boer War which must be him.
1 has his service number as 5499 , Walter Godfrey, 4th P A Somerset L I for the KSA with 1901 and 1902 clasps and the other has same details and number for the QSA with Cape Colony clasp.
Are you sure his service number was 2499 and not 5499?

regards

Robert

Thank you Robert. That has been helpful and going back to look again I can now see some Boer records on FMP. I don't know how they hide sometimes when you put the same criteria in! . The number on the 1890-1893 record is definitely 2499 and very clear. The details match up though.

[Elma]

At last I find him. Now I have to work out what the SLI were doing in these periods exactly 1890-1893 and 1890-1905.I also would like to know what it means to be served notice on his first enlistment (1890), then he was also discharged by purchase (1893). I am trying to write a story book for my grandchildren. Can any one point me in the right direction? Thankyou.

[simmo1]

Hi

Discharge by purchase - https://www.reubique.com/buyout.htm
Some information on the regiment - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somerset_Light_Infantry - scroll down for the appropriate years.

regards

Robert

[Elma]

Thanks Robert.

I wonder if employers ever helped with discharge. Walter worked for Clarke's Shoemakers in Street and they were Quakers.

[peter nicholl]

Thank you Peter, the only record I can find on FMP is 1890-1893 which is not the Boer War. I will look again.

If you use the Service Number shown by Simmo1, FMP confirms the details,1899-1902.

[Gareth_Millard]

Can someone point me in the right direction? In 1890 my granddad Walter Benjamin Godfrey joined the Somerset Light Infantry 4th Battalion Nos 2499. He was just 18 years of age. It says he was served a 'notice". What does this mean? He signed up for six years but served 1890-1893. As far as I can see the SLI were fairly quiet at this time but I remember granddad saying he served in the Boer War. I have never found him in the 1901 census, so perhaps he did. I have his military records for WW1. Can anyone suggest anything that might help me. With thanks Elma

Hi, My Great Grandfather Charles Millard was in the SLI 4th Battalion. Though initially he was in the militia but they were embodied in 1900 and travelled to South Africa. His Army No. was 5413. It may be your grandfather left the army as you said and then re-enlisted in the Militia (which were the territorial army of the day). ?He would have been paid for this and it was relatively an easy number until they were called to go to S.A.