An old soldier

[Pottoka]

Having believed for ever that no-one in my family ever joined the armed forces for any reason, I was very surprised to find the record of a 6 x great-grandfather being admitted into the Royal Hospital in Chelsea in 1763!

Isaac Harrison of Sleaford in Lincolnshire, born in 1726, was in the 74th regiment of Foot, which apparently served on Saint Martin in the Caribbean, trying to claim Fort Louis for the British. In which war, I have no idea; I have looked up Saint Martin and can find no reference to this in its history. I've also tried some military records, but Harrison is a common name and putting "74th Regiment of Foot" just means that I get lots of references to regiments in general.

Any ideas, anyone?

[Pottoka]

Sorry, it wasn't Fort Louis on Saint Martin, which would explain the lack of information.

It was Fort Louis in Senegal. Fort Louis was on an island at the mouth of the Senegal River, near where St Louis is now. The war was the Seven Years' War.

[helachau]

Fort St Louis ("Lewis" to the Brits!) was handed over by French in April 1758. The 74th were not involved - see page 271
https://www.google.co.uk/books/editi...J?hl=en&gbpv=1

200 men of the 74th were sent to Fort Lewis on garrison duty. The bulk of the regiment went to Jamaica in July 1758.

[Pottoka]

Sir Lewis Hamilton, yes, but Lord Louis Mountbatten and Prince Louis of Wales - surely the two spellings are acceptable, and pronounced differently, and Louis even more so if the origin is French, as in Port Louis in Senegal which was a French colony?

Thank you for your reply, Helachau.

It's interesting - I always like learning new things - but probably redundant insofar as my tree is concerned, as, having spent several hours on that line, I finally checked where they fitted and realised that they are ancestors of the husband of a 3 x great-grandmother who gave his name to her illegitimate son, so probably not my ancestors at all

And there was me, proud to have a soldier at last!

One great-uncle fought in WWII and died on the Burma Railway; Grandad was exempt because his job was vital, as was the other Grandad in WWI, although, strangely enough, the Americans issued him with a Draft Registration Card when he went there in early 1918 for his job!!

[helachau]

Sir Lewis Hamilton, yes, but Lord Louis Mountbatten and Prince Louis of Wales - surely the two spellings are acceptable, and pronounced differently, and Louis even more so if the origin is French, as in Port Louis in Senegal which was a French colony?

So my French degree tells me (tho' acquired "il y a longtemps"}

Alternative "Lewis" mentioned re. search keys that could apply.

[Pottoka]

So my French degree tells me (tho' acquired "il y a longtemps"}

Alternative "Lewis" mentioned re. search keys that could apply.

D'accord. Je comprends, maintenant. Comme on dit en France, je suis intelligent(e), il faut simplement m'expliquer longtemps ...