I recently discovered that my Great (x3) Grandfather, Samuel Hayes, served in the 47th Regiment of Foot from 5 December 1808 thru December 1832. Medal rolls indicate he served in 2/47th during the Peninsula War, with entitlement to the MGSM with Vittoria and San Sebastian clasps. The lack of the Barrosa clasp suggests he was in one of the battalion/centre companies.
I'm heading to Kew on 2 Oct to dig through the 2/47th muster rolls. I also have a number of books on order including Harley's "Veteran", "The Spanish Ulcer: a History of the Peninsular War", "A Commanding Presence: Wellington in the Peninsula 1808-1814", "Wellington and the Siege of San Sebastian 1813", "Vittoria 1813", Wylly's "Loyal North Lancashire Regiment", and others that cover the First Anglo-Burmese War.
I'm interested in finding other primary sources that might shed more light on the locations and travels Samuel undertook while in service. For example, are there any records of the vessels that transported the 2/47th to Gibraltar, Cadiz etc.?
Any pointers to sources (or additional books that would be of use) would be very much appreciated as I dig into this previously-unknown aspect of my family history.
Ok...back from Kew. According to the 2/47th muster rolls, Samuel joined the Battalion on 20 Feb 1809 with a note that, prior to that date, he had been paid by the depot. The rolls also show a number of recruits receiving rations aboard ship from 20 Feb until 7 Mar 1809.
Based on this info, I presume Samuel was taken on the rolls of 2/47th as soon as he joined the ship that would take him to Jersey. It also appears that some form of depot was in use in the UK to train new recruits for a few months before they joined 2/47th.
The 2/47th moved from Jersey to Gibraltar in October 1809. Again, the muster rolls show 911 men aboard ship from 13 Oct thru 14 Nov, with a follow-on note of the same number of men receiving rations at Gibraltar from 14 Nov onwards.
So...next question...is there any way to determine which ships carried my relative to Jersey and then to Gibraltar in 1809?
I'm also on the hunt for the depot location in the UK. Other muster roll sheets mention recruits coming from Hilsea but there was also, apparently, a depot in Bury. I clearly need to do some more digging to discover where he was trained from 4/5 Dec 1808 thru 20 Feb 1809.