First, the age discrepancy between official and family sources is quite wide. 13 years is beyond everyday error and uncertainty. It might be worth looking again at the original manuscripts to see whether either may have been misread, or whether they both relate to the same person. If it is the same person and the dates are still wide apart, consider whether there was any pressure to understate his age when seeking US naturalisation - perhaps an actual or perceived age limit of 50? If he arrived in the US in 1872, he may have been in England for the 1871 census. Easiest option it to check online at Ancestry.com - they have images of the original pages and an index that shows 'close' possibilities as well as exact matches to the search details you enter. As with all indexes, it is only as good as the underlying transcription. If you find him there, you should have sufficient information to find him in the 1861 and 1851 censuses (apart from his service in India). The parish of birth may lead you to a baptismal entry - try IGI first. If the parish is in Bedfordshire, there's a better-than-average chance of finding it. "Queen's Guard" is vague, but after several generations and emigrating to a new continent, that's only to be expected. It may turn out to mean one of the five regiments of foot guards or the Household Cavalry. If he was born and recruited in England and had minimal riding skills, the Grenadier Guards or the Coldstream Guards are the most likely possibilities. The mounted regiments in the British Army's Household Division include the 1st and 2nd Life Guards, Royal Horseguards, Blues and Royals. But be aware that there are also many non-guards regiments called the Queen's something or other. To muddy the water further, a detachment from any branch of the armed forces accompanying the Sovereign on an official function might be informally called the "Queen's Guard" (Sovereign's Escort) for the duration of the event only. But a soldier who had the honour of taking part would be more likely to tell his family about that than about months of eventless watch-keeping on the North-West Frontier. Once the regiment is known, and an approximate date of enlistment, a local researcher may be able to find his Attestation Papers in the National Archives. Since he is thought to have served about 11 years, some of it in India, it may be worth looking at the Medal Rolls for the General Service Medal (if ever he was in action) or the Indian Mutiny Medal (if he was in India in 1857). At 11 years service, he may just have qualified for a Long Service and Good Conduct medal. Miltary resources in The National Archives are difficult and expensive to use from a distance, but there are researchers in the UK who may be able to add value if they are given a clear brief and enough clues. If you can identify the Regiment from non-TNA sources, it may be worth contacting the relevant Regimental Museum - they have (often unpaid) people on hand with very detailed knowledge. Terry Barcock, Director, 153 Ltd "Websites that work" www.153.co.uk Design, hosting and support for E-business and Database Applications 11 Gladstone Avenue, JOHNSTONE PA5 0RD (UK) Tel +44 (0)1505 615360 -----Original Message----- From: Connie Bradbury [mailto:bradbury@acsalaska.net] Sent: 29 December 2005 06:26 To: BEDFORD-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [BDF] Research Strategy Advice Needed I am making a feeble attempt to help my cousin's wife with her English ancestors. I will briefly list what she knows about him. Name: John Harry or Henry Stapleton. Always signed his name H. Stapleton. Born: According to his Declaration of Intention of Naturalization dated 14 May 1886, he was 49 years old, making his birth year about 1837. Family records say he was born 27 Mar 1824. On a delayed registration of birth of his first child (done in 1945 by his wife) he is 50 years old. History: According to family fable he was a member of the Queen's Guard about 3 years, served in India about 8 years, and had relatives in England his American relatives tried to contact during WWI, named Busby or something similar. I would appreciate advice on how to proceed with the search to determine his correct birth date, a birth place and names of parents. His naturalization papers say he immigrated in 1872. Thank you for any help you can give me. Connie Bradbury ==== BEDFORD Mailing List ==== When REPLYING to a message sent to the list decide if this is information that all the list members would like to know about or whether it would only be of interest to the individual you are replying to.