I have a Samuel Verrall born 1787 in Ninfield Sussex, who was a Chelsea Pensioner, 1st Battn 5th Regiment Or Foot. He died in Hailsham in 1855. From what I can gather he lost his arm in 1814. If his name was drawn from a ballot to allow him to take family on service, are there records of who they were or on a particular campaign? There is a story that 2 sisters went to France. Can anyone suggest where the documents might be if they exist please. I have the 2 pages of his service from Findmypast. With thanks Leslea LINNETT (Verrall) Toowoomba. Queensland
Hi Leslea I have found in my reading of the subject that Regiments had a quota system of sorts for taking women abroad, so many per company of men, they were virtually all soldiers wives as far as I can tell There was no single rule and it varied by Regiment but about 6 women per Company It was a cruel system, they would go down to the quay and draw lots on the day, those who won went, the others didn't simple as that (or was it those that lost went :-) If they went they would be mentioned in some form if only in the pay, I can't recall if they were paid or the men got more but think the men got extra rations for them , they were more or less domestic servants to the men while abroad I haven't come across any documents that name women that went with them but thats not to say they don't exist I gather the Regimental orders mention how many went but don't know if they were named or not It must have been a bleak existance at times However I do know that many women went under their own steam and so would not be mentioned, neither would they get rations Any surviving records would be at Kew I believe Nivard Ovington in Cornwall (UK) > I have a Samuel Verrall born 1787 in Ninfield Sussex, who was a Chelsea > Pensioner, 1st Battn 5th Regiment Or Foot. He died in Hailsham in 1855. From > what I can gather he lost his arm in 1814. > If his name was drawn from a ballot to allow him to take family on service, > are there records of who they were or on a particular campaign? There is a > story that 2 sisters went to France. > > Can anyone suggest where the documents might be if they exist please. I > have the 2 pages of his service from Findmypast. > > With thanks > Leslea LINNETT (Verrall) > Toowoomba. Queensland