My apologies for showing my ignorance here, folks. While I attended grammar school, I didn't do much history! One of my ancestors was a Richard BABY, born 1787. While the main part of his family is documented, he had an illegitimate son with a "lady" from Brussels. My notes, which came from an elderly relative, say: "A Colour Sergeant in the Army. Saw service in the Peninsular Wars, hence his presence in Belgium". I'm assuming this means he was in the army as he also later lived in Mallow, Cork, Ireland and I was told by a knowledgable person that the most likely reason for his prescence there was that he was in the army. The question is: how do I find out which regiment he was in, so that I can possibly (if they still exist) get hold of his records? I'm researching "the Peninsular Wars" at the moment, and it seems that my Richard was part of the campaign helping the Spanish to defeat Napoleon. If anyone could shed any light on these points, I would be MOST grateful. It will point me in the right direction! Many thanks in advance, Linda Derham

G'day Linda, I can't lay my hands on the references at the moment, however the Peninisula War and the Waterloo Campaign were two entirely separate events, although both were part of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars against Bonaparte. I believe that very few of Wellington's troops from the Peninsula War (1808 to 1814) were with him in the Waterloo Campaign. Wellington commanded British, Portuguese and Spanish troops in the Peninsula. This part of the wars finished with the Battle of Toulouse in south western France, 1814. Many of his veterans were then dispersed, some to North America for the War of 1812 which was still going on. Only a part Wellington's troops at Waterloo were British, and few of them his Peninsula Veterans. The rest were Dutch, Belgians, Germans etc. At the time, one should also consider the King's German Legion. This was an Army within an Army in that they were troops recruited by George III of England in his capacity as King of Hanover. Also the 60th Regiment, Royal Americans had a strong German element. Cheers David, Perth, Western Australia ----- Original Message ----- From: "Linda Derham" <amonet@breathemail.net> To: <WESSEX-PLUS-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, February 22, 2001 4:37 AM Subject: [WSX] Request for help from history buffs! > My apologies for showing my ignorance here, folks. While I attended grammar > school, I didn't do much history! > > One of my ancestors was a Richard BABY, born 1787. While the main part of > his family is documented, he had an illegitimate son with a "lady" from > Brussels. > > My notes, which came from an elderly relative, say: "A Colour Sergeant in > the Army. Saw service in the Peninsular Wars, hence his presence in > Belgium". > > I'm assuming this means he was in the army as he also later lived in Mallow, > Cork, Ireland and I was told by a knowledgable person that the most likely > reason for his prescence there was that he was in the army. > > The question is: how do I find out which regiment he was in, so that I can > possibly (if they still exist) get hold of his records? I'm researching "the > Peninsular Wars" at the moment, and it seems that my Richard was part of the > campaign helping the Spanish to defeat Napoleon. > > If anyone could shed any light on these points, I would be MOST grateful. It > will point me in the right direction! > > Many thanks in advance, > > Linda Derham > > > ==== WESSEX-PLUS Mailing List ==== > Do you know about the Free BMD Project and Fee Census? Have a look at: > http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/ > http://www.john.lerwill.btinternet.co.uk/census/censproc.htm > >