Hello, can anyone help me with finding which regiment was in residence at St. Mary's Barracks, Brecon, Wales in 1871 Census. I had been told it was the 6th Foot which became Warwickshire regiment and they deny any presence in 1871 at these barracks. My ancestor William Edgar Barnes born 1850 in Monmouthshire is listed in the barracks as a private and I am trying to find his service records which would be easier if I knew his regiment! Thanks for any help.
Looking at the original census page for 1871 (RG10, piece 5580, folio 87, page 5) in the occupation column it reads Private with a ditto. At the top of the column, the regiment is recorded as what looks like 1/2 3rd Regiment. I have no idea what that means though. Sorry. Just had a thought: the earlier records in that census have many references to the Royal Artillery, so I wonder if it could be the 3rd Regiment of the RA?
Ooh! I have found a pdf of "Stations of the British Army 1st April 1871" It says that at Brecon was E Battery of 11th Brigade. Take a look.... http://www. cgsc.edu/CARL/nafziger/871DAA.pdf
I have just tried to edit this but it all went wrong, so I will start again. The 6th Regiment of Foot was indeed the Royal Warwickshire Regiment. However, the unit stationed at Brecon Barracks during the early 1870s would have been the 24th Regiment of Foot, which became the South Wales Borderers. There is a link with Warwickshire insofar as the full name of the 24th Regiment of Foot was the 24th (2nd Warwicks), whereas the 6th Regiment of Foot were the 1st Warwicks. I hope this makes some kind of sense. The short answer, it seems to me, is that the individual concerned would have been a member of the 24th Foot.
On Page 265 of Hart’s New Annual Army List 1871** is the list of officers of the 23rd Regiment of Foot (Royal Welsh Fusiliers). It lists the location of the 1st & 2nd battalions but doesn’t mention Brecon. However, on page 1 of the 1871 Census Image [see Daft Bat’s post 2 above - - RG10, piece 5580, folio 87, page 1) is a list of officers in the Brecon Barracks. Of these in Hart’s List I can see Major H.D’O. Torrens, Captain Annesley Cary & Ensign H.W. Griffith. It looks as though the 23rd Foot may have created a 3rd Battalion and this is what is listed in this part of the census. So I think the regiment could be the 23rd Foot. ** https:// archive.org/stream/hartsannualarmy02hartgoog#page/n289/mode/2up
…and then how stupid of me. I misread the numbers listed after the military ranks in the "Rank, Profession or Occupation" column of page 1 of that census. The "1/2 3rd Regt" is actually "1 / 23rd Regt" (i.e. 1st Battalion, 23rd Foot). So I think that just about clinches it anyway!
Could well be 1st Batt of 23rd Foot? Also : '23rd 1st batt.at Newport' Brecon-Newport = 39 miles. Possible they moved about a bit. All looks good does it not? edit while I fiddled with quotes Flook sorted it for me.
Thanks for all this information , especially the difference between the 1st and 2nd Warwickshire, yes it did make sense. It looks as if you have solved my brick wall just as daft Bat said you would. Brilliant, I can now get down to more research and possibly find his army records at Kew, though not today ... at Kew that is .... leave that for another day. We are in the middle of a rain storm which is great as the gardens were definitely very dry and needing the water and it also means I shall not feel guilty sat in front of the computer for a few hours researching. Thanks everyone.
I don't quite understand this. if the regiment concerned was the 23rd Foot, where is the link to the Royal Warwickshire Regiment?
Having re-read the entire thread, I would agree that the unit was the 1st/23rd Foot (ie the 1st Battalion of the 23rd Regiment of Foot). The initial reference to the 6th Foot and the Warwickshire Regiment seems to have been a total "red herring".
Agreed the Warwickshire is a red herring created by the volunteer at the museum and one I hung on to, but now you have put me in the correct direction, hurrah.
