The Royal Scots - 1st & 2nd Bns - 1881-1914

This post will look at numbering in the two regular battalions of The Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment) between 1881 and 1914. The regiment was formed on the 1st July 1881 from the 1st, or The Royal Scots Regiment. The regiment was established as the county regiment for Berwickshire, Edinburgh (Midlothian), Haddingtonshire (East Lothian) and Linlithgow (West Lothian). It started numbering from 1 in 1881.

191 joined on 3rd September 1881
679 joined on 21st October 1882
795 joined on 29th March 1883
1358 joined on 17th January 1884
1840 joined on 7th January 1885
2267 joined on 11th March 1886
2485 joined on 1st January 1887

On 1st May 1887, Berwickshire was transferred to the district administered by the King’s Own Scottish Borderers.

2798 joined on 23rd February 1888
3198 joined on 15th January 1889
3499 joined on 20th January 1890
4016 joined on 8th January 1891
4312 joined on 9th March 1892
4820 joined on 3rd July 1893
4998 joined on 9th January 1894
5289 joined on 26th March 1895
5578 joined on 17th February 1896
5891 joined on 11th January 1897
6317 joined on 14th January 1898
6652 joined on 16th January 1899
7020 joined on 3rd January 1900

The Second South African War 1899-1902

During the South African War, 117 men from the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Edinburgh (City) Rifle Volunteer Corps served with the Royal Scots in South Africa. The regiment raised three volunteer service companies in all, and on 17th February 1900, the 1st VSC comprising Captain R W Campbell, Lieutenant M W Henderson, Lieutenant R G W Adams and 112 men, embarked aboard SS Gascon for South Africa.

Numbers within the range 8073 to 8185 were issued in early 1900 to men joining the 1st Volunteer Service Company.

Numbers within the range 7169 to 7457 were issued to some 1st VSC men, but primarily to men joining the 2nd VSC (referred for the most part on the Queen’s South Africa medal roll as “M” Volunteer Company). These numbers appear to follow on sequentially from numbers being issued to men joining the Royal Scots as ordinary recruits and do not take cognizance of Army Order 29’s stipulation regarding the “interval of a clear thousand between the last number received by an ordinary recruit, at the date on which the Volunteer numbering begins, and the first Volunteer number.”

Numbers 8186 through to 8297 were all issued in 1900 to men who joined the 3rd Volunteer Service Company.

7369 joined on 15th January 1901
7958 joined on 13th February 1902
8400 joined on 17th January 1903
8777 joined on 4th January 1904
9170 joined on 2nd February 1905
9535 joined on 2nd April 1906
10038 joined on 15th May 1907
10198 joined on 4th January 1908
10457 joined on 7th January 1909
10580 joined on 1st February 1910
10850 joined on 30th January 1911
11024 joined on 2nd January 1912
11346 joined on 1st January 1913
11562 joined on 11th February 1914

The First World War

When Britain went to war in August 1914, men joining the new service battalions were issued with numbers from the same series that had, up until that point, been the sole preserve of the regiment’s two regular battalions.

Recruitment rates 1881-1911

During the first ten years of its existence, the Royal Scots recruited well over 4,000 men, an annual recruitment rate (calculated between July 1881 and January 1891) of 401 men; the fourth best performance in the British Army.

By 1901 however, fourth had turned to twenty-fourth with the regiment adding 3,700 men to the 28th August 1901; an annual average of 348 men per annum.

Recruiting dropped away again in the early 1900s but nevertheless, by 30th January 1911, the regiment was issuing number 10850 to its latest recruit, an annual average of 335 men recruited.

Sources

All of the number and joining date information posted here, has been compiled as a result of looking at service records in the WO 363, WO 364 and WO 97 series at the National Archives. The first two series are on-line via Ancestry.co.uk whilst WO 97 has been published on-line by findmypast.co.uk. Both genealogical sites continue to be invaluable resources for the military historian.

Find My Past

I've always found Ancestry invaluable for WW1 records (and for records a good deal earlier than this, for that matter), but it's worth pointing out that findmypast.co.uk is the only genealogical company which has the WO 97 series (Army Pensions) and the final tranche of this series is due for release next month.

The WO 97 series is broken down as follows:

1760-1854 184,650 records, 1,003,794 images
1855-1872 96,434 records, 437,825 images
1873-1882 97,515 records, 540,423 images
1883-1900 312,921 records, 2,218,687 images
1901-1913 303,000 records, approx 2,100,000 images

Following hot on the heels of WO 97 will be another critical series,WO 96; half a million militia records going back as far as 1806 and comprised of nearly three and a half million images.

Unfortunately, records from the WO 97 series are not currently available as part of Find My Past's free trial, but the series is certainly one that should not be overlooked by those with ancestors who served in the regular British Army between 1760 and 1913.

Pictured above, James Goodson photographed in 1902 shortly after he joined the Royal Artillery. I interviewed him, aged 104, at the Royal Star and Garter Home in Richmond in the 1990s and when I get a chance, I'll post a transcript of that meeting on my WW1 veterans' blog.

Militiaman's Small Book (1892)

Courtesy of my good pal Graham Stewart - to whom, many thanks - I am posting an example of a militiaman's Small Book from 1892. The Small Book, which was to be retained by the militiaman, gives useful detail and information about the expectations of a recruit and also some of the more pertinent rules and regulations pertaining to his service.

East Yorkshire Regiment - 4th Battalion

This post will look at numbering in the 4th (Territorial Force) Battalion of the East Yorkshire Regiment between 1908 and December 1914. Information on this post has been compiled as a result of trawling through service records in the WO 363 and WO 364 series at the National Archives. Ancestry has also made these available on-line via it's paid subscription service but also available as part of a FREE 14 day trial.

Prior to April 1908, the 4th East Yorkshire Regiment was the 1st Volunteer Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment and numbering in that battalion had reached the 7000s by March 1908. The newly formed 4th Battalion commenced a new number series from 1 in April 1908.

209 joined on 8th April 1908
804 joined on 10th May 1909
1072 joined on 4th April 1910
1210 joined on 23rd March 1911
1386 joined on 30th May 1912
1517 joined on 15th April 1913
1768 joined on 24th March 1914
2084 joined on 5th August 1914

A second, reserve battalion was formed in September 1914. The 4th Battalion now became the 1/4th Battalion whilst the reserve battalion became the 2/4th. The same series of numbers was used for both battalions and would continue to be used when a 3/4th Battalion was formed in June 1915.

2567 joined on 21st September 1914
2679 joined on 6th October 1914
2858 joined on 2nd November 1914
3181 joined on 2nd December 1914

The battalion originally consisted of eight companies. Headquarters and companies A to F were located at Londesborough Barracks, Hull. Companies G and H recruited from East Hull. In August 1914 the battalion formed part of the York and Durham Light Infantry Brigade with the Northumbrian Division.

Hampshire Yeomanry (Carabiniers) 1908-1914

I've been a little busy of late, re-locating from one continent to another. Here though, are some numbers and corresponding dates of joining for the Hampshire Yeomanry (Carabiners). The regiment raised two reserve battalions during the First World War. The 2/1st Battalion was formed in October 1914 and remained in the UK until May 1918 when it moved to Ireland. The 3/1st was formed in 1915 as a training unit and never went overseas. All of the numbers and dates below are taken from surviving service records in the WO 363 and WO 364 records' series at the National Archives, and also on-line through Ancestry.

24 Albert C Blanchard joined on 10th April 1908 (formerly 880 Hants Carabiners Yeomanry)
492 George Lester joined on 17th February 1909
578 John Henderson Sparkman joined on 10th March 1910
668 Henry Bundy joined on 7th April 1911
812 Ralph Norris joined on 16th January 1913
950 William Jennings joined on 24th March 1914
1145 Philip Berry joined on 17th September 1914
1235 William Burleton joined on 5th October 1914
1383 Alfred Butler joined on 9th November 1914
1527 Jack Bartlett joined on 14th December 1914

For more information on this regiment see the Hampshire Yeomanry Wikipedia page and also The Long, Long Trail.