United Kingdom, Militia Service Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Image Visibility
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Record Description
This collection contains records for the years 1806-1915

This collection includes records of militia servicemen from the United Kingdom. The National Archives record series number is WO 96. This collection is provided in cooperation with findmypast.

Military records are of great genealogical value and may provide information not found in any other source. These records identify individuals who served or were eligible to serve in the military. Military service (other than the militia) was usually a lifetime career. Officers came from the upper classes; soldiers usually came from the poor.

The article, British Military Records contains more information about this collection.

Record Content
Service record statements may contain the following information:


 * Full name and rank of soldier
 * Corps in which soldier served
 * Period of enlistment
 * Record of promotions, reductions and transfers
 * Year of birth
 * Place of birth
 * Age
 * Date of event
 * Occupation
 * Marital Status
 * Place of residence at time of registration

Attestation Records may contain the following information:


 * Name of enlistee
 * Battalion and regiment assignment
 * Parish, town and county of current residence
 * Parish, town and county of previous residence
 * Age, occupation, and marital status
 * Number of children under 14 years
 * Record of any previous service
 * Any record of penal servitude
 * Time period to serve for present enlistment

Description Records contain the following information:


 * Complete physical description including age, height and weight
 * Chest measurement, complexion, color of eyes and hair
 * Religious denomination
 * Certification by a medical examiner

How to Use the Record
To begin your search, it would be helpful if you knew the following information:


 * Ancestors name
 * Regiment
 * Ship name

Search the Collection
To search by index: Fill in the requested information in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the ancestors in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.
 * Check for variant spellings of the name
 * It is difficult to locate an individual’s record without knowing his ship or regiment. If you do not know this, you may find it in other types of records. Once you know the regiment or ship, consult the muster rolls, records of service, or other records available for that ship or regiment.

Regiment Search Strategies
Army Officers

The basic unit of the Army is the regiment under a colonel or lieutenant colonel. Regiments are usually divided into two or more Battalions. The main types of regiments which should be searched are:


 * Cavalry
 * Infantry
 * Corps (e,g, Army Service Corps; Royal Signals; Royal Engineers etc.)

Prior to 1847, English army service was usually for life. Some soldiers were discharged early for disability (liberally defined) or age (often by age 40).

Pre-1872 army records are organized by regiment. Most regiments have published histories that tell the places where they served and the battles they fought. For a bibliography of these histories, see:

Pre-1751 infantry and cavalry units were known by the names of their colonels, i.e. Sir Thomas Adams Regiment of Foot.

Post-1751 a numerical system was adopted to name the regiments, with rank in order of precedence, i.e. Queens 9th Regiment of Foot.

If your ancestor does not appear in the Army List for the right time period, consult the card index to officers, available only at the Public Record Office.

If an officer was living during 1828 or 1829, you can use the indexed returns of service. "Birth certificates" submitted with widow’s pension applications may reveal an officer’s name. If you still cannot find a record, use the search strategies for soldiers.

Royal Navy personnel

If your ancestor was in the navy after 1852, search the index to Continuous Service Engagement Books, or the Surname Index to the 1861 Census Returns of Ships.

Before 1853 the source to use depends on what you know about your ancestor. If you know:


 * The name of a ship on which he served, search the ship musters, pay lists, and ship logs for the time period he should have been aboard.
 * A port where your ancestor landed on a specific date, search the List Books, a geographically arranged list of ship locations at the Public Record Office (class ADM 8).
 * A battle or campaign in which his ship was involved, search the medal rolls.
 * The name of an officer serving with your ancestor, search the Navy List for that officer’s ship.

Since many seamen also served in the Merchant Marines during their careers, search the records described in British Merchant Marine

Known Issues with This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached Wiki article. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org]. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

Related Websites

 * Service Records on FindMyPast.co.uk
 * Royal Marine's service records
 * Origins.net - contains over 80 million British and Irish Records
 * England and Wales History Links
 * England and Wales Historic Maps

Related Wiki Articles

 * United Kingdom
 * British Military Records
 * British Military Records Online
 * England Military Records

Citations for This Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information; that is, cite your sources. This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually.

Collection Citation:

Record Citation (or citation for the index entry):

Image Citation: