Genealogy Chat

I guess Lyla, if he were injured in the services he may have become a shoemaker due to some disability, but on the death certs reverted to his main career of which he was most proud. I assume he entered mechanical engineer on the wifes cert, so one of the sons? have put master marine engineer on his cert. We know how things can get a bit upgraded on certificates, dont we! If the boys were joining uni (blimey that was a bit posh then!) when he was in his late 50's? Its possible he married late - another bit I gleaned looking for my GGFx2 was that soldiers had to be 30 to marry in most cases. Not sure how this helps, but may be a marriage during his army days?

Thanks Heather for your kind words although I am a complete beginner with WO records - hence the plea for help. Lyla

Hi Ian, I know what you are saying but this really is all the information I have (all Glasgow). 1861 census - shoemaker & Chelsea Pensioner 1864 son's marriage - shoemaker 1868-72 other son's uni applications - shoemaker 1871 census - shoemaker 1874 wife's death - mechanical engineer 1879 death - master marine engineer The engineer is definitely the same man as the shoemaker. There is only the one reference to Chelsea Pensioner but it seems to be my only hope of finding out where in Ireland they came from. Thanks for your comments. Lyla

Janet, Lyla is one of the most experienced and thorough people on here! She has helped me and others enormously through her knowledge. Lyla, from what I can remember about Chelsea Pensioners from a query some time back, the out pensioners were the married ones. Only single men were in the actual hospital. It didnt matter what age they were, I found a 15 year old Pensioner injured in battle. Good luck, if anyone can find him ..............

If you have done all your homework going BACKWARDS from YOURSELF, collecting all the certificates on the way, to include birth death and marriage I cannot see why you have a problem. I found my Chelsea Pensioner at Kew very easily as I had all the certs necessary to take me straight to him. If you have not done the preparatory homework with some thoroughness, then of course you will have a problem of deciding which one is which and will probably be climbing several trees at once, as your 'conflicting' evidence is showing. Janet

Lyla It seems you have too much conflicting info. Before you start further research you need to be sure which facts are correct. Was he a shoemaker, a marine engineer, a soldier, a Chelsea pensioner (when last seen in Glasgow)? Whilst nothing is impossible, my 'gut feeling' is that he was unlikely to have been all of these. Start with what you know for sure about him, and then try looking for further evidence of that first, before chasing possible wrong avenues. Ian

Hi Jane Thank you for your reply. I think that the hospital would only have records for the In-Patients but I will try to contact them anyway. As you say they might be able to give me some useful information about Out-Patients. I do hope there is someone on these boards with experience of WO records or Chelsea Pensioners who can give me some advice. Lyla

Hi Lyla, As you have info. that he is a Chelsea Pensioner, Perhaps it might be worth your while to contact The Royal Hospital to find out precisely what that would mean ,at that time. Did he in fact become a resident there or was there another category? Worth a try? Jane

THOMAS COLLINS was a Shoemaker and Chelsea Pensioner born 1806 Ireland and living in Glasgow on 1861 census. There are quite a few possibles listed at the National Archives (WO 97) and last time I went to Kew I looked at a few of them but there was no next of kin listed and no other identifying information. In later census and his death cert Thomas is listed as a Marine Engineer (a clue perhaps?). I then looked at the Glasgow pension books (WO 22) and the only Thomas Collins mentioned as far as I could see was admitted to Out Pension in 1839 and then transferred from Monaghan to Paisley in 1847. As far as I can make out, Paisley is near Glasgow so it's possible this is my guy. It says he was in the 32c Foot Regiment but of course there is no Thomas Collins listed in WO 97 for that regiment. There is only one Thomas Collins born Monaghan who was discharged aged 37. He was in the 90th regiment and the covering dates 1808-1818 are too early. Can anyone with experience of WO records advise me where else I can search to figure out which Thomas Collins (if any) is mine next time I can get to Kew? All suggestions and ideas gratefully received. Lyla

See below in a mo.