Introduction
This website attempts
to identify the dates and deployments of various British military units
prior to 1870
within Canada and elsewhere in the western hemisphere. The goal of this
site is to provide an overview of the British Army and soldiers who
served in this region. It also serves as a finding aid for family historians
looking for regiments and the soldiers who served in them. Hopefully it
will also be of interest to general historians.
In general, the following Information is included for each unit:
Battalion level information is provided in some instances where regiments were deployed in part only. Similarly, company level information is included for units such as the Royal Artillery which were traditionally on "attached" assignment to infantry and other units. I have also constructed a table showing geographic distribution of regiments of foot by era to assist researchers. This site does not encompass detailed unit histories - particularly for eras or regions outside of the stated scope. Where possible, however, links to more detailed histories are provided. For details on the major military campaigns in book form, see the recommended reading list. For outlines of selected conflicts and battles on the Web see the Olive Tree Military Section. For other websites related to this topic see the Sources page.Regimental or unit number
All regiments on this website have a link indicating the corresponding microfilm which provides individual soldiers' attestation and discharge papers . These documents exist for many soldiers who survived their service time and were discharged. They usually provide place of birth, age on enlistment, army service and details of appearance. This document group is generally known as W0 97. The group WO 120 provides summary information similar to that in group WO97. The microfilms listed do not include general regimental documents such as muster rolls (WO 10 through 16) and pay lists.
You can use the UK National Archives Discovery to see if a specific name occurs within record group WO 97. It is helpful, but not necessary to know the regiment number or place of birth in order to limit the results returned. An overview of the various types of records available for British regiments can be seen at the GENUKI site.
Examples of the type of information available can be seen in the 1818 WO97 documents for Sgt.John Gibson and Pvt. William Pender and the 1818 WO120 document for Sgt. William Shea.
Copies of regimental records can be consulted at:
