Soldiers' Documents WO97

Index to Documents at the Public Record Office

During the 18th and 19th century, soldiers in the British army attracted a variety of documentation from the time they enlisted until they left the army either through death, desertion or discharge. In many cases, the documents were destroyed upon their leaving (or some time afterwards) but if the soldier was awarded a pension, the papers passed to the Royal Hospital Chelsea (or Kilmainham for soldiers who retired to pension in Ireland) who administered their pension.

These papers have mostly survived and are today deposited at the Public Record Office at Kew, London. Not all documents survive for all soldiers but from what survives, it is usually possible to find their approximate birthdate and birthplace and dates of joining and leaving the army. In most cases, the documents will also contain a brief description including height, colour of hair and eyes and their complexion with any distinguishing marks. This is perhaps the only "picture" obtainable of an ordinary person who lived in the days before photography.

The index is compiled from the documents at Kew. It is still incomplete, particularly for the period 1840-1870. I am in the process of extracting the full details for each soldier. Those for whom I have extracted details are marked with an asterisk alongside the WO97/ piece number. In due course I hope to add these details to the web page but for the moment, please contact me if you need more information.

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Abbreviations

D - Dragoons

DG - Dragoon Guards

F - Regiment of Foot (infantry)

FG - Foot Guards

FLAN - Lancashire Fencibles

FYKS - Yorkshire Fencibles

LG - Life Guards

MCUL - Cumberland Militia

MLAN - Lancashire Militia

MYKS - Yorkshire Militia

RA - Royal Artillery

RAD - ?

RHA - Royal Horse Artillery

RNC - ?

RV - Royal Veterans?

The abbreviation may be followed by a regiment number (eg F30 = 30^th Regiment of Foot, FG3 = 3^rd Foot Guards etc.)

The age column provides the soldier's age at the time of discharge.

Some regiments are annotated with "+". This denotes service in two or more regiments and there should be separate entries in the index for each regiment in which the soldier served.

The Index

Given Names	Surname	Birthplace	County	Enlisted	Discharged	Age	Regt.	WO97/

Abner	MARSDEN	Nottingham	NTT	1878	1879	25	F27	2046*
Alexander	MARSDEN	Blackburn	LAN	1867	1870	22	F37	2046*
Benjamin	MARSDEN	Hinckley	WAR	1812	1829	42	FG1	191*
Chadwick	MARSDEN	Blackburn	LAN	1809	1817	25	RAD	1249*
Daniel	MARSDEN	New Eaton	WAR	1819	1841	39	F85	947*
Edward	MARSDON	Ballinderry	ANT	1854	1876	39	F44	2046*
Elias	MARSDEN	Blackburn	LAN	1858	1880	49	F15	2046*
Francis	MARSDEN	Derby	DBY	1813	1825	35	FG3	191*
Francis	MARSDEN	Exeter	DEV	1874	1878	23	F9	2046*
George	MARSDEN	Cherbury	SAL	1813	1836	43	FG3	191*
George	MARSDEN	Dutton	CHS	1814	1830	40	DG1	90*
George	MARSDEN			1858	1882	42	F30	2046*
Howard	MARSDEN	Bolton	LAN	1794	1818	47	DG6+	90*
Howard	MARSDEN	Bolton	LAN	1794	1813	42	FLAN+	90*
Israel	MARSDEN	Livesay	LAN	1858	1869	30	F68	1595*
James	MARSDEN	Blackburn	LAN	1796	1816	40	F33	513*
James	MARSDEN	St. Bees	CUL	1800	1835	46	MCUL	1103*
James	MARSDEN	Wigan	LAN	1811	1846	51	MLAN	1103*
James	MARSDEN	Blackburn	LAN	1813	1819	23	F19	397*
John	MARSDEN	Leeds	YKS	1794	1820	56	F84+	938*
John	MARSDEN	Leeds	YKS	1794	1820	56	F95+	938*
John	MARSDEN	Manchester	LAN	1807	1838	46	F10+	318*
John	MARSDEN	Manchester	LAN	1807	1838	46	F90+	318*
John	MARSDEN	Waddington	YKS	1809	1830	39	F50	641*
John	MARSDEN	Wigan	LAN	1811	1820	41	F19	397*
John	MARSDEN	Portsmouth	HAM	1816	1840	42	F36	533
John	MARSDEN	Leigh	STS	1818	1825	24	F15	365
John	MARSDEN	Winster	DBY	1821	1840	39	F37	540
John	MARSDEN	Catterell	LAN	1827	1847	40	F23	430
John	MARSDEN	Stannington	YKS	1805	1826	48	RA	1249*
John	MARSDEN	Blackburn	LAN	1858	1872	33	F106	2046*
John	MARSDEN	Sheffield	YKS	1861	1866	24	F14	2046*
John	MARSDEN#	Penistone	YKS	1856	1871	39	F65	2046*
Joseph	MARSDEN	Castleford	YKS	1811	1828	35	LG2+	1168
Joseph	MARSDEN	Castleford	YKS	1811	1828	35	RNC+	1168
Joseph	MARSDEN	Dronfield	DBY	1807	1816	38	FYKS RA	1249*
Joseph	MARSDEN	Leeds	YKS	1857	1867	38	F68	1595*
Joseph	MARSDEN	Manchester	LAN	1859	1880	41	F24	2046*
Joseph	MARSDEN	Manchester	LAN	1859	1880	41	F89	2046*
Mark	MARSDEN	Noton	YKS	1839	1847	25	DG7	90*
Matthew	MARSDEN	Buford	LIN	1826	1836	37	F80	902
Matthew	MARSDEN	Sheffield	YKS	1839	1853	35	D1	90*
Peter	MARSDEN	Wharton	LAN		1838	20	RA	1249*
Ralph	MARSDEN	Blackburn	LAN	1809	1818	37	F43	587
Robert	MARSDEN	Windermere	WES	1846	1847	18	F76	875
Robert	MARSDEN	Stockport	CHS	1872	1873	20	F31	2046*
Samuel	MARSDEN	Leeds	WRY	1868	1870	24	F24	2046*
Squire	MARSDEN	Wakefield	YKS	1826	1845	39	F7	291
Thomas	MARSDEN	Wigan	LAN	1793	1816	42	F81	910
Thomas	MARSDEN	Nuneaton	WAR	1800	1816	35	D12+	1128
Thomas	MARSDEN	Nuneaton	WAR	1800	1816	35	RV5+	1128
Thomas	MARSDEN	Wigan	LAN	1803	1814	48	F48+	1115
Thomas	MARSDEN	Wigan	LAN	1803	1814	48	RV1	1115
Thomas	MARSDEN	Blackburn	LAN	1826	1847	46	F23	430
Thomas	MARSDEN	Caddinton	NTT	1829	32	27	FG1	191*
Thomas	MARSDEN	Layland	LAN	1811	1819	27	RHA	1249*
Thomas	MARSDEN	Shoreditch	MDX	1871	1877	22	F30	2046*
Thomas	MARSDEN	Sheffield	YKS	1855	1876	39	F87	2046*
Thomas	MARSDEN	Sheffield	YKS	1855	1876	39	F107	2046*
Titus	MARSDEN	Midgley	YKS	1803	1835	54	MYKS	1103*
William	MARSDEN	Darwin	LAN	1794	1815	55	F8	298*
William	MARSDEN	Blackburn	LAN	1806	1815	29	F90	992*
William	MARSDEN	Leeds	YKS	---	1770	52	F11	329*
William	MARSDEN	Salterforth	YKS	1796	1818	40	RA, RN	1249*
William	MARSDEN	Leeds	YKS	1803	1822	39	RA	1249*

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Amended 9 September 1999