Liverpool & South West Lancashire FHS - Forum

I believe that my 3x great grandfather may have been a Sergeant Major in what was known as the 29th Regiment. As far as I can ascertain, this is now the Worcestershire and Mercian Regiment.
On his daughters marriage certificate (1847), these are his details - Robert Stewart, late Sergeant Major intt.M.29 Regiment.
Unfortunately I don't know how to paste a copy of the record here so that you can read it so any thoughts you have would be much appreciated, such as what intt might mean.
Incidental to this, his daughter's later census records state that she was born in Isle of France (Mauritius) (1861 census) or East Indies (1871 census), which makes me think that Robert Stewart may have served abroad.
Many thanks in anticipation

Linking to the 1847 marriage https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/ ... -1_m_00081

""late Sergeant Major in HM 29 Regiment"

Co-incidentally I recently replied to someone in another forum with a query about the 29th Regiment. As you don't know your 3 x great grandfather's dates of service, I will just cut and paste some of what I wrote previously, here, in the hope that it may provide some useful background information.

"As for the 29th Regiment of Foot, in 1837 they were stationed in Mauritius, and returned to the UK in March 1838 and were stationed in Palace Barracks Belfast. In April 1842 the Regiment sailed out to India and were stationed in Bengal. They were still in Bengal on 6 April 1850, but by 10 November 1855 they were in Pegu in Burma (today known as Bago, in Myanmar). There they were involved in operations as part of the Second Anglo_Burmese War.
On 3 May 1856 the regiment was back in Bengal, but returned to Burma the next year. By September 1857 (shortly after the start of the Indian Mutiny) they were back in Bengal and involved in protecting the major route between Kabul and North West India (what is today Bangladesh). However the Regiment does not appear in the order of battle in India over the period 1858-9, and in January 1859 they shown as being in Rangoon, south Burma, so it is possible they were there during the preceding two years. The next time they appear in the Army world deployment plot, they are in Barbados in April 1871.
In 1881 there was a major reorganisation of the British Army, which resulted in the 29th Foot becoming part of the newly formed Worcestershire Regiment. The Wikipedia article includes links to the Regimental histories, which will provide more details about the Regiment's activities for the period you are interested in."

As for the abbreviation, I doubt if it is a military one, more likely a priest's or registrar's made up one. Incidentally you may find some details of his military service at the National Archives in the series WO 97/483. The sort of records you should find include details about his appearance (height, weight, hair colour, scars etc) and any previous occupation before joining the army. In the middle of the nineteenth century there was usually only one sergeant major in a regiment, holding the position we would today refer to as the Regimental Sergeant Major or RSM - the most senior soldier in the unit. After discharge he would have been on a fairly respectable pension for the rest of his life. If you can locate his Chelsea Hospital records they should provide details of how much and for how long he received a pension.

retiringtype wrote: ↑

18 Aug 2020 12:19

Linking to the 1847 marriage https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/ ... -1_m_00081

""late Sergeant Major in HM 29 Regiment"

rt, I'm not sure if you realise but that link only works if you have an Ancestry subscription (which I don't).

I can't see any surviving records for a Robert Stewart of the 29th Regiment.

Thank you all for the information you have posted, particularly the reference to the 29th Regiment postings. That clarifies why Henrietta Stewart later recorded that she was born in Mauritius.
Is this the place to post a supplementary question? If not, let me know and I will post it elsewhere. On the marriage certificate that Mary posted, the father of John Barton is said to be Peter Crank, which in itself seems odd. I have looked up census records for Peter Crank in the area where they lived and can't find him. Have I read the name correctly?

Longshot and it needs more looking into, if John's mother was widowed and he considered Peter Crank as his father but continued to use his birth name, it sometimes happened.

Further info on this marriage could prove useful.



Marriage: 31 Mar 1823 St Oswald, Winwick, Lancashire, England
Peter Crank - (X), Wigan Parish
Alice Barton - (X), this Parish
Witness: Jas. H. Walker; John Lythgoe
Married by Banns by: Gs. Chippindall Curate
Register: Marriages 1813 - 1834, Page 247, Entry 739
Source: LDS Film 1885709

If I have the correct John Barton, 1861 census, born Ashton,1822.


Baptism: 7 Jul 1822 St Thomas, Ashton in Makerfield, Lancashire, England
John Barton - 2nd Illegitimate Child and 1st Son of Alice Barton, Spinster
Born: 12 Apr 1822
Abode: Ashton
Baptised by: Edmund Sibson Curate of Ashton
Register: Baptisms 1813 - 1827, Page 169, Entry 1352
Source: LDS Film 1885658

How on earth do you find these records? I am really impressed with everybody's skills and knowledge.
It could be then that John Barton's mum Alice eventually married Peter Crank, maybe for appearance sake, having had at least two illegitimate children.
Thank you again.

The 2 children,

Ellen's burial.