Episode two of Who Do You Think You Are? Series 20 delved into actor Claire Foy’s family history, revealing a tragic military story. It was another captivating episode demonstrating how fascinating and poignant it can be to research our military ancestors.
The family connection
During the episode, Claire discovered her maternal great-great-grandparents, Henry Stimpson and Maria Segrave, who were originally from Ireland. Henry was born in Ireland in about 1851.
A soldier of the British Army
Henry, a labourer, enlisted in the British Army, most likely in the late 1860s or early 1870s. He joined the 34th (Cumberland) Regiment of Foot. Between 1830 and 1878 on average, the Irish made up 28 per cent of the British Army.
According to the 1871 Worldwide Army Index, available on Forces War Records, Henry was serving with the 34th Regiment of Foot, so we know he had enlisted by 1871. Their regimental HQ was recorded as Shorncliffe in Kent. Compiled from War Office pay lists, the worldwide army indexes list all commissioned officers, non-commissioned officers and other ranks serving in the April-June quarter of 1871, together with their regimental HQ location. Entries also detail the soldier’s army number and rank, clues to help individuals search for them in other military records. The Worldwide Army Indexes were compiled at ten-year intervals and are available on Forces War Records from 1841-1871. They are a useful source for confirming your ancestor’s military service with the British Army during the Victoria era.
During the episode, it was revealed that Henry served in India with his regiment. His wife, Maria, accompanied him to India, where they had three children. After six to seven years Henry returned to England with his family.
In 1881, Henry’s regiment, the 34th Foot, amalgamated with the 55th Foot to become the Border Regiment. The regiment’s Depot was stationed at Carlisle Castle, which is where Henry and his family were based.
The story unfolds
As this week’s episode of Who Do You Think You Are? progressed, Claire discovered her great-great-grandfather was involved in a tragic accident in 1886, which claimed his life. A historian revealed the details of the accident using newspaper articles from the time of the event. There are many articles available on Newspapers.com, revealing details of the incident.
On 27 September 1886, a group of soldiers from Henry’s battalion competed in a ‘paper chase‘. A paper chase was a cross-country race popular with the army involving a team of hares and hounds. The hares would run ahead, leaving a trail of paper. The hounds would follow the trail and try to catch the hares before they reached the finish line.
The group were heading for the village of Grinsdale, north of Carlisle, and would then make their way back to the regimental Depot at Carlisle Castle. When the hares reached Grinsdale, the boat for crossing the River Eden was not ready. Instead, they took to the water, swelled by the recent rain. The hounds followed in pursuit and began to cross the river. One man, Corporal Locke, was carried 300 yards downstream by the swift and deep current before he could reach the other bank. The last three hounds to enter the water were Lance Corporal Smith, Private Stimpson and Private Slight. They were caught by the torrent and carried away, and despite calling out for help, no assistance could be given, and they all drowned. A boatman on the river attempted to rescue the men but was unable to save them.
At the inquest, the coroner commented on the indiscretion of the officers in allowing the men to take to the water. Henry’s wife, Maria, was left widowed with five children. In the same article, it was noted that a subscription was opened for the widows and children of the two married men, Henry Stimpson and Private Slight. In the episode, it was revealed that the people of Carlisle raised around £300.
A tragic event such as the one involving Henry and his comrades was likely to receive attention in the newspapers of the time.
Using newspapers in your research
Often, a newspaper article will be the best source available to learn about an event such as this and may contain details not found anywhere else.
In this instance, newspapers proved to be the difference when it came to learning about Henry’s tragic death. Newspapers are a valuable source for researching military ancestors. You may encounter obituaries detailing a veteran’s military service or an article noting they had enlisted for service. During both world wars, newspapers were full of military articles. You may encounter photos of service people, extracts of their letters, details of their capture or casualty lists recording the wounded, missing and, sadly, the dead.
Visit Newspapers.com for over 850 million pages of historical newspapers.
Henry Stimpson: further research
One way to learn more about British Army soldiers who served during the Victorian era is to consult their service records. Service records are an invaluable source when researching the armed forces and represent a logical place to start your research journey. Victorian-era service records vary in detail and appearance. They often include vital clues, such as the date and place your ancestor enlisted, their number, the unit they served with, where they served and when they were discharged. This will help you to piece together your ancestor’s military service from start to finish, laying the foundations for research into other sources.
A great place to start your search on Forces War Records is the Royal Hospital Chelsea Pensioner Soldier Service Records collection, covering service with the British Army between 1760 and 1913.
FWR Tip: Can’t find your ancestor in the collection? Service records for soldiers discharged without a pension before 1883 were largely destroyed.
From 1883 onwards, service records are more substantial in content and are available for soldiers discharged without a pension; however, they are rarer for those who died in service. Henry’s service record has not survived, owing to his death in service, which limits our ability to learn about his military service.
Another source of interest for this period is muster rolls. Muster rolls, held by The National Archives in Kew, may shed light on Henry’s military service. Muster rolls are monthly or quarterly lists recording a soldier’s movements and where their unit was stationed, and often contain enlistment and discharge dates, allowing you to form a timeline of your ancestor’s military service. They are especially useful if a service record is not available.
It is always worth contacting the regimental museum of your ancestor’s regiment to see if they hold any records about the individual in their archives.
How do I research a military ancestor?
A great place to start is to ask your family if you have any family members who served in either world wars or if you have any military ancestors from further back.
Consult your family collections. Photographs, letters, diaries, badges or other types of memorabilia could contain clues to help with your research.
Enter your ancestor’s name into Forces War Records. It helps to add details like your ancestor’s number or regiment to help narrow your results.
Build out your family tree on Ancestry. The further back you take your tree, the more ancestors you will have to search for connections to the military. Remember to search for indirect ancestors, like great aunts and uncles, in the records too. Delve deep enough into your family history, and like Claire Foy, you too might find a connection to the military.
There are many collections available on Forces War Records to help you research your ancestors’ military service. You can view all our records via the Browse tab, with options available to narrow the collections by country, theatre of war or service branch.
We’re always here for you if you need help or advice with your research. Why not follow us on Facebook and submit a question to one of our monthly military genealogy Q&As? You can also send a query via the Document Expert section of our website.
Cover Photo: BBC Media Centre
Sources:
Belfast Media, accessed June 2023.
Ancestry: England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1837-1915