The Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum has a new free searchable database of 10,000 entries of 19th Century soldiers who served with the 28th North Gloucestershire Regiment.
When researching this database, it was fascinating to discover the huge range of backgrounds and recruiting areas from which the 28th Regiment of Foot filled its ranks. All regions of the United Kingdom are represented, and Ireland provided a particularly rich vein of recruits for the 28th.
Perhaps the best example of how soldiers of the 28th had an impact on the colonisation of the British Empire is illustrated by the number of descendants they left in Australia. The 28th went to Australia in 1835, where many of them settled. There will be a large number of families in both Ireland and Australia whose forebears served in this famous Regiment and this database will help in research of family trees.
In February 1835 the 28th North Gloucestershire Regiment started its voyage from England, twenty-three ships in all, bound for New South Wales in Australia. Here they were to remain until 1842, when they left for India.
The 28th’s headquarters was at Parramatta, now a suburb of Sydney, but contingents were despatched elsewhere in New South Wales and Queensland, including Hassan’s Wells, Illawarra, Tonrang, Harper’s Hill, Enim Plain, Seventeen Mile Hollow, Newcastle, Maitland, Bloxland Station, Port Philip and Moreton Bay.
Australia proved to be quite congenial to some, and the Naval and Military Gazette of February 1838 reported that: “The Officers of this [28th] Regiment have been less disgusted with banishment to New South Wales than others have been; for we observe that already a considerable portion have settled in the Colony, and twelve more are about to retire from service for that purpose.”
It was not just from amongst the officers of the 28th that new colonists were found for this outpost of Empire. Before the 28th left in 1842, all old soldiers with at least seventeen years service and being of good character were offered the chance of a year’s salary and 300 acres of land to settle in Australia. It was an opportunity that many could not turn down.
The information we have on these soldiers includes their physical attributes, height, colour of eyes etc., as well as information about their period of service with the Regiment .
The link is here:
http://www.glosters.org.uk/soldiersearch/
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