Amy Johnson Crow of No Story Too Small issued the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge. Each week focus on one ancestor and post something about him or her.
Robert - his Mom - Maurice Randall Stoddart - Milford Clayton Stoddart - Robert Stoddart - James St. Clair Stoddart - Robert Stoddart
Robert's 4th great grandfather, Robert Stoddart, was an Irish carpenter serving in the British army during the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815) and the War of 1812 (1812-1815). Robert Stoddart enlisted in the 99th Regiment of Foot, or Prince of Wales's Tipperary Regiment of Foot in 1804 which was renumbered to the 98th in 1816. For his service in the military he received a pension and a land grant in Dalhousie (Falkland Ridge), Nova Scotia. Sergeant Robert Stoddart even had a settlement named after him, Stoddartville. A short description of Stoddarville is found in the book "Place-Names and Places of Nova Scotia" on the Nova Scotia Archive's website.
Robert Stoddart is in the WO25/548 on The UK National Archives website that can be downloaded for free. The first page states - disbanded Sept. 1818, 98th late 99th Regiment. There's a memo stating the age of the men to be estimates from August 1813 as far as page 25, this would include Robert. The title is the 99th or P[rince] Wales Reg., Description of the Non Commissioned Officers, Drummers, & Private Men, Halifax, Nova Scotia, September 1813. Robert Stoddart is on page 12, image 28/117, third from the bottom. His name is recorded as Stoddors, Robert, his date of enlistment is recorded as Sept. 30 1804, his age about 35, his height as 5'8", and there's a description of how he looked such as brown hair and grey eyes. Not to forget the 2nd page with his birth place as Longford, Longford, trade of carpenter, and most interesting is the dates of when he served in the West Indies (June 9, 1806 to May 27, 1811). Also, recorded is his discharge date of June 25, 1818 in Fredericton. His total service time is recorded as 16 years and 67 days. Somehow I got 13 years, 8 months and 26 days of service from September 30 1804 to June 25, 1818.
On Ancestry.com, Robert Stoddart can be located in the "UK. Royal Hospital Chelsea Pensioner Register of Soldiers Who Served in Canada 1743-1882". He is on page 257, image 150/211, 4th person from top. The date of admission is recorded as October 21, 1821. He's stated as a sergeant and his age 37. His length of time is recorded for each of his ranks: 5 6/12 years as a private, 7 4/12 years as a corporal, and only 5/12 years as a sergeant. His service time in the West India Service is recorded as 4 11/12 years and total service time as 15 8/12. His rate per day is 7. There's a complaint of reduction. The record states he was born in Ireland. His height is 5'11" and description - black, blue, sallow, and the trade of carpenter. In remarks he is listed in Nova Scotia with some numbers. Do these numbers lead to other records?
From what I've discovered, it looks like the Prince of Wales Tipperary regiment served in Bermuda from 1806 to 1811, then the regiment was sent to Nova Scotia till they were disbanded in 1818. Sergeant Stoddart's total years of service seem to be a little off by my calculations , but I'm not sure how they were calculated. These are just a couple of records that I've discovered about Robert Stoddart's time in the British army. I'm sure there's more.
Websites:
Ships to Nova Scotia 1815-1838 - Robert's regiment is listed under 1818, New Halifax - Annapolis Road
Mentions of the Prince of Wales Tipperary regiment in Google Books:
Sources:
The National Archives (U.K.), "WO 25. 98 (late 99) Foot. WO 25/548," digital image, The National Archives (https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk : downloaded 7 January 2011), Record for Robert Stoddors.
The National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England, "UK, Royal Hospital Chelsea Pensioner Registers of Soldiers Who Served in Canada, 1743-1882," digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 22 April 2014), entry for Robt Stoddart, Class: WO 120; Piece: 35.
Hi Jennifer;
ReplyDeleteI have seen recorders where Robert Stoddart was dicharged in Fredericton NB which was part of Nova Scotia at that time. My second cousin has stayed his discharge papers are in Halifax. I looked once but could not find them. I have papers from the National Archives in Ottawa but can not locat them today on his miltary recorders. They were very brief.
George Stoddart
Excellent post Jennifer. My challenges were looking for records prior to 1760 as the British didn't really know they were staying so didn't bother recording who was in Canada. I appreciate your links.
ReplyDeleteI found my notes on Robert St Clair Stoddart from years ago: It says he enlisted in Longford, but how do we know he was born there? At one time I thought he was but we can't seem to find him before these records. thanks Carol
ReplyDeletefrom a book called "nova Scotia Immigrants to 1867 complied by Col. Leonard H. Smith Jr. (spc 929.3716 S654n) page 489
Stoddart, Robert, enlisted at Longford, Longford, Ireland, 30 Dec. 1803 age 35:
disbanded at Fredericton 24 June 1818: Carpenter; "located" Dalhousie Military Settlement 1820 (460:101)
Stoddart, Robert 460:101 Walker, wayne "disbanded soldiers in Dalhousie, Annapolis Co., 1820"
(the public record office, London, WO-25 vol. 548), Nova scotia genealogist, 1 (1983); 3; 101-103
Thanks Carol. I've not found any records of Robert Stoddart before his military service, either. The actual WO25/548 records state where he is born as the town or parish of Longford and county as Longford. I haven't found any other records confirming this. Always happy to hear from another researcher.
ReplyDeleteI wasn’t so sure how to read that . But I keep looking and don’t find Stoddart families in Ireland, do you think he could have changed his last name? Just thinking outside the box. Carol
Delete