Military Record on Electoral Rolls

[georgeyoung]

Just started researching my maternal grandfather Sidney Callaghan. Found an electoral roll entry for him in 1918 - shows RFA followed by the number 232496. Would service information appear on electoral roll? Is RFA (Royal Field Artillery)?

Would appreciate any advice on how I could progress research my Grandfathers military service record.

[PRC]

39 minutes ago, georgeyoung said:

Sidney Callaghan. Found an electoral roll entry for him in 1918 - shows RFA followed by the number 232496. Would service information appear on electoral roll? Is RFA (Royal Field Artillery)?

Would appreciate any advice on how I could progress research my Grandfathers military service record.

Hi @georgeyoung and welcome to the forum

Hopefully you are aware that the majority of other ranks records went up in flames during the blitz when German bombs hit the London Warehouse where they were being stored. As far as I can tell Sidneys' was amongst them.

So to find out more about a Soldiers career can often involve a bit of detective work. One of the sources that can be helpful are the Absent Voter Lists of 1918 & 1919 - I suspect it's one of those you have stumbled on. There is a bit more on how they can help on our parent site, the Long, Long Trail - although you've done the finding bit! https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/soldiers/how-to-research-a-soldier/finding-soldiers-through-the-1918-absent-voters-lists/

Another source is his Medal index Card, (MiC). These are literally index cards, raised by the clerks at the relevant records office to keep track of the documentation and correspondence involved in issuing service medals. Note - only those who served overseas qualified for at least one service medal. Those who served in the UK got none. The MiC's for other ranks hardly ever hold any biographical data, and usually information about unit is very limited. The associated medal roll(s), available as images on Ancestry and (varying quality) transcriptions on FindMyPast can sometimes tell you more.

Sidney does have a MiC. It shows him serving in the Royal Field Artillery and that he qualified for the Victory Medal and the British War Medal. That combination of medals means he served in a Theatre of War, but all we can say is he didn't land there until some point on or after the 1st January 1916. The MiC also tells us he was fully and honourably discharged from the Army on the 5th February 1919 - most men were discharged to an unpaid reserve in case the peace treaty negotiations broke down and they had to be recalled. I know he was honourably discharged because he is also recorded as receiving the Silver War Badge. The vast majority of those went to men who were no longer physically fit for war service, whether through wounds or sickness. https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/soldiers/how-to-research-a-soldier/campaign-medal-records/records-of-the-silver-war-badge/

The associated Silver War Badge Roll has varying amounts on information on it but as a minimum should include date he was enlisted. Practice varies considerably both between records offices and even individual clerks - some will be quite specific about the reason for discharge, while others will stick to just either wounded or sickness. Some give age at discharge. The documents can be seen on Ancestry, while there are transcripts on FindMyPast.

FindMyPast does have something further for him - a Medical Admission Register Entry for 1918, (although they have indexed him as "G. Callagham").  Medical Admission Registers were held by all institutions along the evacuation route, from the field ambulance close to the front line, casualty clearing stations, ambulance trains and barges, hospitals in theatre rear areas, hospital ships and eventually hospitals in the UK. Post-war a 5% sample was retained for statistical analysis and it's those that have now found their way to FindMyPast.

I'm not readily spotting him on the Official Casualty Lists, (OCL's), but they are not the easiest documents to search. Other than accidental killings, all the other entries in the OCL's are combat related. I could be failing to find him because he was admitted due to sickness or accidental injury.

There are at least two surviving Ministry of Pensions records for him. They can be seen on Fold3, Ancestrys US sister site, or there are transcriptions on Ancestry, (I believe they may now have small thumbnail images there).

I don't subscribe, so can't check it out further.

Forum member @David Porter may be able to tell you more from the Royal Field Artillery side based on that service number.

Hope that gets you started,
Peter

[georgeyoung]

8 hours ago, PRC said:

Hi @georgeyoung and welcome to the forum

Hopefully you are aware that the majority of other ranks records went up in flames during the blitz when German bombs hit the London Warehouse where they were being stored. As far as I can tell Sidneys' was amongst them.

So to find out more about a Soldiers career can often involve a bit of detective work. One of the sources that can be helpful are the Absent Voter Lists of 1918 & 1919 - I suspect it's one of those you have stumbled on. There is a bit more on how they can help on our parent site, the Long, Long Trail - although you've done the finding bit! https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/soldiers/how-to-research-a-soldier/finding-soldiers-through-the-1918-absent-voters-lists/

Another source is his Medal index Card, (MiC). These are literally index cards, raised by the clerks at the relevant records office to keep track of the documentation and correspondence involved in issuing service medals. Note - only those who served overseas qualified for at least one service medal. Those who served in the UK got none. The MiC's for other ranks hardly ever hold any biographical data, and usually information about unit is very limited. The associated medal roll(s), available as images on Ancestry and (varying quality) transcriptions on FindMyPast can sometimes tell you more.

Sidney does have a MiC. It shows him serving in the Royal Field Artillery and that he qualified for the Victory Medal and the British War Medal. That combination of medals means he served in a Theatre of War, but all we can say is he didn't land there until some point on or after the 1st January 1916. The MiC also tells us he was fully and honourably discharged from the Army on the 5th February 1919 - most men were discharged to an unpaid reserve in case the peace treaty negotiations broke down and they had to be recalled. I know he was honourably discharged because he is also recorded as receiving the Silver War Badge. The vast majority of those went to men who were no longer physically fit for war service, whether through wounds or sickness. https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/soldiers/how-to-research-a-soldier/campaign-medal-records/records-of-the-silver-war-badge/

The associated Silver War Badge Roll has varying amounts on information on it but as a minimum should include date he was enlisted. Practice varies considerably both between records offices and even individual clerks - some will be quite specific about the reason for discharge, while others will stick to just either wounded or sickness. Some give age at discharge. The documents can be seen on Ancestry, while there are transcripts on FindMyPast.

FindMyPast does have something further for him - a Medical Admission Register Entry for 1918, (although they have indexed him as "G. Callagham").  Medical Admission Registers were held by all institutions along the evacuation route, from the field ambulance close to the front line, casualty clearing stations, ambulance trains and barges, hospitals in theatre rear areas, hospital ships and eventually hospitals in the UK. Post-war a 5% sample was retained for statistical analysis and it's those that have now found their way to FindMyPast.

I'm not readily spotting him on the Official Casualty Lists, (OCL's), but they are not the easiest documents to search. Other than accidental killings, all the other entries in the OCL's are combat related. I could be failing to find him because he was admitted due to sickness or accidental injury.

There are at least two surviving Ministry of Pensions records for him. They can be seen on Fold3, Ancestrys US sister site, or there are transcriptions on Ancestry, (I believe they may now have small thumbnail images there).

I don't subscribe, so can't check it out further.

Forum member @David Porter may be able to tell you more from the Royal Field Artillery side based on that service number.

Hope that gets you started,
Peter

Peter thank you so much. A lot for me to digest and an incredible addition to the limited information I have. I can remember what I understand to have been his service medals but I have to say I can't remember the Silver War Badge. A little worried now I have the wrong man! Unfortunately, we didn't look after his medals and I'm not sure who in the family ended up with them. The Silver War Badge information is really poignant as Sidney was admitted to Newcastle City Mental Institution around 1938 and remained there until he died in 1951. I am trying to get information about his admission and establish whether or not it was related to his WW1 experiences but I suspect they are not going to release anything to me. 

Once again, thank you so much for taking the time to read my post and respond.

Best wishes, George.

[Matlock1418]

Here are the two MoP pension records

This is the initial pension index card

Image thanks to WFA/Fold3

Shows he was discharged 5.2.19 as would seem to suit as discharged with a Silver War Badge.

His award of 22/0 pw from 6.2.19 to 13.5.19 was, under the then prevailing 1918 Royal Warrant, Art 1, the 80% degree of disability rate for a pension Class V soldier / Gunner [single without child(ren)]

The top right clipped card indicates a dead/closed claim

The 2/3 WED 15.9.1 is unusual and despite looking at many thousands of such MoP records I cannot recall seeing one like it and I have not yet got a good explanation for it [though it rather looks like a dated event] - explanation or suggestions welcomed

This pension ledger page abstract explains a bit more

Image thanks to WFA/Fold3

His disability is shown as Insanity [a very broad and potentially a rather catch all description for a range of mental health conditions - of a type that seems to suggest that "Shell Shock"/Neurasthenia was being ruled out - they would usually use one of those terms if it was thought so], initially recorded as Due to but then later amended to Aggravated by his service [so it seems that it was felt that his condition was not caused by his service though he would still have had some entitlement to a pension].

The reverse of the page shows 21/1/21 No Grounds for further award

M

 

Edited 17 July by Matlock1418
typo

[David Porter]

The medical record mentioned shows Sidney Callaghan was admitted to No. 2 General Hospital, Havre, from Base Depot (RFA Details) on August 6, 1918. He was 25, had been called up in May 1917*  and had been in France for 4 months. Illness described as Dementia Praecox, now called Schizophrenia. He was in the hospital until August 22, 1918 before being placed on hospital ship Grantully Castle. His religion is given as Roman Catholic.

* The number 232496 was issued at No. 1 Depot RFA, Newcastle around May 6, 1917. His Silver War Badge Record would indicate he had already signed up under the Derby Scheme on January 28, 1916.

[georgeyoung]

1 hour ago, Matlock1418 said:

Here are the two MoP pension records

This is the initial pension index card

Image thanks to WFA/Fold3

Shows he was discharged 5.2.19 as would seem to suit a discharged with a Silver War Badge.

His award of 22/0 pw from 6.2.19 to 13.5.19 was, under the then prevailing 1918 Royal Warrant, the 80% degree of disability rate for a pension Class V soldier / Gunner [single without child(ren)]

The top right clipped card indicates a dead/closed claim

The 2/3 WED 15.9.1 is unusual and despite looking at many thousands of such MoP records I cannot recall seeing one like it and I have not yet got a good explanation for it [though it rather looks like a dated event] - explanation or suggestions welcomed

This pension ledger page abstract explains a bit more

Image thanks to WFA/Fold3

His disability is shown as Insanity [a very broad and potentially a rather catch all description for a range of mental health conditions - of a type that seems to suggest that "Shell Shock"/Neurasthenia was being ruled out - they would usually use one of those terms if it was thought so], initially recorded as Due to but then later amended to Aggravated by his service [so it seems that it was felt that his condition was not caused by his service though he would still have had some entitlement to a pension].

The reverse of the page shows 21/1/21 No Grounds for further award

M

 

Hi Matlock1418,

Incredibly helpful and providing lots of answers to questions I have about Sidney. Will reply in a bit more detail later.

Thanks you so much, all the best,

 

George

[Matlock1418]

To add to the above ... some general rules on how insanity/lunacy could be treated by the Army in/from 1917

It appears that CALLAGHAN's condition was not considered sufficiently severe for discharge to asylum treatment - as is seemingly indicated by a 80% award from the MoP, and no other mention, under the following MoP guidance dated 1918

Image thanks MoP Annual report 31-08-18

And thence the award as "Aggravated" by service

It seems in many ways fortunate that on discharge it does not seem he was admitted to an asylum as a 'Service Patient' - This book, Forgotten Lunatics of the Great War by Peter Barham, gives a very grim account of how as a SP he might have been so treated [such a shame that so many SP were treated in a poor fashion - One rather hopes the author has concentrated on a minority of poor cases rather than a generally typical situation! But one has to worry that generally he has not missed the mark ]

M

Edit: CALLAGHAN's MoP main awards file is lost - probably deliberately destroyed as were most [his does not seem to have been retained amongst the rare few now kept at TNA]

 

Edited 17 July by Matlock1418
edit

[georgeyoung]

20 minutes ago, David Porter said:

The medical record mentioned shows Sidney Callaghan was admitted to No. 2 General Hospital, Havre, from Base Depot (RFA Details) on August 6, 1918. He was 25, had been called up in May 1917*  and had been in France for 4 months. Illness described as Dementia Praecox, now called Schizophrenia. He was in the hospital until August 22, 1918 before being placed on hospital ship Grantully Castle. His religion is given as Roman Catholic.

* The number 232496 was issued at No. 1 Depot RFA, Newcastle around May 6, 1917. His Silver War Badge Record would indicate he had already signed up under the Derby Scheme on January 28, 1916.

Hi David, This is so detailed and helpful. I'll respond in more detail a bit later.

Thank you so much...best wishes,

 

George

[Matlock1418]

13 hours ago, georgeyoung said:

Sidney Callaghan. Found an electoral roll entry for him in 1918 - shows RFA followed by the number 232496. Would service information appear on electoral roll?

Returning to your initial post ... though I cannot see what you have found [since I don't have access] I rather suspect it is quite possibly an entry on an Absent Voters List [AVL] drawn up in 1918 [for info: AVL also drawn up in 1919 though I think CALLAGHAN would seem to have been out by then] so an Electoral Roll could be established - particularly historic as young 18/19 servicemen so got entitled to the vote whereas previously it had been at age 21 - rather recognising that if you were considered old enough to die for your country then you should also be considered old enough to vote!

For basic post-war records you are advised to look out the 1921 Census [at Find My Past] and the 1939 Register drawn up ahead of the rather expected coming 'round two' - sort of in lieu of a Census/later used for NHS purposes [I can't recall if at FMP or Ancestry or both] if you've not already done so.

M

Edited 17 July by Matlock1418

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

14 hours ago, georgeyoung said:

Just started researching my maternal grandfather Sidney Callaghan. Found an electoral roll entry for him in 1918 - shows RFA followed by the number 232496.

It looks as though you stumbled across  Sidney's entry on one of the ABsent Voters Lists for Tyne & Wear that still survive.
Did you find it at a library or on Ancestry?

(I can't find it myself...)
Ancestry supposedly has 1920 Autumn, 1920 Spring, 1921 Autumn & 1921 Spring  for Tyne and Wear, but none for 1918 or 1919.

Ordinary Electoral Rolls of the time only show the letter 'M' (Military) or 'N' (Naval alongside a man's name at an address.
AVL typically show Rank, Number, Unit, Address then Polling district details.

Edited 17 July by Dai Bach y Sowldiwr

[PRC]

1 hour ago, Matlock1418 said:

I rather suspect it is quite possibly an entry on an Absent Voters List [AVL] drawn up in 1918 [for info: AVL also drawn up in 1919 though I think CALLAGHAN would seem to have been out by then] so an Electoral Roll could be established - particularly historic as young 18/19 servicemen so got entitled to the vote whereas previously it had been at age 21

13 hours ago, PRC said:

One of the sources that can be helpful are the Absent Voter Lists of 1918 & 1919 - I suspect it's one of those you have stumbled on. There is a bit more on how they can help on our parent site, the Long, Long Trail - although you've done the finding bit! https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/soldiers/how-to-research-a-soldier/finding-soldiers-through-the-1918-absent-voters-lists/

The 1918 Representation of the People Act extended the vote to all males aged 21, and for those serving in the armed forces, those aged over 18. It did away completely with the property qualifications - for men. Oh, and it extended the vote to some women who met the old property qualifications - and for some totally inexplicable reason seems to be how the Act is remembered today

Definately worth a check of the 1921 Census of England & Wales to understand where he was and whether it was any kind of institution. Unfortunately for this purpose the 1921 Census dropped the question about disability.

@Matlock1418  - did someone who was institutionalised with the costs fully funded by the state actually receive a pension at that time? I know with the Social Security system post 1948 they would get a small amount as "pocket money", but even that originally would be withdrawn if they could not benefit from it. I don't think it's come up before - at least not for anyone I've researched.

1 hour ago, Matlock1418 said:

1939 Register drawn up ahead of the rather expected coming 'round two' - sort of in lieu of a Census/later used for NHS purposes [I can't recall if at FMP or Ancestry or both] if you've not already done so.

Taken on the 29th September 1939. Both FindMyPast and Ancestry have the first page for each address. Subsequently used to control the issuing of ID cards and ration books, before being roped in post-war to be used as the Central Registry for the NHS. The NHS could then use the ID card numbers as NHS numbers - the original plan had been to use the National Insurance Number until it was realised how many millions of extra records that would create for a paper based system.

Cheers,
Peter

[PRC]

1939 Register has a Sidney Callaghan, born 1892 and resident at the Newcastle City Mental Hospital, Newcastle-on-Tyne, according to the indexing on FindMyPast - more information including stated date of birth will be available with subscription access.

The death of a Sidney Callaghan, aged 58, was registered in the Northumberland South District in Q1 1951. That would put his birth as c1892/93 depending on how the dates work out.
No obvious Probate record.

Going back to the start - if he was born in England & Wales the General Registrars Office shows only one likely birth record in the period 1890-1894. The birth of Sidney Callaghan, mothers' maiden name Murphy, was registered with the civil authorities in the Marylebone District of London in the April to June quarter, (Q2), of 1894. But no obvious subsequent appearance in the death records for England & Wales or the Censuses for those two countries.

Meanwhile the 1901 Census of England & Wales does have an 8 year old Sidney Callaghan, shown as born Newcastle, Northumberland and recorded at 91, Derwentwater Road, Gateshead. This was the household of parents Joseph, (31, a Coal Miner Hewer, born De???y, Scotland) and Jane, (31, born Bishop Auckland, County Durham). Their other children living with them are:-
"Voilet"............aged 10..........born Newcastle, Northumberland
Grace...............aged 6.............born Lassodie(?), Fife, Scotland
Lilly...................aged 3.............born Gateshead, County Durham

The family were recorded at 25 Boathouses, South Benwell, Newcastle Upon Tyne on the 1911 Census of England & Wales. This was the first census return completed by a member of the household and when father Joseph filled out the form he spelt his eldest sons name as "Sydney". The household consisted of:-
Father: Joseph.........aged 41..........born Denny, Scotland.............Coal Miner Hewer.
Mother: Jane...........aged 41..........born Bishop Auckland.
The couple have been married 21 years and the union has produced 8 children, of which 6 were then still alive.
Daughter: Violet...aged 20...........born Newcastle on Tyne.......Day Girl (Domestic)
Son: Sydney............aged 18..........born Newcastle on Tyne.......Putter (Coal Mining)
Daughter: Grace..aged 16...........born Dunfermline, Scotland.......under disability noted as lunatic, possibly with a note to read for 16 years or started when she was 16, but looks like two different handwriting styles.
Daughter: "Lily"....aged 13.........born Gateshead on Tyne.
Son: Joseph............aged 9...........born Gateshead on Tyne.
Son: Horatio............aged 6...........born Gateshead on Tyne.

A check of some of the other children show their birth registered with the mothers' maiden name either as McFarlane of McFarlin - but still no obvious match for Sidney\Sydney. There is however the birth of a Sydney CALLAGAN, mothers' maiden name McFarlane, which was registered with the civil authorities in the Newcastle upon Tyne District in the January to March quarter, (Q1), of 1893. Then as now you had 42 days after the event to register the birth, and the General Registars Office then reported by quarter registered, which isn't automatically the same as quarter born. A Q1 registration could legally have been born as early as the middle of the previous November.

Hope that's not too many red herrings.
Cheers,
Peter

[Matlock1418]

7 hours ago, Matlock1418 said:

4 hours ago, PRC said:

@Matlock1418  - did someone who was institutionalised with the costs fully funded by the state actually receive a pension at that time? I know with the Social Security system post 1948 they would get a small amount as "pocket money", but even that originally would be withdrawn if they could not benefit from it. I don't think it's come up before - at least not for anyone I've researched.

See (c) - "comforts and extras"

I think it all depended - doesn't it always?

For those who wish to explore this subject further I also commend/refer to 1918, Hogge & Garside's, War Pensions and Allowances  - Treatment and Training, p276-

https://archive.org/details/thewarpensionsallow00hoggrich/page/n5/mode/2up 

The situation/post-war situation is certainly covered in Forgotten Lunatics of the Great War with an intro and many sad tales  [I don't have a copy to hand - I borrowed my look from my local UK library] - I found it a very informative but depressing read.

As I note from above, and as I seem to recall from various sources, for a man as an in-patient Service Patient with a mental health issue(s) / insane / lunatic his pension was largely redirected to / subsumed by the public institution/asylum. I think there seems to have been an intent to give SP a bit for comforts and extras, and yet I can't recall seeing anything specifically in MoP documents, but I am not sure it always worked that way - their dependants could additionally get support for themselves.  SP were also supposed to get upgraded treatment over ordinary non-SP 'pauper' lunatics including better food [though it's questionable as to the extent to whether that happened - it seems there were reports of many institutionalised inmates starving to death, the extent SP so suffered I cannot recall] and the additional benefit of wearing of their own clothes [but when the latter wore out for the majority it seems they quite commonly ended up with regular inmates' institutional clothing]. 

There was then frequently also an issue with the SP's own personal financial affairs account too.  Whether or not, if he was later released or died, if there was anything left over for the man or dependants seems potentially moot.

= It seems to have been a bit of a lottery all round, and seemingly potentially likely rather biased towards the institution.

For physically disabled there could be a choice between in-patient and out-patient treatments and/or training  As an in-patient this would incur for the man pension suspension whilst under treatment, dependants meantime being awarded, whilst for out-patient treatment he kept his pension [with the proviso that if a man failed to attend treatment his pension could be docked, 50% IIIRC, but potentially there could be loss to his dependant(s) too]

M

Edit: A small but I guess related aside has come to mind - I think the presence of Service Patients in County Asylums lead to them shortly-after being renamed as County Mental Hospitals, but one has to rather question if much else really changed in the short-term.

Edited 17 July by Matlock1418
Edit

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

1 hour ago, PRC said:

There is however the birth of a Sydney CALLAGAN, mothers' maiden name McFarlane, which was registered with the civil authorities in the Newcastle upon Tyne District in the January to March quarter, (Q1), of 1893. Then as now you had 42 days after the event to register the birth, and the General Registars Office then reported by quarter registered, which isn't automatically the same as quarter born. A Q1 registration could legally have been born as early as the middle of the previous November.

Quite right PRC.
His date of birth as per the 1939 register is 26 Nov 1892, a married labourer.

[PRC]

2 hours ago, Matlock1418 said:

See (c) - "comforts and extras"

I think it all depended - doesn't it always?

Thanks M - totally agree the system was ripe for abuse. Cases I've had cause to investigate seem to have been a tiny bit better treated, at least financially, post WW2. Where the family wasn't still in contact then the public guardian would step in. I've come across a few where there are even probate calendar entries despite the individuals concerned having spent a decade or more institutionalised. That's part of the reason why as he died in 1951 I made sure to check the probate calendar.

1 hour ago, Dai Bach y Sowldiwr said:

His date of birth as per the 1939 register is 26 Nov 1892, a married labourer.

Thanks Dai - my informed guesses have been off the mark recently so good to know I'm not losing the plot entirely

Of course now it will turn out to be the wrong Sidney\Sydney Callaghan \ Callagan!

Cheers,
Peter

[georgeyoung]

12 hours ago, David Porter said:

The medical record mentioned shows Sidney Callaghan was admitted to No. 2 General Hospital, Havre, from Base Depot (RFA Details) on August 6, 1918. He was 25, had been called up in May 1917*  and had been in France for 4 months. Illness described as Dementia Praecox, now called Schizophrenia. He was in the hospital until August 22, 1918 before being placed on hospital ship Grantully Castle. His religion is given as Roman Catholic.

* The number 232496 was issued at No. 1 Depot RFA, Newcastle around May 6, 1917. His Silver War Badge Record would indicate he had already signed up under the Derby Scheme on January 28, 1916.

Hi David - this is really interesting. Thank you so much. My Grandfather clearly had significant mental health issues - it's interesting that you mention that he signed up under the Derby Scheme on January 28, 1916. I know from the 1911 census that he was a miner which I think was a "starred" occupation. Leads me to wonder if he was ill before the war and maybe not working as a miner. Interesting that he must've passed a medical prior to enlistment under the Derby scheme? When I checked the 1921 census he was working underground in a pit in Co Durham.

[georgeyoung]

9 hours ago, Dai Bach y Sowldiwr said:

It looks as though you stumbled across  Sidney's entry on one of the ABsent Voters Lists for Tyne & Wear that still survive.
Did you find it at a library or on Ancestry?

(I can't find it myself...)
Ancestry supposedly has 1920 Autumn, 1920 Spring, 1921 Autumn & 1921 Spring  for Tyne and Wear, but none for 1918 or 1919.

Ordinary Electoral Rolls of the time only show the letter 'M' (Military) or 'N' (Naval alongside a man's name at an address.
AVL typically show Rank, Number, Unit, Address then Polling district details.

Hi Dai Bach y Sowidiwr,

I'm a complete novice and was searching Ancestry in my local public library. A number of documents were made available including what I thought were electoral rolls. I saw entries in 1918 and 1919 and I think I got the service information off the 1918 list which I now know to be an Absent Voters List

[georgeyoung]

8 hours ago, PRC said:

1939 Register has a Sidney Callaghan, born 1892 and resident at the Newcastle City Mental Hospital, Newcastle-on-Tyne, according to the indexing on FindMyPast - more information including stated date of birth will be available with subscription access.

The death of a Sidney Callaghan, aged 58, was registered in the Northumberland South District in Q1 1951. That would put his birth as c1892/93 depending on how the dates work out.
No obvious Probate record.

Going back to the start - if he was born in England & Wales the General Registrars Office shows only one likely birth record in the period 1890-1894. The birth of Sidney Callaghan, mothers' maiden name Murphy, was registered with the civil authorities in the Marylebone District of London in the April to June quarter, (Q2), of 1894. But no obvious subsequent appearance in the death records for England & Wales or the Censuses for those two countries.

Meanwhile the 1901 Census of England & Wales does have an 8 year old Sidney Callaghan, shown as born Newcastle, Northumberland and recorded at 91, Derwentwater Road, Gateshead. This was the household of parents Joseph, (31, a Coal Miner Hewer, born De???y, Scotland) and Jane, (31, born Bishop Auckland, County Durham). Their other children living with them are:-
"Voilet"............aged 10..........born Newcastle, Northumberland
Grace...............aged 6.............born Lassodie(?), Fife, Scotland
Lilly...................aged 3.............born Gateshead, County Durham

The family were recorded at 25 Boathouses, South Benwell, Newcastle Upon Tyne on the 1911 Census of England & Wales. This was the first census return completed by a member of the household and when father Joseph filled out the form he spelt his eldest sons name as "Sydney". The household consisted of:-
Father: Joseph.........aged 41..........born Denny, Scotland.............Coal Miner Hewer.
Mother: Jane...........aged 41..........born Bishop Auckland.
The couple have been married 21 years and the union has produced 8 children, of which 6 were then still alive.
Daughter: Violet...aged 20...........born Newcastle on Tyne.......Day Girl (Domestic)
Son: Sydney............aged 18..........born Newcastle on Tyne.......Putter (Coal Mining)
Daughter: Grace..aged 16...........born Dunfermline, Scotland.......under disability noted as lunatic, possibly with a note to read for 16 years or started when she was 16, but looks like two different handwriting styles.
Daughter: "Lily"....aged 13.........born Gateshead on Tyne.
Son: Joseph............aged 9...........born Gateshead on Tyne.
Son: Horatio............aged 6...........born Gateshead on Tyne.

A check of some of the other children show their birth registered with the mothers' maiden name either as McFarlane of McFarlin - but still no obvious match for Sidney\Sydney. There is however the birth of a Sydney CALLAGAN, mothers' maiden name McFarlane, which was registered with the civil authorities in the Newcastle upon Tyne District in the January to March quarter, (Q1), of 1893. Then as now you had 42 days after the event to register the birth, and the General Registars Office then reported by quarter registered, which isn't automatically the same as quarter born. A Q1 registration could legally have been born as early as the middle of the previous November.

Hope that's not too many red herrings.
Cheers,
Peter

Hi Peter,

I'm pretty confident that we have the right Sydney Callagan (aka Sidney Callaghan). I have a copy of the birth certificate referred to at the end of your post and his mothers maiden name (McFarlane) is a name that I heard mentioned when I was younger - that and the medical discharge from the RFA and the time he spent in the Newcastle Mental hospital provide that confidence. I reviewed the 2 census records you quote and I am relatively certain these are my relatives. 

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

45 minutes ago, georgeyoung said:

was searching Ancestry in my local public library. A number of documents were made available including what I thought were electoral rolls. I saw entries in 1918 and 1919 and I think I got the service information off the 1918 list which I now know to be an Absent Voters List

Sorry- just to be clear... the 'documents that were made available' were original hard copies of the 1918 & 1919 AVLs?
Or were they digitised documents on Ancestry or Find My Past?
And this would be a library in the Newcastle area?
 

[georgeyoung]

5 hours ago, Dai Bach y Sowldiwr said:

Sorry- just to be clear... the 'documents that were made available' were original hard copies of the 1918 & 1919 AVLs?
Or were they digitised documents on Ancestry or Find My Past?
And this would be a library in the Newcastle area?
 

Hi, these were electronic copies of what looked like pages in a book. I'd accessed Ancestry in a public library in the Heaton district of Newcastle upon Tyne.  

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

OK thanks George.

[georgeyoung]

On 17/07/2024 at 10:48, David Porter said:

The medical record mentioned shows Sidney Callaghan was admitted to No. 2 General Hospital, Havre, from Base Depot (RFA Details) on August 6, 1918. He was 25, had been called up in May 1917*  and had been in France for 4 months. Illness described as Dementia Praecox, now called Schizophrenia. He was in the hospital until August 22, 1918 before being placed on hospital ship Grantully Castle. His religion is given as Roman Catholic.

* The number 232496 was issued at No. 1 Depot RFA, Newcastle around May 6, 1917. His Silver War Badge Record would indicate he had already signed up under the Derby Scheme on January 28, 1916.

Hi David,

I've got this picture which I have always assumed is Sidney but unfortunately it was not annotated with a name or year when it was taken. I looked on line and I think he is wearing a RFA uniform which would give me much more confidence that this is my Grandfather. Am I correct in thinking that this is a RFA uniform?  

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

26 minutes ago, georgeyoung said:

Am I correct in thinking that this is a RFA uniform? 

He is certainly dressed as we would expect a mounted soldier to appear, with the bandolier diagonally over his chest.
Such troops could be RFA, RHA, RGA, ASC or possibly something else.

It all boils down to what his shoulder title says.
Does it read RFA? I don't think it does.
In fact. I'm not sure what it says...
What does everyone else think?

[Matlock1418]

Could that be HAC - Honourable Artillery Company??  I'm really not sure.

 Now I'm seeing HV?

???

M

Edited 20 July by Matlock1418
add alt

[georgeyoung]

22 hours ago, Dai Bach y Sowldiwr said:

He is certainly dressed as we would expect a mounted soldier to appear, with the bandolier diagonally over his chest.
Such troops could be RFA, RHA, RGA, ASC or possibly something else.

It all boils down to what his shoulder title says.
Does it read RFA? I don't think it does.
In fact. I'm not sure what it says...
What does everyone else think?

Hi thanks for the reply. Agree that does not look like RFA. Odd that as all the records unearthed following my first post point towards RFA. 

20 hours ago, Matlock1418 said:

Could that be HAC - Honourable Artillery Company??  I'm really not sure.

 Now I'm seeing HV?

???

M

Hi thanks for taking the time to respond. Yes very difficult to make that out.

 

George