26 Regiment of Foot (Cameronians)

[ERA]

Need some help on this! I am trying to trace my family genealogy and have discovered that 2 of my ancesters served in the Cameronians as father and son at the same time in Gibralter around 1860, the son a drummer boy aged 14 . I am trying to find the birth date and place of birth of the father, a private Thomas McGill, searching national records birth records has turned up nothing....do regimental enlistment records from the 1820 's exist?

Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

[slick]

.... @FourZeroCharlie

 

[FourZeroCharlie]

.... @FourZeroCharlie

Yeah, cheers.

Twat.



'Thomas McGill' is not much to go on, tbh.

Still, I'll have a look and see what there is - though I'm currently engaged in hunting down @LeoRoverman 's Grandad who has shown to be no stranger to a Court Martial or two

. . . and, no, my lips are sealed . . .

 

[Grim_Squeaker85]

Yeah, cheers.

Twat.



'Thomas McGill' is not much to go on, tbh.

Still, I'll have a look and see what there is - though I'm currently engaged in hunting down @LeoRoverman 's Grandad who has shown to be no stranger to a Court Martial or two

. . . and, no, my lips are sealed . . .

Always knew there was something shifty about Leo. Apples and trees

 

[FourZeroCharlie]

A quick scan would show that the Cameronians (as the old 26th of Foot - the Regiment wasn't formally known as the Cameronians until after the Childers Reforms of 1888 ) did not serve in Gibralter in the 1860s.

Still, leave it with me . . .

 

[Bodenplatte]

The obvious place to start a search for records of the 1820s would be at the Regimental Museum.

 

[LeoRoverman]

Yeah, cheers.

Twat.



'Thomas McGill' is not much to go on, tbh.

Still, I'll have a look and see what there is - though I'm currently engaged in hunting down @LeoRoverman 's Grandad who has shown to be no stranger to a Court Martial or two

. . . and, no, my lips are sealed . . .

Now that's interesting It's amazing what doesn't get onto paperwork.

 

[FourZeroCharlie]

The only relevant campaign that the 26th took part in during the 1860s was the Abyssinian Campaign:

British expedition to Abyssinia - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

for which a medal was awarded:

Abyssinian War Medal - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

and a rather pretty little medal it was, too:

There are 3 'McGill' on the Regimental Roll for the medal - sadly, none are 'Thomas'.

It's of further interest that the 26th received the medal without having truly engaged in the campaign or without having a fired a shot!

@ERA - I'm going to need a bit more information if I'm going to be of any help.

 

[LeoRoverman]

Always knew there was something shifty about Leo. Apples and trees

I have been known as a bad apple.

 

[RumRationReject]

Need some help on this! I am trying to trace my family genealogy and have discovered that 2 of my ancesters served in the Cameronians as father and son at the same time in Gibralter around 1860, the son a drummer boy aged 14 . I am trying to find the birth date and place of birth of the father, a private Thomas McGill, searching national records birth records has turned up nothing....do regimental enlistment records from the 1820 's exist?

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Can you pick them out?

(NAM Credit - 26th Reg of Foot, Gib circa 1851)

 

[ERA]

Need some help on this! I am trying to trace my family genealogy and have discovered that 2 of my ancesters served in the Cameronians as father and son at the same time in Gibralter around 1860, the son a drummer boy aged 14 . I am trying to find the birth date and place of birth of the father, a private Thomas McGill, searching national records birth records has turned up nothing....do regimental enlistment records from the 1820 's exist?

Any help would be greatly appreciated

A quick scan would show that the Cameronians (as the old 26th of Foot - the Regiment wasn't formally known as the Cameronians until after the Childers Reforms of 1888 ) did not serve in Gibralter in the 1860s.

Still, leave it with me . . .

Here is what I have! If I can find the birth date / place of birth of Thomas McGill I can continue my lineage research, thanks

Thomas McGill of the 26th Regiment of Foot in 1841, service number as 1573. Thomas was involved in an incident on 1 January 1841 in Hong Kong and Canton. This would refer to the First Battle of Canton, known as the First Opium War. Following the Convention of Cheunpi in January 1841 Hong Kong was ceded to the British. It is therefore understood that Thomas McGill took part in that War.

The following image is of the 26th Regiment of Foot (Cameronians) in Gibraltar. One of these Soldiers is likely to be Thomas McGill.

James McGill the son of Thomas was a Drummer with the 26th Foot and would also have been in Gibraltar at this time so he too would be in this photograph. The Drummers are on the front row beside the pipers and as James was noted as being over 6 ft. tall it would be reasonable to assume that he was the tallest of the Drummers.

 

[LeoRoverman]

Need some help on this! I am trying to trace my family genealogy and have discovered that 2 of my ancesters served in the Cameronians as father and son at the same time in Gibralter around 1860, the son a drummer boy aged 14 . I am trying to find the birth date and place of birth of the father, a private Thomas McGill, searching national records birth records has turned up nothing....do regimental enlistment records from the 1820 's exist?

Any help would be greatly appreciated

A Great Great grandfather of mine was serving in the 2nd Lifeguards from 1840 or so. Births before 1836 are largely down to parish records if you can establish where they are. Nor from experience were clerks, for all their copperplate always accurate. Regimental records do exist. @ ZeroFourCharlie, thank you.

 

[ERA]

Here is what I have! If I can find the birth date / place of birth of Thomas McGill I can continue my lineage research, thanks

Thomas McGill of the 26th Regiment of Foot in 1841, service number as 1573. Thomas was involved in an incident on 1 January 1841 in Hong Kong and Canton. This would refer to the First Battle of Canton, known as the First Opium War. Following the Convention of Cheunpi in January 1841 Hong Kong was ceded to the British. It is therefore understood that Thomas McGill took part in that War.

View attachment 618630

View attachment 618631

The following image is of the 26th Regiment of Foot (Cameronians) in Gibraltar. One of these Soldiers is likely to be Thomas McGill.

James McGill the son of Thomas was a Drummer with the 26th Foot and would also have been in Gibraltar at this time so he too would be in this photograph. The Drummers are on the front row beside the pipers and as James was noted as being over 6 ft. tall it would be reasonable to assume that he was the tallest of the Drummers.

View attachment 618632

Just FYI: My bad on the dates - it was 1851

These are the medals for James McGill - his son.

Private J. McGill, 26th Foot Medals

Served in Abyssinia 1867 (5165. J. McGill. 26th Regiment); Army L.S. and G. C., V.R., 3rd issue, small letter reverse 3165 Jas. McGill 26th Foot. Edge bruising, very fine (2) set of 2 medals sold £320 at Auction 12 November 2020.

 

[FourZeroCharlie]

@ERA - that's more like it!

I have now found James on the Medal Roll for Abyssinia:

His name is at the bottom of the page as No 3165.

As a wider note to those interested in researching military rellies: Ancestry, whilst containing many important areas for research, really should employ transcribers with at least a smattering of knowledge.

I've bemoaned this before: as an example, this is how some clown has transcribed '26th (or Cameronian) Regiment' - 26th (Or Camerman) Regiment

ffs.

And on that note, that's all I can find on Ancestry though I'll have a trog through the National Archives and see what we have there.

 

[FourZeroCharlie]

PS: I can find no record of a Thomas McGill on the medal Rolls for the Chinese Wars - a couple of Artillerymen but that's it.

 

[ERA]

PS: I can find no record of a Thomas McGill on the medal Rolls for the Chinese Wars - a couple of Artillerymen but that's it.

Thanks for trying, looks like a trip to the National Records, did get an email from the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) museum suggesting National Records as a first port of call, however did warnrecords up to 1870 are scant.....typical