 military settlements established by the British Army in the early days of Canada's development. A few of these settlements were established in Eastern Ontario in the days when the province was known as Upper Canada. Records of these settlements are available at the National Archives of Canada in Ottawa. Microfilm of the records is also available on inter-library loan from the Archives or from the LDS Family History Library on microfilm loan to a local LDS Family History Center. The following items are listed to draw the readers attention to these records and is but a very small sample of the records available:
Rideau Military Settlement (Lanark County) National Archives of Canada records include:
MG 9, D4 1-9: Locations and returns (microfilm M-5505)
MG 9, D8 27 : Registers of locations (microfilm C-4651)
MG 13, WO 12 vol. 12018 to 12033 - Muster rolls of de Wattrville's Regiment (microfilm B-133 to B-118)
Richmond Military Settlement (Village of Richmond):
National Archives of Canada records are found in Record Group - RG 8 C Series, British Military and Naval Records - entries under "Richmond Military Settlement". The PRO has the Regimental Description Book for the 99th (late 100th) Regiment in War Office - WO 25 volume 550 which is also available on microfilm from the LDS.
Enrolled Pensioners Scheme:
By 1846, British Army veterans (enrolled pensioners) were being induced with promises of land grants and cash payments to settle in Canada. National Archives of Canada records related to the settlement of British pensioners and their settlement can be found in RG 9, I C5 volumes 28-29 (1854-1858). The many pay lists included in the records note the former regimental unit the pensioner was discharged from before pension. This information then allows the researcher a link to finding the veterans in PRO records found in the service records (WO 97).
Source: Military Settlements in Eastern Ontario by Norman K. Crowder. Proceedings of the British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa Conference, 1996.
Great Britain Army Records (1737-1824) at the William L. Clements Library, The University of Michigan: The library holds a miscellaneous collection of manuscripts relating to the army of Great Britain, which include the following items:
Army Records for Family Historians by Simon Fowler and William Spencer. New edition of this useful guide to using the records of the army at the Public Record Office. Many illustrations of documents. Nicely set out in a larger format than the first edition. 2nd edition 1998, 154 pages.
My Ancestor was in the British Army, by Michael J. Watts and Christopher T. Watt. Includes extensive examples from the authors' research makes this a readable and comprehensive listing for sources for researching officers and other ranks. Covers the period 1660 to World War I. The book does not limit itself to material held by the Public Record Office (brief section on WW1). 1st ed. with addendum 1995. 124 pages.
Gone for a Soldier: Beginning a Search for Military Ancestors by Simon Fowler. Page 129 of the Genealogical Services Directory, 1999.
An Introduction to the British Army: its history, tradition and records by Iain Swinnerton. This 48 page book is part of the Federation of Family History Societies 'Introduction' series. Provides a brief introduction to the British Army. 1st edition 1996, reprinted 1998.
History of the British Army by Charles Messanger. A general history of the British army. 1st edition 1997, 224 pages. (Note: Limited Number printed)
British Army Pensioners Abroad 1722-1899 by Norman Crowder. This books is intended to serve as an index to the Chelsea regimental pension registers of British Veterans who settled abroad with an army pension. They are known as Chelsea pensioners because the Royal Hospital, Chelsea decided on the entitlement and amount of pension to be paid to discharged veterans with disabilities or long service. the hospital in Chelsea was established in 1692 and was similar to the earlier military hospital in Kilmainham, Dublin. 351 pgs/index/list of military units/not