Army Pensions in late 1800's

nikonuser

A quick question for those more knowledgeable than myself. My GG Granddad came home to Dublin (home to me, not him) from serving with the British Army, was was discharged in Chatham, Kent in 1862 and then on the Dublin where he died in 1878. I think he was in receipt of an Army Pension, still trying to confirm this.
The question: How were these pensions paid? through a bank, post office? Were there cheques in those days? Would he have had to go to one of the barracks? How did these people actually get the money in to their hands?
Any suggestions?
J

Waitsian

Hi J. Do an Internet search for 'Victorian wars, Pension payments to soldiers: the practicalities' and read that thread. It explains disability and long-term service pensions, amounts and collection points.

My reading of it is the soldier would have collected a monetary sum every quarter at his nearest regional office designated for such purposes.

nikonuser

mod9maple,
Thanks for that. It makes sense really. I'm sure my GG Granddad didn't have a bank account looking at his stays in the South Dublin Union & all the poverty surrounding the end of his life. I'll keep searching for any records of actual pensions paid, presumably through a barracks?
Thanks again.
J

pedroeibar1

The records should be at the National Archives Kew, in the PMG files (Paymaster General). Make sure you are searching in the correct branch of the service, there was a heavy ‘bias’ at Chatham to Navy, rather than Army, so he might have been a marine, not a soldier.

nikonuser

pedroelbar1,
Thanks for the reply.
I have my GG Granddad's Discharge document, he was a Gunmaker in the '81st Regiment of Foot', so a soldier I assume. i'll start the search with Kew.
Thanks
J

nikonuser

in case my private message didn't get to mod9maple I am attaching here the Discharge Record for my GG Granddad, John Morrow, Sergeant 1572 81st Regiment of Foot dated October 1862.
I hope this might help.
J

Thomas from Presence

Have you trawled through FindMyPast.com? Their British Army pension records are very comprehensive. A lot of UK national archive stuff up there.

Thomas from Presence

Actually you're very lucky there. A written description of your ancestor and a full breakdown of service. Nice.

nikonuser

Thomas from Presence wrote: »

Actually you're very lucky there. A written description of your ancestor and a full breakdown of service. Nice.

Thanks so much for that, a great find, don't know how I missed it. Every little snippet may help. Thanks again, Jimmie