Soldiers' References

The series consists of original correspondence 1860-1873, and registers of correspondence 1829-1873 (see Z/L/MIL/5/16-43), received by the Company and the India Office Military Departments from soldiers and their relatives. A wide variety of subjects are covered, including: enquiries on the whereabouts of soldiers; applications for medals, prize money, allowances, discharge papers, free passage for a family, and pensions; claims to a deceased soldier's estate; miscellaneous statements and certificates in support of claims. This kind of correspondence, from and about NCOs and private soldiers, was entitled 'Soldiers' References' and it was kept separately from the main series of Home Correspondence. After 1873 the quantity had declined so much following the demise of the Company's European regiments, that the practice was abandoned and such letters were regarded as normal Home Correspondence (see L/MIL/2). The registers (Z/L/MIL/5/16-43) give the date of receipt, name and address of correspondent, name or description of subject, date of reply, and brief details of the reply or disposal of the letter. Most of them are fully indexed. The register numbers run from 1-2712 for June 1829 to September 1830, 1-68072 for June 1831to April 1858, 1-22106 for April 1858 to April 1860, and then in a new sequence for each year. But the correspondence has survived only for the annual sequences beginning in April 1860. Each letter was marked with its register number and it was then tied up, in numerical order, in a bundle of one or two hundred. Extensive weeding took place before binding and only about one half of the correspondence registered between 1860 and 1873 is extant.

A small number of Soldiers' References for 1839 to 1853 can be found at Mss Eur F749.

Unrestricted