Coleford Company of Rifle Volunteers - ca. 1880's

My ancestor was a private in the Coleford Company of Rifle Volunteers, serving around the 1880's. I believe this group was part of the 2nd Volunteers Battalion of the Gloucestershire Regiment. This company participated in encampments on Stinchcombe Hill (near Dursley), Wimberry Slade range, Minchinhampton, and Prestbury (near Cheltenham)where they participated in physical competitions with other like companies from Cheltenham, Stow, and Dursley. Please let me know if you have knowledge of, or interest in this company as I have a few articles written at the time regarding their activities which lists names of men participating.

thatchk

We are always interested in adding new material that relates to the Forest of Dean on our Web site. I'm sure many of our visitors would like to read the information you have collected on the Company.

Details of how to send material to us are on our downland page.
http://www.forest-of-dean.net/joomla/resources/documents-and-articles

1st and 2nd Rifle Volunteers (battalions) Gloucestershire Regiment were raised in 1859 like many others in UK against the perceived possibility of war with the French 2nd Empire. They were retitled as Volunteer Battalions in 1887 and as 4th and 5th Battalions, Glos. Regt. in 1908.

Roger

Roger, thank you for the extra information.

I have submitted the articles on the Coleford Company of Rifle Volunteers for posting on this website in the hope others find them interesting, or might find their ancestor listed.

An ancestor of my husband's family who had migrated to Western Australia mentioned in a letter to the Immigration Department that he had served with the Gloucestershire Regiment prior to coming to Australia. His name was Tom Stanley Baker Pritchard. Is his name mentioned in the information that you have?

Debra

Thomas PRITCHARD, Age 29 occupation - Blacksmith, Widower, of Coleford, married Lucy TYLER age 22, of Coleford, (father William TYLER, Wheelwright) 19 May 1865, Newland, Witnesses: William TYLER and Margaret Elliott

1871 Census, Newland, 4 Boxbush Road

Thomas PRITCHARD, 36 - Blacksmith, Born Monmouth
Lucy - 28 - born Newland
Jane 11,(from Thomas 1st marriage to Elizabeth - 1861 census)
Frank 1, Herbert 3 months - all born Newland
Richard Hy TYLER, 16 - Apprentice to Smith, born Newland

Tom Stanley B Pritchard - birth AMJ Qtr 1873, Monmouth

FOD records

15 June 1873, Coleford, parents Thomas (occupation Blacksmith) & Lucy

Tom Stanley B Pritchard - marriage - March Qtr 1903 Monmouth

FOD records

Tom Stanley Baker PRITCHARD, age 29, Bachelor,
occupation: Wheelwright, father Thomas PRITCHARD, Blacksmith,
married
Lizzie HAWKINS, age 28, Spinster, of Broadwell Lane End - 1 January 1903 - witnesses, Purton TUMMEY and Ada HAWKINS

On Ancestry Military Records - British Army WW1 Medal Rolls Index Cards
(On the Soldiers of Gloucester site)

www.glosters.org.uk

this Tom PRITCHARD of Coleford, West Dean Glos, was killed in Action)

1st Gloucestershire Regiment
Thomas PRITCHARD Pte: 15450

MEDAL
Victory: L/101B22 Page 3865
British: Ditto
15 Star L/2B
Kuma?
Theatre of War Served in (1) France
Date of entry therein: 18 February 1815

War Graves Commission site

www.cwgc.org

Thomas - Son of Sarah PRITCHARD, Upper Ellwood, Coleford Glos, and the late William PRITCHARD

Just one mention of a "Private Baker" included in a list of names. No "Tom", "Stanley" or "Pritchard" found.

Name Gender Electoral Year State District Subdistrict View Images

Tom Stanley Pritchard gender 1916 Western Australia Fremantle city

Tom Stanley Pritchard gender 1925 Western Australia Fremantle city

Tom Stanley Pritchard gender 1931 Western Australia Fremantle city

Tom Stanley Pritchard gender 1936 Western Australia Fremantle city

Tom Stanley Pritchard gender 1937 Western Australia Fremantle city

Tom Stanley Baker Pritchard gender 1943 Western Australia Fremantle city

Tom Stanley Baker Pritchard gender 1949 Western Australia Fremantle

off to Oz

+ other off spring
Year: 1904
Month: Jul
Day: 13
Parents_Surname: PRITCHARD
Child_Forenames: Gilbert Frank
Fathers_Forenames: Tom Stanley Baker
Mothers_Forenames: Lizzie
Mothers_Surname:
Residence: Box-bush Road
Occupation: Wheelwright
Officiating_Minister: E.H. Brice
Event: Baptism
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P93 IN 1/8
Page_Number: 23
Parish_Chapel: Coleford

Year: 1903
Month: Jan
Day: 1
Grooms_Surname: PRITCHARD
Grooms_Forenames: Tom Stanley Baker
Grooms_Age: 29
Groom_Condition: Bachelor
Grooms_Occupation: Wheelwright
Grooms_Residence: Coleford
Grooms_Fathers_Surname: Pritchard
Grooms_Fathers_Forenames: Thomas
Grooms_Fathers_Occupation: Blacksmith
Brides_Surname: HAWKINS
Brides_Forenames: Lizzie
Brides_Age: 28
Brides_Condition: Spinster
Brides_Occupation:
Brides_Residence: Broadwell Lane End
Brides_Fathers_Surname: Hawkins
Brides_Fathers_Forenames: Hubert
Brides_Fathers_Occupation: Colliery Proprieter
Licence_or_Banns: Banns
Date_of_Banns:
Signature_or_Mark: Both sign
Witness_1: Purton Tummey
Witness_2: Ada Hawkins
Other_Witnesses:
Officiating_Minister: Edward H. Brice
Event: Marriage
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P 93 IN 1/11
Page_Number: 189
Parish_Chapel: Coleford

1901
Lucy Coors abt 1845 Newland, Gloucestershire, England Head Coleford, Gloucestershire
Tom S B Nitchard abt 1873 Coleford, Gloucestershire, England Son Coleford, Gloucestershire

1891
John W Porter abt 1862 Coleford, Gloucestershire, England Head Roath, Glamorgan
Kate Porter abt 1861 Coleford, Gloucestershire, England Wife Roath, Glamorgan
Francis H Porter abt 1874 Coleford, Gloucestershire, England Brother Roath, Glamorgan
Tom Pritchard abt 1874 Coleford, Gloucestershire, England Nephew Roath, Glamorgan

1881
William Tyler abt 1813 Eng Bicknor, Gloucestershire, England Head Newland, Gloucestershire
Harriet Tyler abt 1815 Llangarron, Hereford, England Wife Newland, Gloucestershire
Tom Pritchard abt 1874 Coleford, Gloucestershire, England Grandson Newland, Gloucestershire

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Ἀριστοτέλης A Gloster & Hereford Boy in the Forest of Dean ><((((*>

Thank you all for taking the time to send your replies. I have all the birth, death, marriage, migration and census information, but the comment in the letter I have about being in the Gloucestershire Regiment before arrival in Fremantle was of interest to me.

Debra

Details are now on the Web site

Coleford_Company_of_Rifle_Volunteers.pdf

Newspaper Clippings
http://www.forest-of-dean.net/joomla/resources/documents-and-articles

A very ingteresting article, thank you for sharing it.

Under the heading "Volunteer Prize Shooting at Coleford" there is mention of a Sergeant Christie. Does anyone have a suggestion as to how I can find out the christian name of Sergeant Christie?

I was interested in a more accurate date for the articles.

So far I,m sure that Sir Thomas Hyde Crawley-Boevey, 5th Baronet (1837-1912) is mentioned - links to Flaxley and Highgrove House.

The Coleford Surgeon mentioned is Peter Buchanan, who appears in the 1881 census onwards in Coleford
http://www.forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?id=15731

1902
BUCHANAN Peter, surgeon M. B., C. M., Glas. med. officer & public vaccinator, Coleford district, Monmouth union, & medical officer of health to the Coleford Urban District Council & West Dean Rural District Council & certifying factory surgeon, Bank house Coleford

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Ἀριστοτέλης A Gloster & Hereford Boy in the Forest of Dean ><((((*>

One of my relatives Pte Brown was in the Coleford Company of Rifle Volunteers. I have a newspaper clipping that I sent in called the Coleford_Volunteers_Prize_Shooting.pdf that is similar to the Coleford_Company_of_Rifle_Volunteers.pdf on this site. I would like to know more about this group, what exactly they were, what did they do, and when did they exist? I'm not sure who Pte Brown is yet and need to do more research.

Thanks - Dave

I'm not an expert on non regular troops but gleaned this from www.ordersofbattle.com.

12th Gloucestershire Rifle Volunteers Corps established FoD 21st April 1860 (battalion size). Absorbed (ie reduced)into 2nd Gloucestershire Rifle Volunteers Corps as G Company 13th April 1880.

What all this was about was the 2nd French Empire of Napoleon III. By 1859, war with France was contemplated and the RV's were raised all over the country by county. Forts in Portsmouth harbour and Hurst Castle at Keyhaven, Hants. etc. etc.

By 1881 (Cardwell Reforms), number of GRV battalions reduced to two, 1st and 2nd. 1887 as 4th and 5th Battalions, Gloucestershire Regiment. These two survived (in TF/TA?) until 1930's when reorg. as 66 Searchlight Regiment and 48th Battalion, Recce Corps.

If you want to see what they looked like, enter Rifle Volunteers in your search engine (images). Mainly grey uniforms by the look of it, French style from inception then German style from 1878.

Hi Dave,
nothing to add to Roger's excellent reply, except to say searching the net suggests Gloucestershire Archives may be worth a visit re the FoD Volunteer Companies. This pdf document is their comprehensive (250 pages!) guide to "Sources for Military History", it covers all eras but still has several pages abt the Volunteers, included in their list of items held within the Archives is

"1877 Nominal roll of the Coleford and Newnham Companies of the Glos Rifle Volunteer Corps. D1768/3"
https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/media/2038/sourcesformilitaryhistory-11841.pdf

Gloucestershire Archives: Clarence Row, Alvin Street, Gloucester, GL1 3DW
Tel: (01452) 425295
Fax: (01452 426378)
Website: http://archives.gloucestershire.gov.uk

------------------------------------------------------

This page of the Glosters Regimental Museum website covers the 1800s period, a time of perhaps surprisingly-high active service for the British Army across the world.
http://www.glosters.org.uk/textonly_timeline/4

This section of the site starts:
"In the late 1850's a new French threat was perceived and one Captain John Evat Acklom, late of Her Majesty's 28th North Gloucestershire Regiment, has a good claim to being the originator of a new [national] Volunteer movement, one which has continued to exist, through many changes, up to the present day.

In December 1858 Acklom wrote a letter to The Times, entitled "Ready! or England for ever safe from the Invaders" and bombarded Parliament, the War Office and numerous people of influence with his proposals concerning the formation of a Volunteer Rifle Corps. Popularised by Prince Albert and the Poet Laureate, Volunteer fever swept the country.

"THERE is a sound of thunder afar,
Storm in the south that darkens the day,
Storm of battle and thunder of war,
Well, if it do not roll our way.
Form! form! Riflemen form!
Ready, be ready to meet the storm !
Riflemen, riflemen, riflemen form !"

Alfred Lord Tennyson, "The War" 1859.

This highly recommended site also includes a Gallery of photos of some of the Volunteers:
http://glosters.tripod.com/Volpics.html

Some excellent images from Jeff. I did not mention 6th Battalion as raised 1900, no doubt due to Boer War. He looks to be wearing a red or scarlet coat.

Many foresters probably served in units like the RV's. Difficult to find them though. A brother, Thomas Henry, of my grandfather was in the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers Militia for 2 years and 33 days to 29th May 1893. He was an iron miner living in Soudley. Only reason I know was from his induction records into the Metropolitan Police 1900. I tried to find additional info. from the PRO Kew. The file did not have much in it. However, personnel strength at a date in 1893 was 3,000 officers and men. Must have been the strongest unit in the whole British Army. Miners from western Monmouthshire and FoD would have been very much in evidence.

Thanks Roger for mentioning the Royal Monmouthshire R.E. Militia who have long been based at Monmouth Castle. I'm sure you already know this Roger, but it may hopefully interest others to know this venerable Regiment still exists as the most Senior unit of the Territorial Army.
For more current information see
http://www.rfca-wales.org.uk/unit10.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Monmouthshire_Royal_Engineers

Since the C16th the Regiment has been based at Monmouth Castle where a fine Museum and Archive is also housed.
http://www.monmouthcastlemuseum.org.uk/index.html

The Regiment also has this excellent website which includes records of almost 7000 soldiers dating from 1786. These may be searched/browsed free-of-charge to hopefully find ancestors. Most of the pre-WW1 records are quite detailed often giving each man's enlistment details such as appearance, home address, etc. Even if you don't have a specific target soldier the "Quick Search" line allows easy and interesting browsing. For example, entering my home town "Cinderford" gave records for forty men most from the 1880s era, ditto for "Lydbrook", and so on.

http://www.monmouthcastlemuseum-archives.org.uk/regsearch.php

Thank you Jeff. I have been there before and noted details of a man who may have been my gggrandfather James Griffiths 1792 - 1857. Only trouble is his birthplace was given as Ditton (Monmouth) not Mitcheltroy. If so, Royal Monmouth and Brecon Militia, 1809 - 1813 when transferred to 56th Regiment. Don't know whether I will ever prove it, but one can always live in hope.

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Coleford Company of Rifle Volunteers - ca. 1880's (General)