LOYAL TAY FENCIBLES
By David Thomson
LOYAL TAY FENCIBLES
By David Thomson
Military lists usually give the essential information required by family historians and genealogists - i.e. age and in which parish born, and trade. Scotland, of course, did not have a standing army before the 17th century and Scots became mercenaries in other people's armies usually on the continent. There are some army lists compiled at the Restoration and records within the State papers relating to Scotland published by H.M.S.O., and in the Register of the Privy Council. After 1707 the records of the armed services are held in London in the Public Record Office, and in the National Army Museum and the Central Army Library. Regimental Museums in Scotland also hold records as does the United Services Museum in Edinburgh.
Archives of the Volunteer and Militia Forces also exist, sometimes in County and Lieutenancy Records, as well as those in papers of regiments themselves. Thus, it is difficult in Scotland to obtain access to these lists and papers.
Fencible Regiments were historically raised by the Heritors under feudal obligations at such times as necessary as, for example, during the Civil War from 1639 to 1651, and at other times of unrest. They were also raised at the time of the Napoleonic Wars, when there was a panic in the land, a French invasion being feared. The Loyal Tay Fencibles was such a regiment, raised in 1794, and taking its enlisted men from Central and Lowland Scotland, including Fife and Forfar, and also from England. It was a regiment of foot, and spent sometime in Ireland until December 1801, when it marched from Ballymena to Belfast, via Antrim, proceeding thereafter to Portpatrick, thence to Stranraer, Wigtown and Port William, and spent sometime in Glasgow and Stirling. In 1802 Scotland had ben divided into several Military Districts for Army purposes, and Fife was in Center District with Angus, Perth, Kinross, Clackmannan, Stirling and Dumbarton, H.Q. being in Perth, under temporary overall Command of Lieutenant General Richard Vyse, in the temporary absence of Major General Sir James St Clair Erskine.
The Colonel of the Regiment was Colonel Robert Anstruther of Balcaskie. In addition to him and Lieutenant Colonel the Hon. David Leslie, there were over 70 Commissioned and Warrant Officers, and over 200 Sergeants, Corporals and Drummers classified together. There were also more than 1400 enlisted men during the time the regiment existed, it being disbanded sometime after 1802.
In order to enlist, a man had to sign the following declaration: "1, [Name] do make Oath that I am a Protestant and and by Trade a [Trade name], and to the best of my Knowledge and Belief was born in the Parish of ________ in the _________ Of ____________. and that I have no Ruptur, nor ever was troubled with Fits, that I am in no way disabled by Lameness or otherwise, but have the perfect use of my Limbs, and that I have voluntarily enlisted myself to serve His Majesty King George the Third as a private soldier in the _________ Regiment of ____________ , commanded by __________ and that I am no Apprentice, nor belong to any Militia or any other Regiment, or to His Majesty's Navy, and that I have received all the enlisting money which I have agreed to. As witness my Hand this day of 17.."
Thereafter the man was examined by a surgeon, who signed a declaration as to the Height, Complexion, Hair, Eyes, and age of the man, and declared him fit for His Majesty's Service. Those details were then entered into a Description Book, containing the details of all the enlisted men in the Regiment. In this the heights of the men range from 4' 10" to 5' 10" with about three or more over 6' . Ages range from 13 to 50. Complexion, eye and hair colour are given, as well as his age, and the County and Parish where born, where enlisted, when and by whom, details of casualties and observations, and when discharged. Presumably on discharge, a person would return to the area in which he enlisted.
We show below, details of men from the County of Fife, as a possible aid to Fife genealogists, giving the name, age, parish in Fife in which born, trade, place enlisted and when, and whether they were casualties or discharged. If not discharged, they would be disbanded with the Regiment.
The lists below are separated to show those who enlisted in the periods October 1794 - June 1795, June 1795 - August 1801.
Men Enlisted between October 1794 and June 1795
Men Enlisted between June 1795 and August 1801
October 1794-June 1795
June 1795-August 1801