Military Attestation Papers, 1800-1915, for Ireland, Wales and Scotland join Ancestry

Ancestry teased us with this Scotland, Ireland and Wales, Militia Attestation Papers, 1800-1915 collection a month or so back, but no records were searchable. Now they are, all 129,682 of them. A crude 'Event in Ireland' search suggests nearly 43,000 records relate to boys and men who were either born in Ireland or attested in Ireland.

A sample result from a search of Ancestry's new collection

Attestation forms were filled in at the time of recruitment and records often include information about physical appearance and details of previous service.

The following information can be found, where available:

Name
Name of relative(s)
Relationship to serviceman
Place and date of birth
Place and date of Enlistment
Gender
Regiment and unit
Service rank
Service number

As you can see from the image above, Ancestry's search results provide plenty of useful information. If you want to see images of the attestation papers, which may or may not reveal additional details, you'll need a subscription to Fold3.

The original records are held in WO96 at the National Archives, Kew, England.


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