Help needed to find papers for a Pte in the 53rd and 99th Regiments.

[azyeoman]

If anyone can help, it will be MOST appreciated! I cannot locate any papers for the fellow below. It's a very common name, but Fold3 etc only have his medal rolls information. Again, any help with his service or attestation papers would be heartily appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

An Indian Mutiny Medal and China clasp Pekin 1860 pair awarded to Private George Smith, 99th late 53rd Regiments of Foot. Both medals are confirmed on the rolls. The Indian Mutiny Roll mentions that he was discharged on 24 November 1859 from the 53rd Ft.

 

171 Pte. George Smith, 53rd Ft. (Shropshire) Later volunteered to the 99th Ft. (Lanarkshire) where he served as 1319 Pte. George Smith.

 

Smith was still serving in 1871 with the 99th Regt. (Duke of Edinburgh’s) at Parkhurst, Isle of Wight.
The 99th Regiment provided the guard for the Royal Pavillion at Aldershot

 

 

[azyeoman]

Fortunately, many on another forum were able to help me find the info on "George Smith". 

 

So,  here is the biographical info etc. on "George Smith". I'm especially grateful to Kevin Asplin for his expertise at the NA and for researching and providing all the papers need that opened the door to further ancestral research on FMP. He does exceptional work and quickly too, all for a modest fee.

 

'George Smith' was an alias; his real name was John Virgo Skip. His real name wasn’t noted until April 1876, but the census returns, birth and death details as well as the 99th’s Pay Roster of 1 July to 30 September 1876 all confirm that was his real name. He was born in Lambeth in 1838. His father John Skip (1814-) was a greengrocer, and his mother was Ann Skip (1816-). He had a younger brother, William who was born in 1840. They had an 18-year-old domestic servant Elizabeth Read living with them. Later, John Virgo was a porter, and enlisted in the 53rd at Westminster Police Court on 19 October 1854 when he was 19 years old.

 

When with the 53rd Ft. He was a Pte. From 19 Oct. 1857 to 19 June 1858. He went AWAOL at Christmas 1857 and was tried and imprisoned on 31 Dec 1857 until 19 January 1858. He was released and continued to serve in the 53rd Ft. until 31 January 1866 when he transferred to the 99th Regt as a private. He was promoted to Corporal on 16 January 1866 and served as such until 12 June 1867. He reengaged in Natal for 11 years and was promoted to Serjeant on 1 September 1869. He went AWOL again on 13 Oct 1869 and was arrested and tried on 14/15 Oct. 1869. He was reduced in rank to private on 16 Oct. 1869 and served as such until 9 Nov 1878 when he left the forces at Chatham. Despite his two trials by court martial for being AWOL, and entered four times in the Regimental Defaulters Book, he had four good conduct badges. He served a total of 21 years and 15 days. He served over a year and a half in the East Indies (India); over five years in China and about a year and a half in the Cape of Good Hope. He was 40.5 years old and 5’6.5” tall with a fresh complexion, hazel eyes and light brown hair. His intended place of residency was Newnham, Gloucester. In the 1881 census, he was married to Eliza Saunders who was a dressmaker and five years older than he was. They married in 1878 and were living in Paddington (Marylebone), London She was from Blakeney, Gloucester. He put his place of birth as Camberwell, Surry and his profession as a Verger.