Genealogy Chat

Thanks to assistance I received on the Find Ancestors board, I found the British Army Records for my grandfather spanning 1885-1904.

On Find My Past I found good quality copies and on Ancestry I found virtually identical records but in different handwriting and of poorer quality.

How can the same records exist in 2 different forms?

Fred in Canada

If the handwriting was different, they couldn't be the same Records.

Was one set 'Service' and the other 'Pension'?

Ancestry carry only WW1 records............

And all of these are now nearly 100 years old.................

They are identical. For example, there is a form called Military History Sheet that has next of kin, marriage, education etc. and the entries are identical but in different handwriting. And yes, the files was found in "British Army WWI Service Records" but they cover 1885-1904.

As long as the info recorded is accurate............................

No doubt about accuracy - just curious about the record keeping and wondered if people with more experience than me have encountered the same situation.

Could they be separate copies - one transcribed for Ancestry and one transcribed for Find My Past - from the original documents?

They both appear to be original documents with signs of aging and initials opposite each entry. If anything, one would be a forgery as opposed to a transcrition.

If anyone is interested I can send scans of each in a personal message.

It seems to me there are 2 versions of the guy's file - probably versions not copies.

I had 2 brothers, say William John Bennett and Walter James Bennett, both serving in the Canadian Corps (so maybe their standards didn't match the British Army's). Anyways, I sent off for Walter's service file - got 60+ pages (over half medical), but including 6 misfiled pages of William's record. I wouldn't have thought it beyond the bounds of possibility that the Brits could misfile your guy's entire record, and he be asked to recreate a new one - I can't imagine things like n.o.k and dependents, unit postings, etc, changing much between the 2 versions.

I also note that FMP and Ancestry haven't indexed the same set of records (except for lists of the dead).

Ancestry has:

British Army WWI Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920
British Army WWI Pension Records 1914-1920
British Army WWI Service Records, 1914-1920

FMP has:
Chelsea Pensioners British Army Service Records 1760-1913
Militia Service Records 1806-1915

I'm guessing your guy served pre-war, then either got called up out of the reserves, or re-enlisted - (so he probably has a WW1 medal card too).

Just checked my grandfather's WW1 Service Record and at least one form (Medical History) is duplicated - same info, different handwriting. The Army probably did everything in triplicate!

I also have two versions of my other grandfather's Navy Record - one downloaded from the National Archives, the other the image of the one my grandfather kept. These two do have some differences in dates.

Thanks everyone. I thought I discovered a parallel universe.