Edinburgh, Scotland, Army Attestation Registers, 1796-1857

Source Information

Ancestry.com. Edinburgh, Scotland, Army Attestation Registers, 1796-1857 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2022.
Original data: SL54 Army Attestation Registers 1796-1857. Edinburgh, Scotland: Edinburgh City Archives.

About Edinburgh, Scotland, Army Attestation Registers, 1796-1857

General collection information

This collection contains attestation records from Edinburgh, Scotland for recruits into the army between 1796 and 1857 and all records are handwritten in English. Also included are full time members of volunteer regiments, such as drummer boys, and those who chose to join the militia rather than the regular army although these were few in number.

Records in the collection may include the following information:

  • Person's name
  • Attestation date
  • Attestation age
  • County of residence
  • Parish of residence
  • Regiment
  • Occupation (labeled "designation")
  • Physical description
  • Name of recruiter
  • Name of magistrate witnessing the attestation

    • This collection is a valuable genealogical resource, as it offers verified dates of attestation that can help you trace your ancestor's military career. The records also include information about your family member's parish, which can help in tracing other family members.

    Please note that writing from this time period uses the medial s. If the letter "s" appears in the middle of a word, it will be written in a form that resembles a lowercase "f."

    Collection in context

    Scottish regiments recruited in many areas but the oaths had to be taken at the main military centre, as Edinburgh then was, which explains the wide-ranging parishes of origin. Another point of interest is that the registers include foreign nationals who could join the regular army on the condition that they swore the oath. This was particularly noticeable during the Napoleonic Wars.

    Bibliography

    The National Archives. "British Army Soldiers up to 1913." Last modified December 2, 2021. https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/british-army-soldiers-up-to-1913/.

    National Records of Scotland. "Military Records." Last modified 2022. https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/research/research-guides/research-guides-a-z/military-records.

    Undiscovered Scotland. "Military Scotland." Last modified September 4, 2018. https://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/usscotfax/history/military.html.