Today I came across an 1851 census record for a BRYMER family living at 2 West Port Arbroath[1]. My curiosity was piqued. What causes you to be a Chelsea Pensioner at the age of 28?
Name | Relation | Condition | Age | Occupation | Where Born |
Alexander BRYMER | Head | Married | 60 | Land Measurer | Auchterhouse, Angus |
Janet BRYMER | Wife | Married | 50 | Liff and Benvie, Angus | |
Alexander BRYMER | Son | Unmarried | 28 | Chelsea Pensioner | Auchterhouse, Angus |
Fortunately, I was able to find his army record online which detailed his career from enlistment to medical discharge[2].
Alexander was born in the parish of Newtyle near the town of Dundee. He attested for the 91st Regiment of Infantry on the 9th March 1840 aged 17 years and 8 months and gave his trade as writer – an old Scottish word for solicitor. He enlisted for a Bounty of £3 17s 6d. His description was given as 5 feet 51/2 inches, dark hair, blue eyes and a fresh complexion, with a large brown and hairy mole on the back of his left thigh. His girth around the chest was 31 inches and he bore a satisfactory vaccine cicatrix on either arm.
Alexander served 5 years and 8 months in the Cape of Good Hope between 1842 and 1848. Part of the regiment fought in the 7th Cape Frontier War against the Xhosa people from 1846-1847 but Alexander is not listed in the medal roll.
He was regarded as having good conduct and was promoted to Corporal on 21 May 1843. He was jailed in 1844 and 1845 for drunkenness and remained there for two days on both occasions, being demoted to Private after the second incident. He was promoted to Corporal again in 1848 and then Sergeant in 1849.
He served a total of 10 years and 164 days before being discharged on medical grounds and put on third pay. He is recorded as having necrosis of the tibia and secondary venereal disease which had not responded to 37 days of treatment. On discharge he was described as 5 feet 71/2 inches with brown hair, grey eyes and a sallow complexion.
His pension was stopped on 12 August 1855.
[1] Census. 1851. Scotland. Arbroath, Angus. 272/00 019/00 004. http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk : accessed 10 November 2015.
[2] War Office (Great Britain). Discharge Papers. 24 October 1850. BRYMER, Alexander. Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise’s) – 91st and 93rd Foot. Service Number 1241. Collection: British Army Service Records 1760-1915. http://www.findmypast.co.uk : accessed 10 November 2015.
Brimer-Brymer database last updated at 2016-07-02 00:29:43 with 4028 census records and 2856 individuals