William Dagwell - Royal Newfoundland Regiment of Foot 1795

[Aidehua]

Hello to you all,

I'm trying to find out how I can locate records for the Royal Newfoundland Regiment of Foot raised in 1795 in St John's.

I'm trying to track a William Dagwell who was recorded in the regimental Muster List as a private with an enlistment date of 4 September, 1795. I know the regiment was raised in St John’s, Newfoundland in 1795 with troops being drawn from local volunteers and British soldiers who were already in the army garrison in St John's.

He does not seem to appear in the 1794 Census of St John's, which makes me think he might have been a member of the garrison force.

There are baptismal records for 4 children of a William and Sarah Dagwell in the Anglican Cathedral in St. John's between 1802 and 1819.

My task is to try to backtrack him to England and among my problems is the fact that I'm an Australian, who lives and works in China and thus a little out of the Canadian genealogical main stream.

William's first appearance seems to be on the 1795 muster list. Thus far, I  can find no earlier record in Newfoundland.

Any help or advice in locating whatever records exist for the regiment would be very much appreciated.

Edward

 

[dannybou]

Did a quick look and found a possibility but doubt it is the same couple:

Source: Hampshire Allegations for Marriage Licenses Granted by the Bishop of Winchester, 1689 - 1837, Volume 1 page 212

DAGWELL, William of Bishop's Waltham, b, and Sarah APPS of the s., sp. 21, at B.W. 24 Dec 1805.

 

[Aidehua]

dannybou,

Thank you for the "heads up" on the William Dagwell and Sarah Apps marriage.

You're right; they are not the William and Sarah from St John's. They are however, part of the broader family of Dagwells in Hampshire.

They migrated to the US and settled in Oswego in NY state in the earl 1820s.

Kind regards,

Edward

 

[dannybou]

I've checked two books I have.

1. British Army pensioners abroad: No Dagwells.
2. The Folhorn Hope: In 1795, Newfoundland was garrisoned by the 4th King's Own Royal, Lancaster (F)

So it is possible that William Dagwell was a member of this regiment prior to the Newfoundland Fencibles.

There is a series of microfilms at Library and Archives Canada of the WO97 series relating to the Royal Newfoundland Companies 1760-1854 which might be worth a look. There is also a seemingly complete WO120 series pertaining to Canada as well.

 

[Aidehua]

Dannybou,

Once again, thank you for some more helpful information; I'll see if I can persuade a friend in Ottawa to follow up your leads.

Someone from the Museum Committee of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment Regimental Advisory Council has undertaken to check whatever records are extant within that organization. Hopefully, that might give a lead or two as well.

Thank you,

Edward