Document Record

Creator

Great Britain. War Office.

Title

Great Britain. War Office : muster books and pay lists, general (WO 12)

Identifier

lac_mikan_104701
MG 13 WO 12
Government
Military
Foreign relations
oocihm.lac_mikan_104701

Document source

Library and Archives Canada / Bibliothèque et Archives Canada

Language

English

Description

The War Office was a department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence. The War Office developed from the Council of War, an ad hoc grouping of the King and his senior military commanders which oversaw the Kingdom of England's frequent wars and campaigns. A number of older institutions, notably the Board of Ordnance (which dates from the 15th century), were merged to form the War Office. It worked alongside the Admiralty, and was responsible for the Royal Navy, and the (much later) Air Ministry, which oversaw the Royal Air Force.
This collection consists of muster rolls and pay lists for the Household Troops, Cavalry, Guards, the regular regiments of the line, special regiments or corps, colonial troops, various foreign legions and troops, and general states and musters of regimental and other depots. Muster rolls and pay lists record the name, rank, military station and period of service of each man in a unit. In rare instances, muster rolls include the place and date of birth, trade, place and date of enlistment, and date of death or reason for absence if the individual was missing from his unit. Pay lists record rate of pay. It includes muster rolls and pay lists for the British regiments of the line at Louisbourg and Quebec, 1759-1767; British North American fencible regiments, 1791-1798 and 1812-1816; the de Meuron and de Watteville regiments, 1795-1816; and Canadian Volunteers, 1838-1839.

URL

https://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_mikan_104701