14 Aug 2023
I’ve been writing the story of the Suffolk Hinksmans and reviewing some of the records I have searched. Ancestry have some images of the British Army Muster Books and Pay Lists, 1812-1817 available which are partially searchable. Back in 2021 I had extracted all mentions of William Hinksman from the records of the 2nd Battalion between 1813 and 1815 when it was disbanded (WO12/2266). I saved images of each page I had previously referenced.
I remembered that there was another Hinksman (John) and searched for him, finding him in Ancestry’s other set of records of the 4th, this time of the 1st Battalion between 1815 and 1816 (WO12/2207). I found some images, but then, in the muster rolls for September 1816 I spotted William Hinksman again, alongside John. I browsed through and extracted all the mentions I could find:
WO12; Piece 2207; 4th Foot 1st Battalion Muster Books and Pay Lists 1815 - 1816
Quarterly pay list 25 Jun 1816 to 24 Sep 1816; Infantry abroad; Digital image 433
William Hinksman, serjeant, 26 Jul to 24 Sep 1816, company 7; 51 days paid; …. depo… 1st Regt… … to 25 July; battalion stationed at Camp in France
Quarterly pay list 25 Sep 1816 to 24 Dec 1816; Infantry abroad; Digital image 495
William Hinksman, serjeant, 25 Sep to 24 Dec 1816, company 7; 91 days paid; battalion stationed in France
Quarterly pay list 25 Dec 1815 to 24 Mar 1816; Infantry at home; Digital image 563
William Hinksman, serjeant, 10 Jan to 24 Mar 1816; 75 days paid; battalion stationed at Deal
Quarterly pay list 25 Mar 1816 to 24 Apr 1816; Infantry at home; Digital image 609
William Hinksman, serjeant, 25 Mar to 24 Apr 1816, 31 days paid; battalion stationed at Deal
Quarterly pay list 25 Apr 1816 to 24 May 1816; Infantry at home; Digital image 651
William Hinksman, serjeant, 25 Apr to 24 May 1816, 30 days paid; battalion stationed at Deal
Quarterly pay list 25 May 1816 to 24 Jun 1816; Infantry at home; Digital image 687
William Hinksman, serjeant, 25 May to 24 Jun 1816; battalion stationed at Deal
Quarterly pay list 25 Jun 1816 to 24 Jul 1816; Infantry at home; Digital image 697
William Hinksman, serjeant, 25 Jun to 24 Jul 1816; battalion stationed at Deal
Quarterly pay list 25 Jul 1816 to 24 Aug 1816; Infantry at home; Digital image 707
William Hinksman, serjeant, 25 Jul to 26 Jul 1816; To Regt. 26th July; battalion stationed at Deal
So it seems that after the 2nd Battalion was disbanded, William was transferred to the 1st but remained in Deal, having missed the Battle of Waterloo on the 18th June 1815. He was transferred to France in July 1816 and stayed to at least the end of 1816. The regimental history says that the 4th’s strength was reduced to 45 serjeants around this time. The regiment stayed in France until 29th October 1818. They returned to England and almost immediately set sail for the West Indies, arriving in Barbados in April 1819, remaining there until 1826.
To find out what became of William I need to consult the following:
- WO12/2208, 4th Foot 1st Battalion 1817-1819
- WO12/2209, 4th Foot 1st Battalion 1820-1822
- WO12/2210, 4th Foot 1st Battalion 1823-1825
I also haven’t seen records from the following earlier records, which might also mention William:
- WO12/2205, 4th Foot 1st Battalion 1809-1811
- WO12/2206, 4th Foot 1st Battalion 1812-1814
- WO12/2264, 4th Foot 2nd Battalion 1807-1809
- WO12/2265, 4th Foot 2nd Battalion 1810-1812
