WWI and Erskine House.....

[annpa]

Don't know whether this is the right forum.

Have been trying to find the death of my Grandmother's brother, JAMES KELLY. He was born in 1880 in Falkirk and fought at the Dardanelles in 1915. He was badly wounded (lost both legs) and was shipped back home, and ended up at Erskine House, where he stayed until his death in the 1950s.
I have written to Erskine House to try and find some details about him, but have received no answer.
Does anyone know how I can find out about servicemen who spent their time at Erskine House?

One problem is that I don't know his regiment, though I remember we did have some "Seaforth Highlanders" shoulder badges. That may be a red herring but it's the nearest I can get.
His family had come over from the West of Ireland so there would have been no tradition of a special regiment. What would the usual regiments be for the Falkirk area?
He would have been 35 in 1915 and I wonder whether he would have been a serving soldier before the war as opposed to a volunteer. I cannot find him in the 1901 census, so this is one possibility for an occupation.

Would his death be in the normal Death register on SP or are military deaths held somewhere else?

Thanks in advance for all you help.

[AndrewP]

Does anyone know how I can find out about servicemen who spent their time at Erskine House?

I've had a look at their website http://www.erskine.org.uk and I cannot find any information about records or archives. The nearest are the contact details, but you have tried that route.

Would his death be in the normal Death register on SP or are military deaths held somewhere else?

As he died in Scotland, his death should hve been registered in Scotland, and hence be held by GROS at New Register House.

Whether his death is on SP depends when in the 1950s he died. Deaths on SP are covered by a 50 year closure rule. Hence the most recent deaths currently available there are for 1954. Newer ones should appear there each year, as the 50 years closure terms expire.

The 50 year closure is only for online access. If you (or someone on your behalf) is visiting NRH, births, marriages and deaths up to 2003 are available.

All the best,

Andrew Paterson

[Morag]

Hi Annpa

Most of my relatives from the Falkirk area were in the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders - but I think there were no hard and fast rules !

Morag

[nancy]

Hi Annpa,this sounds very much like the person i used to hear my family talking about.I was brought up in George St Paisley,and am sure my dad's family knew of him and other Kellys.My cousin's older than me,and she'll be able to tell me tomorrow.I tried phoning a wee while ago and couldn't get her,so i'll see her first thing tomorrow.Hope it's the same person. Cheers Nancy.

[annpa]

Thanks to you all for your replies. I'm coming to the conclusion that I'll have to come up to Scotland for a few days and go to Register House to see if I can find James. I've searched SP up to the available 1954, but am sure I remember my grandmother going over for his funeral when I was younger than that, but memory's a fickle thing. I'm sure he died before I went to boardingschool in 1956, but that still gives me a couple of years to wait for SP to publish.

Apart from the Public Record Office at Kew, is there a specialist site or organisation that has records of WWI servicemen and Erskine House inmates?
Cheers

[annpa]

Have just found the Armed forces Forum, so I'll away and bother them! thanks for all your help.

[Skywave]

Having read your Query about James Kelly I searched the NA for Seaforth Highlanders during WW1 and came up with a few records, to many to view at £3.50 a time without the Regimental Number. I also looked up the potted Regimental History for the Seaforth Highlanders and could find no record of them having served in the Dardenelles. Not much help eh! I do however have a contact within the hierarchy at Erskine and have emailed him with the info you gave. I dont know if the info you seek is held in confidence but am confident that if he can help he will. Will keep you informed either way.

[annpa]

ThanksSkywave

Just before I read your post I had decided to contact Erskine House again just in case they never got the first communication. So we're coming at them from both directions!
I just don't have any further info on him and there's no-one left in the family who could help.
Cheers, and thanks again