I’m a writer of military history specialising in the Napoleonic Wars. I grew up reading C.S Forester, Dudley Pope, Bernard Cornwell and George MacDonald-Fraser. After writing my own historical fiction series set in the period I have now branched out into non-fiction, and pay the bills by working as a freelance book editor. I live in Warwick in the UK, with my wife, two great kids, two dogs and an unfeasibly large amount of Lego. I bake a very good scone.
If you want to learn more you can follow me on Facebook and Twitter.
Thank you for reading,
Rob Griffith
Daring, Duty & Cunning Plans 
Hello Rob
I greatly enjoyed ‘Riflemen’ and have just received your latest work on Arroyomolinos. You refer in it to the letters of Lt Benjamin Ball of 39th Foot. May I ask if Ball makes any mention of one Ensign Fothergill of the same battalion? The latter is commemorated in a local church and I am researching his life, so to find a letter writer from the same battalion is intriguing. I am wondering if it is worth my while to take a trip to Winchester – whenever the RO opens of course.
Thanks in anticipation.
Ian
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Hi Ian, thanks for your kind comments. I only got a copy of the one of Ball’s letters and Fothergill isn’t mentioned in it. There are plenty of other letters at Winchester, so it may be worth a look. I can see Fothergill on the regimental return for October 1811 so he was at Arroyomolinos. I’ve had a quick look in other sources for him and, as you probably know, he arrived in the Peninsular in April 1810 with 2/39th. Fought at Bussaco, 1st siege of Badajoz, Albuera and then Arroyomolinos. Left Spain with 2/39th March 1812. Exchanged into the 98th in June 1813 to be promoted to Lt. His will, record of service, and an application for the ‘Poor Knights of Windsor’ can be found by searching for his name in the catalogue of the The National Archives. You may also find his ‘memorials’ at the TNA. See my post “How to Win Friends…” Let me know if I can do anything else to help.
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Hello Rob, thanks for your swift response. It was worth asking the question, but a trip to Winchester is the only option now I think. My son is studying history there, but currently from home or it would be a quick down there to say hello and take a look at the letters – when the RO opens of course.
Mr Fothergill is an interesting character for he joined the Coldstreams as a drummer in 1800 and by 1810 was battn Sgt Major. After a spell as the temp Adjutant of the 88th he was promoted without purchase into the 39th. He fought at Oporto, Talavera, Albuera and, I now can be sure, at Arroyomolinos. His company commander, Capt Brine, was seriously wounded at Albuera and although still only an ensign he seems to taken over the company. I presume he served in that capacity at Arroyomolinos.
I am just about to start your chapter on the battle itself, and am really enjoying the read. Almaraz is another episode that I hadn’t taken much notice of until recently, and it was an audacious thing for Hill to undertake wasn’t it. A good job he had Nosey’s confidence – I doubt that many others in the Allied command could have carried this off so well. There is another local man who I’m chasing up who served with the 50th, and I presume he was at Almaraz although I need to get to TNA to confirm. You kindly responded to a question of mine about him on the Napoleonicwars.net forum some months ago.
Thanks again for taking time to look into Mr F. I look forward to your Helion podcast (if that’s the right term for it) next Tuesday.
Best wishes
Ian
I’m sorry if this is my third response, but every time I post th etext appears to disappear!
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Wow, that is an interesting career. It might interest a guy I know who is doing his phd on military musicians of the period.
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Feel free to pass on my contact details, for I’d be happy to assist.
Perhaps I should just get on and finish my short biog of Mr Fothergill.
While on the subject of military musicians your friend might be interested in another that I’ve ‘found’. A fellow from Columbo, Ceylon (as it was then) who was recruited into the 52nd Foot in 1790. He is in one source described as a musician, although there is no indication that he was such in the regiment. I suspect that he was of Dutch extraction and perhaps mixed race, and served with the first battn until his tranfer to the second just before the 1808 expedition to Portugal.
Ian
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Hi Ian – Rob mentioned this exchange to me and I thought I would reach out to you.
I am currently undertaking a PhD on drummers and military bandsmen during the Napoleonic Wars and would be keen to know more about Fothergill’s career, especially any records regarding his early service as a drummer. I trying to compile a list of drummers who managed to attain commissioned rank.
I would also be keen to learn about the fellow from Colombo who was recruited into the 52nd. Black, South Asian and mixed race musicians were commonly employed to perform Turkish-style Janissary percussion instruments. I’m afraid Rob doesn’t have your contact details on hand, but I would appreciate if you would send me an email at: eamonn.okeeffe[AT]history.ox.ac.uk.
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Hi Ian – Rob mentioned this exchange to me and I thought I would reach out to you.
I am currently undertaking a PhD on drummers and military bandsmen during the Napoleonic Wars and would be keen to know more about Fothergill’s career, especially any records regarding his early service as a drummer. I trying to compile a list of drummers who managed to attain commissioned rank.
I would also be keen to learn about the fellow from Colombo who was recruited into the 52nd. Black, South Asian and mixed race musicians were commonly employed to perform Turkish-style Janissary percussion instruments. I’m afraid Rob doesn’t have your contact details on hand, but I would appreciate if you would send me an email at: eamonn.okeeffe[AT]history.ox.ac.uk.
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Hello Eamonn, Rob
My apologies for I presumed that my email address would be visible to Rob – clearly not. I will certainly drop you a line but please bear with me for day or two for I have some things to attend to just now.
My research has not been exhaustive, but I hope that it will nonetheless be of assistance to you – your work sounds fascinating.
My email is – ian.chard@talktalk.net – if required.
Best wishes
Ian
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Hello Rob
I recently became aware of your work through my interest in the 5th Battalion of the 60th. rifles.
My gg grandfather was enlisted and served during the entire campaign in the Pyrenees.
After the wars as many other veterans he came to Canada and was instrumental in the development of a then wilderness town named Valcartier north of Quebec City in the province of Quebec.
An article in the Quebec Chronicle shortly after his death in 1863 details his military career and life in Valcartier. According to the article he was entitled to 16 clasps.
I am always interested in learning as much as I can about him.
I will send you the article and just have to find a way to do so. I know how to send by e-mail but need an e-mail address.
I have ordered your book through Amazon and eagerly await.
Bob Hicks
Landmark, Manitoba
Canada
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Hi Bob, it’s great to here from a descendant of a rifleman of the 5/60th. You are the second Canadian to contact me about one of their ancestors! I’d love to read the article. You can email me at griffithrob@mac.com.
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Hi Rob
I finished,”Riflemen”. Great! I especially liked the way you identified the men in the 5th. battalion who lost their lives. I think it gave a bit of closure after all these years and showed the diversity of the battalion.
I did a bit of digging and discovered there was and still is a village in Poland called, Dubienka. The “Battle of Dubienka” of July 18/1792 seems to have been the last conflict in a Polish/Russian war and saw the Polish army fleeing. One week after the battle Poland capitulated and was partitioned between Austria,Prussia and Russia. Poland had no independent existence for 120 years beginning in 1795.
If my gg grandfather was still in Dubienka at the time he may have fled with his caretakers. He would be 4 or 5 years old and family history says his father was killed in battle.
If he joined the army at 10 as a bugleman it would have been in 1797/1798. Are there any documents available where I could determine when he joined the Lowenstein Jagers? I am also interested in a Jacob Wolff a private in the 5th battalion I believe who appears on the same return of services form of 1806 as my gg grandfather.
Have a good day!
Bob
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Thanks Bob. I really appreciate your comments. I don’t think any of the records of Lowenstein Jägers survived, unfortunately.
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