McCORMICK, Charles 1
- Born: About 1780, Urney, County Tyrone, Ireland 2
- Marriage (1): McCANN, Ann
- Died: Between 1841 and 1851
General Notes:
Charles McCormick was recorded several times as a soldier; either as a private, or a discharged soldier. There is a record extant which is likely to be him. The record is found in British Army Service Records 1760-1915 held at the National Archives and transcribed and available online.
It is a statement of service, drawn up in the 1st Battalion of the 62nd Regiment of Infantry of which General Samuel Hulse was the commanding officer, and dated 1817, of a soldier being discharged for 'pulmonary complaints' and offers details of the soldier's service with a view to estimating his army pension. The soldier is Private Charles McCormick born in the parish of Urney in or near the town of Strabane in the County of Tyrone. When he signs he makes his X mark. Private McCormick is being discharged after a service totalled to 23 years and 17 days, after he had reached the age of 18 years. He is described physically in the statement as fifty years of age, five feet nine inches in height, with black hair and gray eyes, fair complexion, and by trade or occupation a butcher. It also states that his conduct as a soldier has been "Reported Very Bad".
His service is itemised as follows:
4th Dragoons 8 Jan. 1794 to 16 Aug. 1799 5yrs 221 days
57th Foot 5 Dec.1799 to 6 Dec. 1802 3 yrs 1 day*
11th Foot 7 Dec.1802 to 10 Apr. 1806 3 yrs 125 days*
64th Foot 11 Apr.1806 to 24 Dec. 1814 9 yrs 259 days*
62nd Foot 25 Dec.1815 to 14 May 1817 1 yr 141 days = 23yrs 17days
The asterisked days were also entered in the column for service in the East or West Indies, giving a total of time served there as 14 yrs and 20 days.
On the reverse side is another set of figures. After 'Charles McCormick aged 50 is written:
Served - 1 5/12 (years)
4 Dns 57ft 11ft 64th - 21 8/12 (years)
These two lines correspond to the figures listed above 'Served' being 62nd Foot, and all done as years and parts thereof. Then is added
India 14 - 7 (years)
This appears to be the total of the asterisked entries for the East or West Indies, East Indies including the Indian subcontinent.
A new total is achieved of 30 1/12 (years).
The main obstacle to accepting this soldier as this Charles McCormick is his stated age. If he was in fact 50 years old in 1817 then he was born about 1777. Whereas this Charles McCormick 1841 census has his age recorded at 50 to 54 years. This is not an unsurmountable obstacle, however, since the variability of ages given in census returns, especially by non literate people from oral cultures, is legendary. This Charles dies before 1851, so it is entirely possible that he was born in the mid to late 1770s.
1841 Census:
Charles McCormick was first named in a household living at 'Craigs Close No 60 Old Wynd' in the St Enoch's district of Glasgow. He was recorded in the 50-54 years age bracket, and was a native of Ireland, as were Anne McCormick, aged 45-49 years, and (presumably) their two eldest children, Hugh McCormick, aged 19 years, and Sarah McCormick aged 17 years. The other four children were recorded as born in the census county: Anne, 14 years, Jean 12 years, Elizabeth 5 years, and Charles 2 years. If true, this would indicate that the family had come to Lanarkshire, Scotland from Ireland at least 14 years earlier, but not more than 17 years earlier, in other words between 1824 and 1827 approximately. Charles by occupation was recorded a 'Lab P.', census abbreviation for a labourer and a (n Army) pensioner.
In the 1863 marriage certificate of his daughter Eliza, Charles McCormick was recorded as 'private soldier deceased'.
In the death certificate of his son, Hugh, in 1868 Charles McCormick was recorded as having been a Private in the 79th Foot. He was deceased by that date.
In the death certificate of his daughter Sarah in 1883 Charles was referred to as a 'Pensioner Private 74th Foot deceased)'. 2 3 4
Research Notes:
SIR SAMUEL HULSE
Samuel Hulse was born in 1747/8 and died in 1837. he held many political and military offices and rose to be a Field Marshal. He was Colonel of the 62nd Regiment of Foot between 1810 and 1837.
URNEY PARISH
This parish was split between the barony of Raphoe, part of County Donegal, and the barony of Strabane, part of County Tyrone. Most of the parish is in the latter county. The life there was a rural one with linen manufacture to augment earnings.
Charles married Ann McCANN, daughter of Dennis McCANN and Ann CAHILL. (Ann McCANN was born between 1791 and 1796 in County Donegal, Ireland,1 died 11 June 1855 at 6.00 pm in 64 Govan Street, Hutchesontown, Glasgow, Scotland 1 and was buried in Burial Ground, Gorbals, Glasgow, Scotland.). The cause of her death was consumption over 6 weeks.
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