Topic: War.

My Great Great Grand Uncle John Lyle, eldest son of Scottish weaver and/or farmer Robert Lyle (1768-1793) and Mary Cochrane (1765-1797) was born in Paisley on Feb 24 1789. He was to die of yellow fever in Uppark Military Camp, Jamaica on June 16, 1822, aged 33 and at that time a Colour Sergeant with the 91st Regiment of Foot.

The records of the 91st in the British National Archives are very informative. I know just how tall John was and the colour of his eyes, how much he was paid and whether he was well behaved or not!

John fought in the Peninsular Wars then after a short time ‘home’ was away again fighting in the Pyrenees. He had a wife and 3 children; it is not known if his wife and family followed the Regiment or stayed at home.

John fought at Waterloo – and survived. Between 1815 and 1818 the 91st remained in France as part of the Allied Occupation Army under Wellington. John’s last child, a daughter, was born in Valenciennes in 1818.

After about two years in Ireland, the Regiment received orders for Jamaica. The records show that John disembarked from the “Brilliant” on February 16th, 1822 – and died on June 17th. A note on his record says he left three orphan children in the care of the Regiment. (I have not been able to trace the children further.)

The book “Sharp’s Waterloo” by Bernard Cornwell, although fictious, gives a graphic picture of conditions existing in a regiment such as the 91st, and the life of a foot soldier and also his wife.