Our Genealogy - Person Sheet
Our Genealogy - Person Sheet
NameJames Sutherland Sr. 8, GGGG Grandfather, M
BirthTain, Ross-shire, Scotland198
Death24 Aug 1825, Cawnpore, India141
OccupationSergeant in the 59th Regiment of the Foot; Labourer in Scotland prior to enlistment140,198
Spouses
1Catherine Unknown 8, GGGG Grandmother, F
Deathbef 1825
ChildrenJames , M (1813-1889)
Notes for James Sutherland Sr.
from the book “Sudden Death, Sudden Glory: The 59th Regiment 1793-1830” by David Ingham, published in 1996 by Jade Publishing Limited:
“James Sutherland. Served in the Peninsular [Wars] 1812-14, and is shown as “on command” Vittoria June to September, 1813. Corporal at Waterloo having just returned from furlough on 12 June, 1815. This man’s wife gave birth to a son at St. Jean de Luz December, 1813, who later served in the 59th Foot for 22 years and was discharged a Colour Sgt.”
David Ingham clarifies: “...on command” meant that although still on the strength of the regiment the soldier described in that way was elsewhere. Those “on command” at Vittoria were most likely looking after the wounded from the battle of Vittoria fought in June of 1813. The wounded were looked after in the church at Gammara Menor which was the area where the 5th Division fought to the south of the city. The bridge and most of the village of Gammara Major is now modernised, but the church at Gammara Menor still survives but is not in use as such...James Sutherland [and his wife Catherine] would have been here from about May 1813 until sometime after September 1813.”
 
He was listed on the Waterloo Medal Roll of June 18, 1815 for his regiment’s participation in the battle of Waterloo:
“They were now part of the Division of Lieutenant-General Sir C. Colville, G.C.B. On the morning of 16 June, orders were received for assembling the British Army to oppose the French under Napoleon Bonaparte, who had, the day before, attacked the Prussians. The 59th Regiment marched that morning for Grammont, where they arrived in the evening. The next day, they marched to Braine le Compte, but were ordered back to take up a position in front of Halle. In this position, the Regiment covered the right of the British Army during the battle of Waterloo 18 June, 1815, and, although menaced by thousands of cavalry, were never seriously engaged. The men were awarded the Waterloo Medal, although the Regiment, of course, did not receive the battle honour.
Following the battle, Colville’s Division became the advanced guard and crossed into France on 22 June near Le Cateau, took part in the storming of Cambrai on 24 June and marched on to Paris, which speedily surrendered to the allied forces. From that time the 59th Regiment lay encamped for four months in the Bois de Boulogne, and then went into winter quarters at Montlery, when, a definite treaty of peace having been signed, they marched on 6 December with the rest of the Army for Calais, and a few days later landed in England.”140

from Dave Ingham: “Most important is the fact that on the April – July Muster 1815 – the time of Waterloo, James Sutherland is quite clearly shown as “present” on duty. There will be a Waterloo Medal somewhere named **Jas. Sutherland, Corporal, 2nd Bn, 59th Regt of Foot.**”199
He is listed on the Waterloo Medal Roll as “Corporal J. Sutherland – Capt Cockburn’s Company”

The following Information was researched from original sources in the British Archives WO12 series of Army Musters and Pay Lists:

Private (later Corporal) James Sutherland, Sr. in 2nd Battalion of 59th regiment:

1809 – Private James Sutherland appears on the paylists of the 59th regiment 2nd battalion on May 10, 1809, stationed at Weeley [in Essex]. Listed as “from the Ross-shire”. (This likely means he’s from the Ross-shire Militia, although less likely he could be from the Ross-shire Buffs which was the 78th Regiment.) Not listed in the paylists from the 1st quarter confirming that he was received in the 2nd quarter. In 3rd quarter, was in “Maidstone from 15 July to 9 Sept”, “57 in Maidstone Dest.” Not sure what this means – presumably 57 men sent to Maidstone barracks in Kent but what’s “Dest.”?
[ref: WO12/6867]

1810 – 3rd and 4th quarter paylists show Private James Sutherland was on furlough in June, sick in September and October, “on Command” in November, and “on furlough” in December during the musters for those months.

1813 – “command at Vitoria” in 2nd and 3rd quarters. On December 25th was promoted to Corporal (around the same time as the birth of his son in St. Jean de Luz)

1814 – listed among the Corporals all year

1815 – on Furlough Jan 25 to Mar 24. “on duty” in July and October

At the end of that year the 2nd battalion sailed from Calais to England and then on Jan 25th, 1816 departed by sea from Ramsgate in the Seahorse and the Lord Melville, bound for Ireland. The battalion was decimated by the shipwrecks of the Seahorse and the Lord Melville off the shores of Ireland on Jan 30. The battalion was disbanded in May, 1816 with most of the remaining men transferred to the 1st battalion.

Corporal (later Sergeant and then back down to Private) James Sutherland, Sr in 1st Battalion of 59th Regiment:

1816 – appears for the first time on the 1st battalion’s Adjutant’s roll May 25th, 1816 in Gosport; On paylists in 3rd and 4th quarters in Guernsey – absent from musters because “on duty”; > 7 years service. Stationed at the Depot in Guernsey.

1818 – his company was stationed at the Chatham Depôt barracks the whole year while the other companies were in Bengal

1819 – “Embarked for East Indies 18th May 1819”. “Arrived from Europe 17 Sept joined 8 Oct appointed from 25 Sept”. Stationed in Berhampore. [ref: WO12/6806 from National Archives]. From this time onward there is a “W” written after his name in each list, meaning “was at Waterloo”. Shortly thereafter promoted to sergeant sometime between Oct 25 and Dec 25.

1820 – Sergeant James Sutherland in Captain George Mather’s Company in Berhampore, Bengal. “On duty” in May-June and Oct-Nov.

1821 – “sick in boats” in January. Feb-Apr still in Captain Mather’s Co. but in May transferred to Captain John Butler’s company. “On duty” in August and October.

1822 – “On duty” in Jan, Feb and Apr. Demoted June 18th to private (no reason stated). Transferred to 4th Company under Captain Edward Duncan in September. Was in hospital in November.

1824 – in Cawnpore in Captain R. C. Stevenson’s company.

1825 – marked “Dead” on the muster of August 24, 1825 in Cawnpore. No cause stated. Six other privates marked dead in the same month but none on the same day. There were also 5 discharges and 2 demotions in the same month. [ref: WO12/6812 from National Archives]. (Less than one year later his 12 year old son enlisted in the regiment in Cawnpore.)
Last Modified 17 Sep 2007Created 18 Feb 2019 using Reunion for Macintosh