www.clanlivingstone.info

A couple of years ago I went through the Highland regiments WO25 book looking for Livingstones. This is what I found:

LDS Film 874502
Book 457 71st Foot, 1st Batt.
Allan Livingston Age 19 Page 43
Enlisted 30 Jan 1815 B Argyle
Aux 30 Jan 1833 Limited

George Livingston Page 65
Book 458 71st Foot, 2nd Batt.
Neil Livingston Page 24
Argyle, previous service Argyle Funcibles 1May 1794-14 Jul 1800
Enlisted 15 Jul 1800 Age 42
Transferred 25 Jun 1809
Book 459 Grenadier 1-8 Company, Light Infantry Company
Andrew McLay Page 30
Book 460 2nd Batt, 71st Highland and Glasgow Light Infantry Regiment
Allan Livingston Page 31 8th Company
Clachan Dysant, Argyll
Transfer 7 Apr 1815 to 1st Batt?
LDS Film 874503
67th Foot, 2nd Batt.
73th Foot
Nothing of interest
LDS Film 874505
Book 462 72nd Foot
John Livingston #1 Age 30 Enlisted 20 Oct 1807 Edinburgh
John Livingston #1 Age 12 Enlisted 20 Oct 1807 Edinburgh

LDS Film 874509
Book 477 79th Foot, 1st Batt.
John Levingston, Age 26, Argyl, Muhairn Taylor
Enlisted 29 Nov 1803
Corp 13 Mar 1808
Transferred to 2nd Batt 25 Jun 1809
Sergt 5 Apr 1810
Died 5 May 1811
Book 478 79th Foot, 2nd Batt.
Neill Livingstone Age 18 Argyl, Porsce Laborer
LDS Film 859629
Book 525 91st Foot, 1st Batt.
James Livingston Age 15 Glasgow, Bridgeton Weaver
Enlisted 19 May 1810 Limited
1 Dec 1819 Unlimited
Served at Waterloo
Died 8 Nov 1825 Up Park Camp, Jamaica
LDS Film 859630
Book 527 91st Foot, 2nd Batt.
Duncan Livingstone Age 19 Argyl, Islay Laborer
Enlisting 10 Mar 1794 in Glasgow
Transferred 25 Apr 1815 (that is 2 months before Waterloo)
LDS File 859633
Book 533 94th Foot
George Levingston Age 18
Enlisted 29 May 1817 in Lethithgow

There are a lot of repeat entries and gaps. There could be Livingstones in other regiments I did not look at.

Richard Hartman

Richard!

That is great information, especially this Armistice Day!

I hope it useful to anyone who is potentially related to these chaps!

Kyle=

Hi Richard,

This is great stuff. That John Livingston age 26 at time of enlistment in 1803 who served in the 79th regiment is interesting given that Dr. Livingstone had a Uncle that possibly served in the Army born abt. 1777. Dr. Livingstone's eldest Uncle John Livingston was born abt. 1777. This is indeed the 79th regiment saw action at the Battle of Waterloo. This John Livingston died according to his military record in 1811 which may be in keeping with what has been suggested that some or all of Dr. Livingstone's Uncles died in the Napoleonic Wars though he did not die at the Battle of Waterloo. The town in Argyll doesnt match either Reudle or nearby Kilninian in Mull where we believe Dr. Livingstone's Uncle was living.

The biggest problem trying to match the info is that Dr. Livingstone's Uncle and his wife Flora Maclean of Reudle and kilninian, Kilninian Parish, Mull had two daughters one baptised in 1804 and one baptised in 1806 after this John Livingston was apparently serving with the 79th Highland Regiment. The John on your list unfortunately seems have likely left home by his 1803 enlistment. Regardless of whether it is or isnt Dr. Livingstone's Uncle your finding these highland Livingstones serving in the British Army the Napoleonic War period is truly a wonderful thing. The highland Livingstones have an outstanding miltary tradition in the British Army beginning with a number of documented highland Livingstones that served in Fraser's Highlanders in the 1750's and saw action during the Battle for Quebec. By the 1750's the British aware of the military value of having their former Jacobite highland soldiers in their Army encouraged former Jacobite Simon Fraser to form a highland regiment made up of former Jacobites or their sons.

Biographer William Garden Blaikie author of "The Personal Life of Dr. David Livingstone" published in 1880,was apparently told by the family possibly Dr. Livingstone's aunts that one of his Uncles Charles Livingstone b. abt. 1779 was forced by a Press Gang into the British Navy and died shortly after in the Mediterean. THe others however John, Duncan and Donald? likely served in the Army. ONe reason they seem to have faded into obscurity may be that died during the Napoleonic Wars and they did not have family or their family was subsequently largely forgotten. Of there is some speculation as to Dr. Livingstone's Uncles Duncan and possibly Donald and their families. What is known is that Dr. Livingstone's father Neil did not serve during the war and is said to have been employed as a clerk in his youth for the Cotton Manufacturer H. Monteith that the Livingstones worked for and shortly before his marriage in 1810 found work apprenticing with a taylor who was his future father in law. Certainly Hubert Livingstone may be providing us with a possible clue and it may be worthwhile at some point doing a further search of any regimental records pertaining to those Scottish soldiers that saw action at Waterloo. Dr. Livingstone's uncles Duncan and Donald are somewhat mysterious and speculative in nature but perhaps we can attempt to determine whether we have the John Livingstone we are looking for in the British military information during the Napoleonic War period. Your information is much appreciated.

Ok the 79th Highlanders were at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. And if Dr. Livingstone's grandfather Hubert Francis Wilson is correct that his Uncles or some of them were at the Battle of Waterloo them chances are he may be alluding to some old family information told him by his mother Anna May Livingstone younger daughter of Dr. Livingstone that some of Dr. Livingstone's Uncles served in highland regiment at the Battle of Waterloo. Certainly this Waterloo info that found in Hubert Livingston's biography on his grandfather published in the 1920's while not detailed certainly is more specific than Dr. Livingstone's statement in his book from 1857 that only stated that his Uncles either served in the Navy or Army during the Napoleonic War. Your information certainly encourages the Society to at some point in time pursue this as a possible lead in searching for the Uncles or an Uncle of Dr. Livingstone in the Napoleonic War era British military records no easy task.

regards,

Donald

Good thoughts, Donald--very worthy of being followed up on!

Kyle=