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The following information has been compiled to assist the many enquiries received during the past fourteen years. These enquiries have come from all over the world, usually from families wishing to trace the history of their relatives who served in the Coldstream Guards. It is hoped by using the following information it will provide an insight into the method of finding a Coldstreamer, making the task a little less painful and also help our HQ with their work load. In this page we will provide names and addresses, Tel. No's, Web sites, all with the aim of providing a package of information with which you can contact the Archives.

The history of the Regiment can be researched from this and our corresponding sites. In order to understand the background of tracing a Coldstreamer it is nesssary to understand the present structure of our Headquarters and its workings. The HQ of the Coldstream Guards is based at Wellington Barracks. London. It is from here that the administration of the Regiment is run. It is staffed by retired officers, civilians and a very small number of serving soldiers, not very many years ago it employed a substantial staff of serving members. In consequence despite their very best efforts many enquiries take considerable time to answer. Within Regimental HQ 350 years of records are kept, unlike many Regiments whose records have gone into private management. But! and a very big but, they are all on hard copy, a room full of leather bound 'Tomes' , there has never been the time or finance to transfer these to computer, consequently all searches are manual. There is a dedicated archivist when manning allows, which is becoming rarer these days.
The one essential piece of information you must supply is the Coldstreamers Regimental Number, without this the search is well nigh impossible.
Why number, well when one considers during the four years of the first World War, more than 10.000 guardsmen served in the Regiment, names mean very little.
Guardsmen have Regimental numbers not Army Number.

We advise you to read the prelim to the following information, in order that your application can be processed quickly and efficiently. Your own methodical research will ensure a less expensive successful application. If you find you need research carrying out at the PRO or National Archives, these can be undertaken by other agencies of which there are many listed, both on-line and listed in your local library, who have a comprehensive range of assistance.

All applications to the Regiment must be sent
c/o The Archivist. with a cheque for £35
(this is a MOD charge, not imposed by the Regiment)
Must be accompanied by all relative information.
A Regimental Number is essential. Proof of relationship to enquiry. i.e..(copy of either, Birth, Death Marriage. Certificates. plus proof of authority i.e.. Copy of
(Passport or Driving license) None of these are returnable.
This conforms with the Data protection Act

applications to

c/o The Archivist
Regimental Headquarters Coldstream Guards
Wellington Barracks
Birdcage Walk
London
SW1E 6HQ
Cost of all Research Enquiries
£35

No enquiries will be accepted by Telephone or e.mail

Links to Regimental HQ
Regimental HQ Web Site
This Site will explain the total procedue for a search
and includes 'down loadable' application forms.

St. Catherine's Index.

The background to the Coldstreamer being researched is often unknown, to establish his DOB, Marriage and Death, certificates are required, to obtain these you need dates of same. The method of locating details is to use St. Catherine's index.
In 1857 the Registration Act was passed, in which the law demanded all Births, Marriages and Deaths be recorded. These can be found in the St. Catherine's Index, this NOT the actual records but a index of the same. In each UK town the major library has a copy of this index, on fiche or film. It is cataloged by the quarter, in consecutive years. The method is to search five years each side of a target year, until the date is found, against this date is a number, or letter and number, which indicates which Parish the registration was made, corresponding with the entry in the Parish Register If searching for a marriage, this can be cross checked at the corresponding date with the name of the spouse. The library official's will always provide support.

Personal Details
Regimental No,s start at No 1 and go up to the present 9 fig.numbers that guardsmen are using today. Where will I find the Number ? On any official document issued by the Regiment. i.e. Paybook, Discharge book, Service Record, Atestment(joining the Regiment) Army Pension book. Letters of retention to the Colours. Medals(around the rim) Medal citations( Site listed in links) Regimental photographs Correspondence, from home, friends and comrades. Former comrades who served with your relative. Commonwealth War Grave( Site listed in links). Equipment, polish brushes, button sticks, clothing and packs Did he transfer to or from the Regiment. (very common) Was he medically discharged?. Did his service affect his Health?..(Data Office Records) Full Surname and Christian names. Date of Birth .( Links to St. Catherine Index) Place of Birth .(Links to Census details) Parents names and DOB...(Links to Census details) Home addresses .(Links to Census details) Date Enlisted..... (personal records, age, conflict) Where enlisted....(Links to Census details) Date of Death.........( Links to St. Catherine's Index) Death during Conflict...(Commonwealth Graves) Married? date of. Name of wife, age, maiden name Marriage Cert.......(Links to Census details) Employment, where, what, when.( DHSS records) Criminal Record..... (Data Office links) National Health Records...(Data Office links) Emigration Record......( Emigration Links)

Contact The Public Record Office, Ruskin Avenue, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU. Contact Tel. No.'s Web Sites Telephone: 020-8876 3444. Fax: 020-8878 8905. Website: http://www.pro.gov.uk/	The Army Medal Office, Ministry of Defence, Government Buildings, Worcester Road, Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire WR9 8AU.
Army Records Centre, Ministry of Defence CS(RM)2b, Bourne Avenue, Hayes, Middlesex UB3 1RF. Army Personnel Centre, Kentigern House, 65 Brown Street, Glasgow G2 8EX Tel: 0141 224 2023 or 3303 Fax: 0141 224 2144	Commonwealth War Graves Commission, 2 Marlow Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire SL67DX Telephone: 01628-34221 Fax: 01628-771208 Website: http://www.cwgc.org/
Population Censuses and Surveys Births, baptising, marriages and deaths: Families Record Centre, 1 Myddelton Street, London EC17 1UW Tel: 020-7533 6400	Pension Records Three of the main record types available at the Public Record Office which contain pension information are the Chelsea Regimental Registers (War Office file 120), the records of Soldiers Discharged Through Chelsea Hospital (W.O. 97), and the Applications for Pensions for Widows and Children [of officers], 1755-1908 (W.O. 42). http://www.pro.gov.uk/default.htm
Soldiers Discharged Through Chelsea Hospital These documents, filed as W.O. 97, were compiled at the same time as the Regimental Registers, and thus contain much of the same information. Here, the data is recorded on separate sheets for each man, rather than in a register format as the records in W.O. 120. The 1,279 volumes in the series are arranged alphabetically within each regiment, covering a period approximately from 1760 through 1872 .http://www.pro.gov.uk/default.htm	County Record Offices Many county and borough record offices have military collections, usually based on local Militia / Yeomanry / Volunteer / Territorial / Home Guard units but in certain cases covering locally recruited Regular units as well. Details of record offices appear in: The Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts. Record repositories in Great Britain: a geographical directory. HMSO Ninth edition 1991. ISBN 0-11-440243-4.
The Legion, Magazine of the Royal British Legion, 48 Pall Mall, London SW1Y 5JY Telephone: 020-7973 7200 Fax: 020-7973 7399 Website: http://www.britishlegion.org.uk/	PRO. British Service Records Soldiers Pre. 1914 British Military Records British Military Records http://www.mod.uk/
Army Personnel Centre Serving Members.Re-Service Record Disclosure The Data Protection Cell Army Personnel Centre Mail Point 515 Kentigen House 65 Brown Street Glasgow G2 8EX Telephone No 0141 224 2410; fax 0141 224 2410	Army Personnel Centre Former Serving Members Re-Service Record Disclosure The Data Protection Cell Army Personnel Centre Mail Point 400 Kentigen House 65 Brown Street Glasgow G2 8EX
1901 Census of England and Wales Online. View 1.5 million original 1901 census documents ... family's history from the Public Record Office. Description: Online Test Project, search the database for those living at the time of the 1901 census	http://www.census.pro.gov.uk/

We do hope the above information is of assistance in your search, we have tried to give a composite method of research which we hope will help you to a successful result, to relieve their work-load on Regimental Headquarters and our compatriot web sites, with whom we work in close conjunction. In the event you need further help, we can be contacted through. coldstream.guards@ntlworld.com

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