Ian Waller – East India Company Cadetships
A Cadet was in effect the entry level officer rank in the East India Company’s Armies.
Cadetship applications provide much information about an individual wanting to become as Officer in either the Bengal, Madras or Bombay Army and are collectively referred to as Cadet Papers. Cadets were included as Subalterns along with other commissioned officer below the rank of Captain.
Addiscombe Military College later the Royal India Military College trained cadets to become officers for the Indian service until 1861 after which the military academies at Sandhurst and Woolwich assumed responsibility. Most then served with a British Army regiment in India before transferring to the Indian Army.
Records generated that relate to cadets fall into four basic categories which will be discussed namely: Entry papers for EIC officer cadets 1789-1860, Queen’s India Cadetships 1858-1930, Sandhurst cadets commissioned onto the Indian Army and Wellington and Quetta cadets 1915-1918:
Ian is a retired professional genealogist. He currently serves as the vice chairman and education officer of the Family History Federation (Federation of Family History Societies). He is a Fellow of AGRA (The Association of Genealogists and Researchers in Archives) the body which represents professional genealogists throughout England and Wales and was a former Chairman. He is also a Fellow of the Society of Genealogists and previously served as a trustee and chairman of the Society Education Committee.
He has authored several books in the Society’s “My Ancestor” series including My Ancestor was an Agricultural Labourer, My Ancestor was a Mormon, My Ancestor was in the Royal Navy and My Ancestor was a Leather Worker and has also written “Family History Research Challenges and how to solve them” and “Introducing Manorial Records” published by Family History Books. His latest book is “Introducing Nonconformist Records”.
He taught Family History at both basic and advanced levels at various adult education centres in Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire and currently lecture and run workshops at many family history societies, U3A Groups and other organisations interested in local, social and family history. His other interests include oil painting, making scale models of horse drawn vehicles, Country and Celtic music.
