Enlisted into the 1st or Royal Scots Regiment of Foot, 3rd Battalion at Newry, County of Down on 22 Feb 1800, aged 24 years. Robert served in the Army for a total of 17 years and 194 days - 3 years as Sergeant, 3 years 118 days as a Corporal, and 11 years 76 days as a private, of which 11 years 149 days was served in the West Indies. Received a gunshot wound through the right thigh in action with the enemy March 4, 1814 at Long Woods in Upper Canada; discharge signed 1817 at Valenciennes by Lt. Colonel Muller, 3rd Battalion Royal Scots Regiment, effective 3 September 1817. His conduct as a soldier described as "very good". Description on discharge certificate "about forty one years of age, is five feet nine inches in height, brown hair, brown eyes, ruddy complexion; by trade or occupation, a weaver". On discharge he was given the amount of one shilling and 1 penny to return to his home town of Kilrea.
Statement of Service for Robert McCausland, Public Record Office, London WO 97/230/56
Robert's two oldest sons entered the Royal Hibernian Military School in Dublin when they were each around 14 years of age - Collingwood Royal McCausland joining the 77th Regiment of Foot on 10 August1840 and Beresford Gordon McCausland joining the 38th Regiment of foot on 23 August 1842. The School was a self-supporting military-run institution to educate and provide trades training for the orphans and other children of soldiers in Ireland. The Discharge Ledger, WO143/27, Discharges Alphabetic 1840ish to 1919 indicated that their father was deceased.
| Additional Information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 1st Jan 1776 (circa) | |
| Date of Death | 1st Jan 1840 | |
| Associated Building (s) | The Diamond, Kilrea | |
| First Child | Margaret born 1825 Joseph Collingwood born 1826 Beresford Gordon born 1828 Robert born 1833 | |
| Occupation | Weaver before entering the military in 1800 | |
