Birth & early life
Born in the parish of St. Mary's, Harlestone, Norfolk.
Enlistment
Enlisted into the 4th Light Dragoons at Westminster on the 19th of February 1840. No Regimental number was allocated, as he did not leave the Depot. (Lummis and Wynn confuse this regiment with the 4th Dragoon Guards.)
Age: 18 years 2 months.
Height: 5' 7”.
Trade: Shoe-maker.
Features: Fresh complexion. Blue eyes. Lt. brown hair.
Service, discharge & pension
Transferred to the 13th Light Dragoons on the 17th of May 1843.
From Private to Corporal 1st of September 1855.
Resigned to Private "at his own request," on the 21st of September 1845.
Invalided to England on the 15th of April 1855.
Discharged from Cahir on the 17th of October 1856, he being "Unfit for further service. Suffers from chronic rheumatism and was invalided home from the Crimea on account of this on the 15th of April 1855."
Served 15 years 231 days. In Turkey and the Crimea, 1 year.
He was awarded a pension of 9d. per day, and living in the West London Pension District up to 1881.
Medals & commemorations
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman and Sebastopol.
Was refused In-Pension status at Chelsea Royal Hospital on the 22nd of September 1857.
Admitted to In-Pension at Chelsea Royal Hospital on the 1st of July 1881.
Replaced on Out-pension following an enquiry "as to his eligibility" by the Audit Department on the 1st of March 1885, but was re-admitted on the 1st of September 1891.
No trace on 1881 Census Returns.
At the time of his last entry into the Royal Hospital as an In-Pensioner on the 1st of September 1891 he was aged 69 years and "unable to do anything to supplement his pension." Subject to refund over-drawn pension of 19/8d. before admission. He had previously lived at No 18 Westbourne Street, Pimlico, London.
At the time of his entry on the 1st of July 1881, it was stated that he "had no wife or children", and his character was "good." He had originally tried to enter the Hospital on the 22nd of September 1857 at the age of 35. He was then said to be "suffering from chronic rheumatism, consequent upon repeated attacks of venereal..." The reply was, "Not allowed." At this time he was said to be "a single man," and formerly living at No. 39 Kenton Street, Brunswick Square, London.
Death & burial
Died at Chelsea on the 29th of November 1892.
He was buried in the Chelsea Hospital Plot in Brompton Cemetery, London. No headstone was erected.
Further information
His Crimean medal with four clasps, engraved naming, and the Turkish Crimea (British type) and unnamed, were known to be in an West of England collection in 1981.
Photographs & illustrations