Born at Wickham Market, near Woodbridge, Suffolk. Baptised at Framlingham, Suffolk, on the 24th of January 1836. He was one of twins, the other dying very young.
George Garnham is said to have been baptised on the 24th of January 1834.
Enlisted at Westminster, London, on the 28th of July 1852.
Age: 19.
Height: 5' 7".
Trade: Servant.
Fresh complexion. Hazel eyes. Brown hair.
From Pte. to Cpl. 6th of October 1855.
Discharged from Newbridge on the 14th of October 1857, as he "Suffers from secondary syphilis of an aggravated nature, attributable to a syphilitic virus contracted some time ago. Not aggravated by intemperance."
Served 5 years 179 days. In Turkey and the Crimea, 2 years.
Conduct: "good". In possession of one Good Conduct badge.
Aged 24 years 3 months on discharge.
Awarded a pension of 7d per day for eighteen months.
Sent money from the Crimea to his father, Henry Garnham, "At the Railway Station," Elmswell, Bury St Edmunds. (From Canon Lummis comes the information that he was the son of William (contrary to that shown in the muster rolls) and his wife, Rachel (nee Smyth), who were married at Wickham Market, Suffolk, on the 12th of October 1830.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman and Sebastopol.
A supplementary roll (undated) signed by Major Henry Holden shows him as being issued with the Crimean medal (with clasps for Alma, Balaclava and Inkerman) on the 7th of October 1855.
Attended the first Balaclava Banquet in 1875.
Member of the Balaclava Commemoration Society in 1879.
Signed the Loyal Address to the Queen in 1887.
Attended the Annual Dinners in 1895-97 and 1899.
Although invited to the Jubilee celebrations held in the Fleet Street offices of Mr T.H. Roberts in June of 1897 he does not appear to have been present, nor did he sign the testimonial given to Mr. Roberts on that occasion.
(GG wrote to Roberts on the 30th of July 1897 apologising for not being able to be present at the Jubilee celebrations and enclosing a P.O. for 5/-, saying that "he would continue to do so at intervals...".)
To live at Bury St. Edmunds when discharged.
The 1861 Census shows him as an "Assistant Warder", and "Living In" at Dartmoor Prison. No trace can be found of his future wife (said to have been a teacher in the National School at Princetown).
The 1881 Census Returns show him as living at the Workwick Union Workhouse, The Padmores, as Workhouse Master, aged 45, born at Wickham Market, with his wife, Maria, a Workhouse Matron aged 43, born at Salisbury, Wiltshire. There were five children, their ages ranging from 13 to 2 years, all except the youngest being shown as Scholars.
From the "Gazetteer and Directory of Warwickshire, 1874" on the Union Workhouse:
"This is situated in Packmore Lane in the parish of St. Nicholas, and was erected in 1838 at a cost of £9,000... The average number of inmates is 250... George and Maria Garnham are Master and Matron."
From Robert Spennel's "Directory of Leamington and Warwick", published in 1900:
"... Union Workhouse, Packmore Street, Warwick... Master, George Garnham, Matron, Maria Garnham."
The building, more recently known as Lakin House, had been demolished by 1985 but the brass tablet erected to Garnham's memory in the chapel there was removed and is now in the possession of the 13th/18th Hussars Regimental Museum. The text reads:
"In grateful recognition of the faithful services rendered to this Union by Mr. George Garnham, late of the 13th Light Dragoons, who rode with that Regiment under the Earl of Cardigan, K.G. on the 25th October 1854. Thus he served his Queen and Country, and upon his retirement from the Army was Master in this house for 35 years. This brass was erected to his memory by many of the Guardians and Officers of this Union. He died Feb. 28th 1900. 'The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy with the Lord, in that day.' Aged 64 years."
Suicide, died 28th of February 1900. He was still Master of the Warwick Union Workhouse.
(See full reports in the 13th Hussar files of his death, inquest, funeral, and testimonials paid to him taken from local newspapers of the period and a photograph of his grave and tombstone in the Town Cemetery at Warwick where he was buried on the 2nd of March 1900.)
His wife was also later buried in the same grave space.
The inscription on the stone reads:
"In loving memory of George Garnham, who entered into rest, Feb 28th 1900, aged 64. 'My Grace is sufficient for thee.' Also of Maria Garnham, wife of the above, who entered into rest, June 13th 1910, aged 72. 'O' Death, where is thy sting, O' Grave, thy victory.'"
From research carried out by the family comes the following:
His father was William Garnham, formerly an ostler but later a railway porter (born at Wickham Market in 1806), and his mother was Rachel (nee Smith or Smythe), born at Pestridge in 1804. His parents were married at Wickham Market in 1830. The 1851 Census shows four children in the family, George being 15 and a servant. His elder brother, John William Garnham, was already in the Army at this time.
One of George Garnham's sons, George William, enlisted into the 5th Dragoon Guards on the 9 of July 1886, at Canterbury and served in India South Africa with the regiment and later Natal with the Transvaal Mounted Rifles, retiring as R.S.M. on 4th of July 1913. He was later transport manager with the Rockware Glass Company in West London for a number of years and died in St. Bernard's Hospital at Hanwell in 1942/43.
Another son, Ronald, served in the 2nd (Volunteer Bn) of the Warwickshire Regiment before enlisting into the 2nd Dragoon Guards as No. 3661 on the 3rd of March 1891. He transferred into the 1st Dragoon Guards, Regtl. No. 3460, on the 5th of June 1891, transferred to the Army Reserve on the 2nd of March 1896, and "recalled to the Colours" in 1899. Discharged on the 29th of March 1903, having served in South Africa during 1901-02.
George Garnham's brother, John William, became a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Royal Artillery. He was also born on the 26th of September 1831, also at Wickham Market, and enlisted at the age of 16 years 7 months on the 26 of April 1848. He rose through the ranks to Sgt. Major, and was commissioned as a Lieutenant on the 18th of October 1864, Captain in October of 1877, Major in September of 1882, and Hon. Lieutenant-Colonel on the 26th of April 1885, retiring on full-pay on the same day. His service was mainly with the Coastal Brigades. Later Secretary to the Western Australia Railway. Company Obituary in the "Wimbledon Borough News" for the 3rd of February 1906. He was buried at Dovercourt, Essex.