Birth & early life
Born at Aston, Birmingham.
Enlistment
Enlisted at Birmingham on the 16th of November 1853.
Age: 18.
Height: 5' 8".
Trade: Clerk.
Fresh complexion. Blue eyes. Brown hair.
Service, discharge & pension
Sent to Scutari on the 13th of December 1854.
Was a Clerk in the General Hospital at Scutari from January until rejoining the regiment on the 5th of June 1855.
From Private to Corporal (and acting Paymaster Sergeant) from the 22nd of September 1855.
Corporal to Sergeant 11th of February 1856.
Sent to the Lunatic Asylum at Chatham on the 15th of January 1863. It does not show for what reason he was sent there.
Discharged from Chatham Invalid Depot on the 26th of February 1863, as "Found unfit for further military service".
He was awarded a pension of 6d. per day for a period of one year from the 28th of February 1863 and this was increased to 10d. per day for two years in 1865.
His intended place of residence at the time of his discharge was shown as Upper "Thomas" Street. This, in fact, was Upper "Thames" Street.
Medals & commemorations
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman, Sebastopol and the Turkish medal.
In the January 1972 Charles Lusted's medal list appeared a Crimean medal with four clasps and impressed naming to "W. Martin. 13th Light Dragoons.". The write-up stated that: “Three W. Martin's are shown on the roll for the regiment, but No.1536 is the only recipient of that name with four bars. (See records of 1068 (1st) and 1304 (2nd).) One Wm. Martin with two bars was shown as sick at Scutari: a Wm. Martin with three bars as "Taken prisoner/captured 25th October" and did not receive the bar for Inkerman. Rivets on bars original”.
On the 27/28/29 of October 1995 an auction promoted by J. Jeffrey Hoare Auctions, Inc., was held at the Primrose Hotel, Toronto, Canada, and amongst the items offered was a four clasp Crimean medal (with impressed naming) awarded to "W. Martin. 13th Lt. Dragoons." (the lettering being a little irregular). It was stated:
“Private William Martin came from Aston, near Birmingham. Was sent to Scutari, but was back with the 13th before the Charge of the Light Brigade, is entitled to the four clasps, being eventually promoted to Sergeant Considerable research material in 3-ring binder is sold with medal. Not listed as a confirmed charger.”
He is also shown as having been granted a "deferred" pension of 5d. per day on the 18th of November 1885 - his 50th birthday, but the reason for this is not clear. He was then living in Upper "Thames" (sic) Street, Aston, Birmingham, his trade being that of a "Clerk".
Death & burial
Died from a "Cerebal haemorrhage" on the 18th of March 1892 at No. 13 Rupert Street, Aston.
Further information
From a Mr. John E. Martin of Maidstone, Kent, comes the following:
”William Martin was born on either the 14th of July or the 2nd of September 1835. (WO/116/191 quotes his date of birth as the 18th of November 1835.) He was the next to youngest of eleven children, of whom three died in infancy. His place of birth was not in Aston, Warwickshire, but Wheaton Aston, Staffs., his father being Master of the Grammar School in nearby Eccleshaw. In November of 1836, Thomas Martin became the first Relieving Officer of the newly-formed Aston (Warks.) Poor Law Union and the family moved to Erdington in the north of Aston parish, where William was baptised on the 8th of June 1837 as William Grosvenor Martin. (I have no knowledge of his ever using his middle name.) His father died on the 16th of December 1850 and shortly afterwards (1851 census) his widow and the youngest children were living at No. 17 Digby Street, Aston, William being shown as a "Merchant's assistant".
Following the return of the regiment to Ireland after the Crimean War, it arrived at Ballincollig on the 30th of May 1856 and five months later, on the 27th of October 1856, William was married to Jane Rice, daughter of the local post-master. They had seven children, of whom the eldest, William John, was born on the 20th of December 1858 in St. James's parish Dublin, whilst the regiment was stationed at the Island Bridge Barracks. He was in hospital for one day during the fourth quarter of 1861, two days in the first quarter of 1862, nine days in the third quarter and thirty-six days during the fourth. The Regimental Surgeons' report stated that "He has been once in hospital with fibrositis and twice in hospital with "delirium tremens" - he had an epileptic fit and insanity and delusions from intemperate habits". It would appear he was posted to Chatham in 1863 for "medical reasons". The Medical Board granted him a pension pending the enquiry as to the seeming discrepancy between his known character and the Medical Officer's report. In this connection he was in the possession of two Good Conduct badges.
After leaving the Army William Martin returned to Aston with his family and in 1864 he was living in Claverdon Terrace, Great Francis Street, and described as a "Clerk." By 1871, still at Claverdon Terrace, he was a "Railway carriage-painter", and continued as such until his death from "Cerebal haemorrhage" on the 18th of March 1892 at No. 13 Rupert Street, Aston. He was buried in Whitton Cemetery, Birmingham, on the 21st of March in a common grave, Section 149 - Grave No. 32287. According to the Cemetery authorities the area has been overlaid with more soil and further interments made on top.”
Photographs & illustrations
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