Born at Bridge, near Canterbury.
Enlisted at Canterbury on the 9th of January 1839.
Age: 19.
Height: 5' 6".
Trade: Groom.
Appearance: Fresh complexion. Grey eyes. Brown hair.
Convicted of felony by the Civil Power and was in their custody from the 25th of May to the 29th of December 1841.
Lost "all previous service counting towards pension" by this conviction, but it was restored by Authority of the War Office, dated the 22nd of March 1856.
On "Letter Duty", 1st – 30th April 1855.
In "Hospital", 1st – 31st May 1855.
Transferred to the Army Hospital Corps on the 1st of December 1859. Regimental No. 249.
Transferred back to the 11th Hussars on the 1st of January 1862.
Discharged from Dublin on the 14th of August 1863, "By claim, after 24 years service".
Served 24 years 6 months.
In Turkey and the Crimea: 2 years.
Conduct: "very good".
In possession of four Good Conduct badges.
Awarded a pension of 1/1d. per day. Pension letters to the 28th of August 1886.
To live at No. 21 Fray Street, Norwich, after discharge, but he also lived in Alma Square, New Catton, near Norwich.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma and Sebastopol, the Turkish medal, and his discharge documents confirm this. There is, however, some confusion on the medal roll as to whether the entry regarding the award of the Balaclava clasp – "On Colonel Douglas's certificate", dated the 10th of September 1857 – applies to him or to 1121 Henry Ash (see his record).
Lummis and Wynn state that Andrews was awarded the Balaclava clasp and that he claimed to have taken part in the Charge and to have broken his leg.
However, in a letter sent to the "Eastern Daily Press" on the 29th of January 1885, George Wilde, late of the 13th Light Dragoons, and himself a survivor, said that, following a letter sent to the Editor after the funeral of Thomas Armes of the 4th Light Dragoons (see his record) claiming that Andrews had been present, he had written to the Secretary of the Balaclava Society in London and had been assured by men of his own regiment (the 11th Hussars) that William Andrews was at that time a Hospital Orderly, and in consequence did not turn out with his regiment.
CBJ: There are copies of both letters, following the report of the death and funeral of Thomas Armes of the 4th Light Dragoons at Norwich, in the 4th Hussar file. These will eventually be transcribed and added to this site.
The muster roll of the 11th Hussars for the Balaclava period shows Andrews as "Sick, Absent".
1871 Census
Brazen Doors Rd, Lakenham, Norwich.
William Andrews, Baker, living with his wife Mary Ann, aged 38, born Hellesdon, Norfolk.
Four children are shown: Arthur 6, Alice 5, Alfred 3, and Ambrose 1. [RM]
1881 Census
Alma Square in the parish of St. Clement, Norfolk.
William Andrews, General Labourer, aged 61, born Bridge, Kent, with his wife, Maria, aged 42, born in London, and three sons aged 16 to 10. A stepson, aged 16, is also shown, so it seems he had been married twice. [RM]
[PB: No information. He is last recorded in St Clement, Norfolk, in 1867.]