Born in Leicester c.1833.
1841 Census
Harston, Leicestershire.
Charles Cousins, 40, Agricultural Labourer.
Mary Cousins, 40.
John, 13; Charles, 6; Louisa, 4.
Enlisted at Lichfield on the 17th of February 1851.
Age: 18 years 5 months. [PB: 1841 Census implies he would have been at least a year younger.]
Height: 5' 7" [WL says 5' 7 and half].
Trade: Lace-maker.
[PB: Obituaries say he rode in the Charge. But he was not on the 1879 revised list of the Balaclava Commemoration Society, so there is some doubt.]
Transferred to the 18th Hussars on the 1st of March 1858. Regimental No. 362.
Sent to Tewkesbury on Recruiting Duties on the 13th of September 1858.
From Private to Corporal: 21st of October 1858.
In the Guard-room 3rd — 7th of May, and reduced to Private by a Regimental Court-martial on the 7th of May 1859.
Discharged, "time expired", from Hounslow on the 31st of March 1863.
Conduct: "good".
In possession of two Good Conduct badges.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman and Sebastopol.
Appeared on the 1877 list of members of the Balaclava Commemoration Society but not on the 1879 revised list.
[PB: Does this suggest he did not Charge?]
Marriage registered
Charles Cousins to Cherry Muggeridge, March Quarter 1864, Westminster.
Births registered
Florence Cousins, June Quarter 1866, St George's Hanover Sq.
Cherry Ann Cousins, March Quarter 1870, Lambeth.
Charles William Cousins, September Quarter 1872, Lambeth.
1871 Census
2, Rutland Street, Lambeth.
Charles Cousins, 38, Warder in Convict Service, born St George's, Leicester.
Cherry Cousins, 35, born Buxted.
Florence, 5, born Westminster.
Cherry A., 1, born Lambeth.
1881 Census
6, Elm Park, Lambeth.
Charles Cousins, 47, Warder, Prison Officer, in Convict Dept, born Leicester.
Cherry Cousins, 47, born Buxted.
Cherry Ann, 11; Charles William, 8; both born Lambeth.
The prison he worked at was probably Brixton, only a few hundred yards away. It opened as the Surrey House of Correction in 1820, with treadmills in use from 1821. In 1853 it was converted into a women's prison, employing lengthy periods of solitary confinement. It was a military prison 1882-1898.
Marriage registered
Cherry Ann Cousins [daughter] married John Charles Sayer, December Quarter 1890, Medway.
1891 Census
Rutland Cottage, New Brompton, Gillingham.
Charles Cousins, 58, General Labourer, born Leicester.
Cherry Cousins, 52, born Buxted.
Charles W. Cousins, 18, Fitters Labourer, born South Lambeth.
__________
59, Naylor Road, Camberwell.
John C Sayers, 29, Clerk, born Gateshead.
Cherry Ann Sayers [daughter], 21, born Lambeth.
Rebecca Sayers, 52, widow, mother, born Sunderland.
Died on Christmas Day, 25th December 1898, at the age of about 65 (at least one account says 70), after he fell down stairs at the Army and Navy Veterans' Club at New Brompton, Chatham.
Deaths registered
Cherry Cousins [wife], 57 years, September Quarter 1895, Medway.
Charles Cousins, aged 65 years, December Quarter 1898, Medway.
The Cemetery records show that he was interred at Gillingham Cemetery on the 1st of January 1899 in Grave No. 14, Section G., Row 8. It is a common grave, and no headstone was erected.
Extract from The Broad Arrow for the 31st of December 1898:
"An ex-dragoon named Charles Cousins who served during the Crimean War, including the Charge of the Light Brigade at Balaclava, met his death on the 25th of December by falling downstairs at the Army and Navy Veteran's Club at New Brompton, near Chatham. He was removed to St. Bartholomew's Hospital at Rochester, but expired on the way.
Cousins had the Crimean and Turkish medals, the former with clasps for Alma, Balaklava, Inkerman and Sebastopol. He formerly belonged to the 4th Light Dragoons and was 67 years of age. Since leaving the service he had been employed for many years as a warder in Her Majesty's Prisons."
Extract from the Rochester and Chatham News for the 31st of December 1898:
"By the sad accident to the Balaclava hero, Charles Cousins, on Christmas Day, an interesting figure has been removed from our midst. He was a man of vigorous mould and carried his years well. Although he left the Army on completing twelve years' service and afterwards had spent sufficient time in the arduous service of the Prisons Department to gain a pension he could not relish being lost in the civilian whirl of London away from the sound of the trumpet.
After a short residence in the Metropolis he returned to New Brompton and had been an ardent visitor to the Veterans' Club there since its inauguration. There, in a spacious arm-chair which he made his own, he discoursed intelligently upon the affairs of the day or joined in a "friendly hand" of cards with his companions of the old days. His funeral will take place at Gillingham Cemetery on Sunday, leaving from Rutland Cottage, Trafalgar Road."
Extract from the "Stray Notes" column of the Chatham and Rochester News, 31st of December 1889:
The editors are very grateful to Wendy Leahy (who edits the "Shadows of Time" website) for drawing to our attention to this brief account of his death:"One cannot but realise the sad truth of Hamlet's remark — 'This fell Sergeant, Death, is strict in his arrival...' Only last week the members of the Army and Navy Veteran's Club were grieved to hear that one of their former members (from the R.E.) had passed away; and now they are mourning the loss of Mr. Charles Cousins — one of the Light Brigade.
The gallant ex-trooper was one of the jolliest of the jolly at the Veteran's Banquet at Chatham on the 21st inst., for although he was getting very near the age of 'three-score years and ten' he was still young in heart. 'Old Charley Cousins,' apart from his splendid military record, was a great favourite at the club, where his genial presence will long be missed.
He enlisted into the 4th Light Dragoons in 1851, and fought in all the most sanguinary engagements in the Crimean War. As already stated, he was one of the gallant 'Six Hundred' who made the famous charge upon the Russian guns at Balaclava. He possessed the Crimean medal with the clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman and Sebastopol and the Turkish medal.
He had retired from the Army in 1863, and afterwards became a warder in one of her Majesty's Convict Prisons. It is one of the mysteries of life that a man who has passed unscathed through so many dangers should at last meet his death by such a simple accident as falling downstairs.
The Steward of the Veterans' Club was a comrade-in-arms of Mr. Cousins, and much sympathy is extended to Mr and Mrs John Murphy, of whom he was a very old friend."
Crimean Veteran's End
An old dragoon named Cousins, who passed unscathed through the Crimean War, including the Balaclava charge, was killed on Monday by falling downstairs at the Army and Navy Veterans' Club at New Brompton, Chatham. Deceased, who was 70 years of age, was formerly in the 4th Light Dragoons.
[Source:
Evening Express
, 27 December 1898.]
1901 Census
105, Bird in Bush Road, Camberwell.
Charles John Sayers, 38, Gas Tester, born Gateshead.
Cherry A Sayer, 31, born Lambeth.
Charles W, 9; John H, 7: Henry H, 4; Florence C, 3; Cherry A, 1; Frederick A; 4 months. All born Peckham.
Rebecca Sayer, 62, widow, mother, born Durham.
1911 Census
70, Carlton Grove, Peckham.
John Charles Sayer, 48, Labourer.
Cherry Ann Sayer, 40.
Charles William, 19; John Henry, 17, Florence Cherry, 13; Cherry Ann, 11; Frederick, 10; Arthur, 6.
N.B. 8 children born alive, 6 still living.
[Address includes sister in law.]
Death registered
Cherry A Sayer [daughter], aged 71, June Quarter 1941, Greenwich.
Registrations of CC's marriage, and of births and deaths, and Census information for 1841, 1871, 1881, 1891, kindly provided by Chris Poole.
Wendy Leahy, Shadows of Time website: 4th Light Dragoons Personal Records C.