1189, Private James CLEMENT — 8th Hussars

Birth & early life

[PB, Jan, 2014: Born c. 1832, possibly in Hampshire or Berkshire.]

Enlistment

Enlisted at Hounslow on the 28th of August 1851.

Age: 22.

Height: 5' 8".

Trade: None shown.

Service

Embarked for the Crimea aboard the H.T. "Echunga" on the 15th of May 1854.

Severely wounded in action at Balaclava.

Sent to Scutari General Hospital on the 26th of October 1854 and rejoined the regiment on the 3rd of December 1854.

A letter from James Clement to his parents, dated 4th February 1855 and published in the Reading Mercury and other local newspapers on the 10th of March 1855. He writes of "expecting promotion", which indeed occurred a few days later. [RM]

[PB, Jan 2014: Must transcribe this letter.]

(Click on image to enlarge)

From Private to Corporal: 7th of February 1855.

Served with the detachment of the regiment under Lt. Colonel De Salis in the Expedition to Kertch on the 22nd of May 1855.

Resigned to Private, "at his own request", on the 22nd of October 1855.

"Deserted" from Dundalk, Ireland, on the 6th of July 1857, no place of birth or of occupation being (as usual) shown.

Can find no further trace in the regiment to 1879.

Medals & commemorations

Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava, and Sebastopol.

Life after service

Death & burial

Further information

In 1993 a Mr. Clements of Bishops Waltham, Hampshire, claimed a possible relationship because of family stories told by a grandfather of an ancestor who took part in the Charge.

He admits that much of what he claims is supposition, following his being sent a copy of 1189 James Clement's (he is shown as "Clement" in all available records) service record, and a comparison of ages. The link, however, is thought to be too tenuous to be genuine.

Letters asking for further clarification of just what he had been told by the relative were never answered.

This man was: James Clements, son of Henry Clements, a labourer and his wife Elizabeth, who was baptised at North Waltham, Hampshire, on the 18th of January 1830.

The Census Returns for 1841 and 1851 show both James and his father as Agricultural Labourers. By 1861 James Clements was a Carter and living at Folly Farm, North Waltham, with his wife Lucy, (she being 3 years older than he) and three children, two of them (girls) aged 11 and 9, being of a different surname, and a son, Henry, aged 4 months. (The latter is known to have been baptised at North Waltham in 1861).

By 1881 the two girls had gone and the family was living at No. 7 Avington Farm, Avington, Hampshire, now consisting of he, his wife and two sons, the younger of the two (William) having been baptised at North Waltham in 1865 and all as being Agricultural Labourers.