Born at Stokesley, near York, the son of William and Elizabeth (nee Shaw) Laverick. He was baptised in the Church of St. Peter with St. Paul on the 10th of July 1832. His parents were married in the same church on the 23rd of January 1823.
1841 Census
Southside, Stokesley, Yorks.
He is to be found on the 1841 Census as Thomas Laverick in his mother's household. He is listed with six other siblings. [RM]
Enlisted at London on the 3rd of January 1854.
Age: 19.
Height: 5' 7".
Trade: Tailor.
The Balaclava period shows him as being "On duty at Balaclava". He is later shown as being "On detached duty at Balaclava" from the 1st of January 1855.
Handed over as a deserter to the 6th Dragoons at Kadikoi Camp on the 15th of May 1855. Lummis and Wynn state that he died on this date, and they also refer to him as being a deserter from the 6th Dragoon Guards. No trace of him can be found at this point in time in the muster rolls of either regiment, either in his own name or name he may have assumed. (See notes below)
He had originally enlisted into the 7th Foot at Leeds on the 2nd of September 1850 as 2697 Thomas Laverick. He was then said to be 17 years and 6 months of age, 5' 7" in height, and a shoemaker by trade.
He went "absent" from Winchester on the 2nd of January 1851 and being posted as a "deserter" and off the strength of the regiment, from the 2nd of March 1851. He was then described as having a fair complexion, hazel eyes and light brown hair and his next-of-kin as being his father, William Laverick, of Kirby, Yorkshire. On the 14th of July 1853 he re-enlisted into the 6th Dragoons at York as No. 1277 Thomas Shaw. (He seems to have taken his mother's maiden name).
He was then said to have been born at Boroughbridge in Yorkshire, aged 19 years, 5' 7" in height and a shoemaker by trade.
He was "absent" at York, 2nd — 9th of September 1853, before being brought back, tried by a Regimental Court-martial and in "Barrack Cells" until the 26th September. His physical description was as before, but his trade was now shown as Labourer.
He deserted again from York on the 20th of November 1853 and not having rejoined, was posted as such on the 20th of January 1854. He left £1/3/7d. in his "Credits" at this time. In the meantime he had re-enlisted into the 11th Hussars on the 3rd of January 1854.
"Camp Kadikoi.
13th April 1855:
To the Brigade Major, 2nd Cavalry Brigade.
I have the honour to inform you that No. 1227 Private Thomas Shaw, who deserted from the 6th Dragoons towards the end of 1853 at York is now serving under the name of Darlington in the 11th Hussars, and has been identified; may I request you will have the goodness to obtain an Authority for this man to be given over to the Regiment under my command. (Signed) H.D. White, Lt. Col. Commg."
It was endorsed "Submitted to the Colonel Commg. the Cavalry Division", Edward Hodge, Col. Commg. 2nd Brigade, by W. Parlby, Commg. Cavalry Division, and "To be given over to the 6th Dragoons. W.L. Pakenham Lt. Col. A.G. 14 May 1855.
He was given up to the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons as a deserter on the 15th of May 1855.EJB: Lummis and Wynn show him as dying at Camp Kadikoi on this date and that he had formerly served in the 6th Dragoon Guards. There was a 1369 Thomas Shaw on the medal rolls of the 6th DG but as the regiment did not arrive in the Crimea until the 14th of August 1855 they could not have been the same man. (See note below)
Convicted by a District Court-martial of "Desertion" and sentenced to 50 lashes, but this sentence was remitted, and he only lost 7 days field allowance. The muster roll for the 6th Dragoons shows: "Date of Return in which reported as a deserter not known."
On the 9th of November 1855 he was given up as a deserter to the 7th Foot (Royal Fusiliers) and imprisoned from the 10th of November, again tried by a District Court-martial on the 21st of November, and sentenced to be marked with the letter "D", awarded 30 days imprisonment with hard labour until the 20th of December 1855 and lost a further fourteen days' field allowance.
He went "absent" again from the 23rd to the 25th of May 1856, was in "Barrack Cells" from the 26th of May before being tried by Regimental Court-martial, and imprisoned until the 10th of July.
He deserted again from Aldershot on the 28th of September 1856.
At this time he was said to have been born in Leeds, a Labourer by trade, with a "debit" in his accounts of 13/1d.
Can find no further trace to 1860.
Entitled (according to the medal rolls of the 11th Hussars) to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma and Inkerman, and also, presumably, that for Sebastopol and the Turkish medal also.
Lummis and Wynn state that he had the former but his name cannot be found on the 11th Hussar roll for this clasp, although this is in common with most men who either died or were invalided to England before the roll was made out, but were obviously entitled to it.
The medal rolls for the 6th Dragoons show his name and number entered at the very end, and the comment:
"Entitled to the Alma, Balaclava [sic] and Inkerman clasps, and returned in the lists of the 11th Hussars under the name of Abel Darlington."
From this it would appear that the clasp for Sebastopol was issued by the 6th Dragoons. The medal roll is dated the 5th of September 1855.