Born in London on the 15th of October 1829.
[PB: Thanks to correspondence in 2013 with Bonnie Brunish it is possible that he was the son of Robert Davies and Mary Booker, who were married on August 27, 1823, in Croydon, Surrey. The elder Robert Davies was a doctor who lived or worked in the Parish of St. Andrew, Farringdon Without, in 1833. She has a certificate from the London Board of Health issued in 1833, when Robert Davies junior would have been a very vulnerable three or four years of age, citing him for his efforts to combat an outbreak of cholera in the city. See Further information, below.]
Enlisted at Norwich on the 28th of November 1850.
Age: 22.
Height: 5' 8".
Trade: None shown.
1851 Census
Pockthorpe Cavalry Barracks.
Robert Davies, soldier, unmarried, 22, Private, born London, Middlesex.
From Private to Corporal: 10th of April 1852.
Corporal to Sergeant: 11th of June 1854.
Wounded in action at Balaclava and at Scutari from the 30th of October to the 29th of December 1854.
Appointed to Troop Sergeant Major on the 1st of July 1856.
Gazetted as Cornet (without purchase) in the 4th Dragoon Guards on the 25th of April 1858.
Cornet in the 6th Dragoons: 26th of July 1858.
Lieutenant (by purchase): 1st of June 1860.
Marriage registered
Robert Davies to Agnes Helen Smith, December Quarter 1863, Holborn.
On the 26th of December 1865, at St Peter's Church, Holborn, he married, Agnes Helen Smith.
There was one child of this marriage, Alice Mary, baptised at Hopton Church, Cleobury Mortimer, Shropshire, on the 23rd of February 1868.
Birth registered
Alice Mary Davies [daughter], March Quarter 1868, Cleobury Mortimer.
Lieutenant (by exchange) in the 14th Foot: 29th of January 1870.
To Captain: 1st of April 187[?].
On to half-pay: 6th of May 1870.
1871 Census
Nalder Hill, Speen, Berkshire.
Robert Davies, 41, Captain in the Army on Half Pay, born Holborn.
Agnes Davies, 27, born Ireland.
Alice M Davies, 3, born Hopton, Shropshire.
Two servants are also shown.
Captain in the 28th Foot: 5th of January 1876.
To Major: 13th of March 1880.
Retired on full-pension, as Hon. Lieutenant-Colonel, on the 13th of March 1880.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava and Sebastopol, and the Turkish medal.
Awarded the Sardinian War Medal, the citation for this stating:
"After having passed through the battery in the Light Brigade Charge and perceiving a Russian field-piece limbered up ready for retreat, Sergeant Davies called to Private John T. Bambrick, who was riding next to him, to follow and endeavour to capture it... In going to perform this duty he was attacked by two Russian lancers, one of whom he shot down, the other shot his horse; when on the ground he received a lance wound in the right thigh. He then caught a loose horse and rejoined his regiment."
"Horse Guards,
13th July 1857:
Sir, — I am transmitting, by direction of HHR the General Commanding-in-Chief the accompanying Sardinian Medal which has been awarded to the man named in the margin [Troop Sergeant Major Robert Davies] and I am directed to signify his Highness's desire that you will be pleased to present the same on parade as soon as practicable and with every formality which may tend to impress upon the recipient and upon his comrades the value of the decoration, the receipt of which you will be pleased to acknowledge, and should he have been discharged before the medal could be presented, it should be sent to the Staff Officer Pensions of the District he is drawing his Pension (if applicable) or is still serving, but not under your command, then the medal should be returned to this Department. This Grant will be published in Orders.
I have, etc. etc.,
W.A. Forster, DAG. Officer Commanding 11th Hussars."
Member of the Balaclava Commemoration Society in 1879.
He appeared as a witness in the various courts-marshal which took place in the 6th Dragoon Guards in the 1860s. He emerges as rather an unsavoury character, in keeping with his later attempt to gain help from the Survivors Fund.
"The Crawley Affair"
A full account of these trials appeared in "The Crawley Affair" by A.H. Haley, published by Seeley, Service & Co in London in 1972.
PB: The publisher's blurb reads:
"India in 1861 was not a place where the whims of a British Cavalry Colonel could be lightly ignored. When Colonel Crawley took over command of the 6th Inniskilling Dragoons at Admednugger in April of that year the Regiment, already at odds with higher authority, was subjected to a man with a remarkably volatile temper and acid tongue.In a very short time the officers' mess was split into two opposing camps — a majority burning with resentment against their Commanding Officer and a few who supported him.
Thus began a chain of events which led to the death of the Regimental Sergeant Major and which ended with a Court Martial in Aldershot on which was focussed the full glare of Victorian publicity, at once prudish and prurient.
Mr Haley skilfully weaves together the personal tragedy of RSM Lilley and his wife with the invidious position of Senior Officers who became personally involved in the problems of Colonel Crawley and were gradually manoeuvred into supporting him in order to maintain their own reputations."
In 1893 Davis made an application for help from the "Balaclava Fund". Details are unknown, but former Surgeon Cross of the 11th Hussars was in some way concerned in vetting the applicants. In a letter dated the 8th of March 1893, he is quoted as "being rather indignant that Davies should apply, he being a Lieutenant-Colonel, retired pay."
Death registered
Robert Davies, aged 72 years [sic — if he was born 1829, he would have been 76], September Quarter 1906, Steyning.
The "Army List" shows him as dying at Hove, Sussex, on the 19th of July 1906.
Extracts from the Hove Gazette, Saturday 28th of July 1906:
"There died at Hove at the end of last week, Lt. Colonel Robert Davies, one of the band of Balaclava Heroes who took part in the famous Charge of the Light Brigade, and was with Sir Roger Palmer, one of the two surviving officers of the 11th Hussars.
The deceased, who had been residing for some time at No. 11 Upper Villas, Hove, had a striking military career. Joining the Army as a youth, he served throughout the Crimean War, including the battles of the Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman, the Chernaya and the Siege and fall of Sebastopol.
At Balaclava, after the Russian guns were captured, he charged with his men against a Regiment of Russian Lancers stationed behind them and here occurred one of the most memorable experiences of his life. Two Lancers attacked him together and one shot his horse, but dogged British pluck won the day and the Russians were defeated.
He had a number of medals, including the Crimean medal, Indian and Chinese medals [sic], Turkish medal, Order of Valour and the Legion of Honour [?]. Our photograph reproduced on this page was the most recent the deceased gentleman had taken. (There is a copy in the 11th Hussar file.)
The funeral of the late Lieut.-Colonel Davies took place very quietly at St. Leonard's Church, Hove, on Tuesday. None of the outside public were present, the mourners being confined to the family and a few intimate friends.
Amongst those sending wreaths were the Mayor of Hove, Alderman Bruce Morison, Mrs, Davies and children, Dr. and Mrs. Whitcher, Mrs. Jackson, E, Edmonds, and W.W. Goodchild. The funeral arrangements were carried out by Messrs. Lewonski and Sons."
Extract from a letter from the Church-Warden of St. Leonard's, Hove, in 1988:
"We have checked our records and can confirm that our rector at the time (the Revd. Ernest J. Morgan) conducted a funeral for a Robert Davies of No. 11 Upper Westborne Villas, Hove, at St. Leonard's, Church, Aldrington, on the 24th of July 1906.
From our parish magazine of August 1906, we can tell you that he was buried in our churchyard, since our magazine used to split lists of burials into our churchyard and what was referred to as the Municipal cemetery. Unfortunately his name does not appear on our list of churchyard plots, and no gravestone or memorial can be found.
Our magazine does not comment upon his death separately, and one would guess he was not a pillar of our church, as such people did get mentioned, neither is his rank referred to in either the registers or in the magazine."
A further check of the church burial records shows no trace of his wife having been interred there (something carried out with the possibility of finding a grave-plot for her, and through her to him) but without success. There is a photograph in the files of St. Leonard's church and a section of the churchyard — which covers a considerable area — at Aldrington. Many of the older stones have fallen down and many of the kerbed ones sunk below the surface.
In 2013, Bonnie Brunish contacted the EJBA, suggesting that she might be a relative:
"My grandfather told us that his great-uncle, Captain Bob, took part in the Charge of the Light Brigade. His name would have been Robert Davies. He was the son of Robert Davies and Mary Booker, who were married on August 27, 1823, in Croydon Church, Surrey. He had a sister named Jesse.
The elder Robert Davies was a doctor who lived or worked in the Parish of St. Andrew, Farringdon Without, in 1833."
Robert Davies [senior] left a rather charming journal, parts of which have been transcribed and posted on a family website (http://brunishfamily.com/Davies/RDavies.html).There are, apparently, no references to Robert Davies Junior in the journal, but it includes an account of his (putative parents') wedding which may provide useful leads:
"On Tuesday Aug 26, 1823 I left London for Heath Lodge, near Croydon the residence of my Sister Mary Ann Fowle. On the following morning, being Wednesday Aug 27 I had the honour of leading to the Hymenial Altar at Croydon Church Surry, Mary the only Daughter of the late Thos Booker Esq. of Petersfield Hants.
After the ceremony which was performed in honored [?] by the presence of my Father, Mother, Mr & Mrs Fowle, Mr J. F. Hilditch, Mrs Dale & Mrs. I. Booker we proceeded in our equipages, consisting of a Carriage and four, a Chariot and four and a post chaise to Mr Fowles of Heath Lodge, were we partook of a cold collation consisting of the delicacies of the season & enjoying the pleasure of the change that had taken place in name & condition of life.
About 1 we all left Mr Fowles and proceeded to Black heath to partake of a Dinner given to us by my Father at the Green Mare. The beauty of the day, with the prospects which occasionally opened to our view from the summit of the hills afforded us a sight of the surrounding country, with its crops bending to the efforts of the husbandman.
After enjoying a sumptuous repast and receiving the congratulations of friends, myself & now the better half took our departure of those who had this day met for the purpose of gratifying our inclination in sanctioning our matrimonial alliance, an alliance formed and sanctioned by the approbation of all parties.
The country to appearance was fine, but having a rare and exquisite exotic immediately under my care, I cannot say that I obserbed [sic?] many of the beauties with which this country abounds.
About Dusk we arrived at Dartford & on the following day reached Dover & after staying one night and enjoying the beauties of a summers breeze on the brink of the English Channel and having a distant view of Calais we ventured to leave the land of Freedom happiness & comfort and of our Fathers and embark ourselves on board the Steam Packet for Calais; there to land on an unknown land, uncertain as to our peace, happiness or freedom."
[Source: http://brunishfamily.com/Davies/Tour7.html (accessed 24.6.2013).]
Bonnie Brunish:
"I have letters from Jesse Davies (Captain Bob's sister) ... I have posted her photograph here: http://brunishfamily.com/Pain/Pain.htmlhttp://brunishfamily.com/Pain/Pain.html
The letters are from 1908-1917, and I see no mention of Bob or his family... One letter mentions Jesse having two sisters still living during WWI, she being the youngest. So Bob had at least three sisters."
2013: Chris Poole has attempted to establish firm connections among the family, but has so far found relatively little extra information. All the same, it certainly seems possible that Robert Davis is indeed Bonnie Brunish's 3xgreat-uncle.
]Additional marriage, birth and death registrations, and Census information for 1851 and 1871 kindly provided by Chris Poole.