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LIVES OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE
The E.J. Boys Archive

Added 03.10.11. Minor edits 10.4.14.

1066, Private George ELVEY — 11th Hussars

Birth & early life

Born in Kingston, Surrey, c.1816.

Baptism

Baptised 30th of June 1816 at All Saints, Kingston Upon Thames, Surrey.

Born 8th April 1816, George son of James & Jane Elvey, [abode] Ham, [father's occupation] Turner.

Enlistment

Enlisted at Canterbury on the 9th of October 1839.

Age: 20.

Height: 5' 9".

Trade: Cabinet-maker.

Features: Freckled complexion. Hazel eyes. Auburn hair.

Service

1851 Census

Pockthorpe Barracks, Norwich.

George Elvey, Soldier, Widower, 31, Private, born Kingston, Surrey.

Marriages

[ADD INFO: Three children are known to have been born to him and his wife (name unknown): Harriet J. at Fulford, York, in 1842, David at Coventry in 1846, and Bathia at Kilmainham in 1854.

The 1851 Census for Pockthorpe Barracks at Norwich shows him to have been a "Widower" at this time. So, from the date of birth of his youngest child, Bathia, he must have married again. ]

A Harriet Jane Eliza Elvey, born York, is shown in the Civil Registration Birth Index in the July Quarter of 1842.

In 1851, a Harriet Elvey, aged 8, born York c. 1842, can be found living in [?Park Road] Hampton Wick [near Kingston] the home of her uncle and aunt, George Cosin [?], 48, Gardener, and Harriet Cosin, Dressmaker. His or his dead wife's sister or brother? Perhaps more likely to be his sister, also called Harriet, since they lived so close to his birthplace? Where was David at this time?

In 1861, a Harriet Elvey, 18, born Yorkshire, can be found living as a House Servant at 12, Park Crescent, Clapham, Surrey, the home of Phillip Edward Waddell, 23, a Glass Merchant employing "(3 men)", his wife Mary, and three children, 3, 1 and 3 months. [PB: Is "Park Crescent" the same as what is now called Crescent Grove, or Crescent Lane, or Stockwell Park Crescent?]

[PB: I have not tried to find David or Bathia yet.]

From Private to Corporal: 21st of March 1860.

1861 Census

Hulme Cavalry Barracks, Hulme.

G. Elvey, Married, 43, Corporal, born Kingston, Surrey. [PB]

[PB: I have only looked briefly at the returns, but I could not immediately find his wife of children.]

Discharge & pension

Discharged from Cahir on the 15th of August 1862 as:

"Discharged as unfit from paralysis, not being the result of any known cause. Did indulge in the use of intoxicating liquors some years ago, but so long ago that the present disease cannot be traced to their ill-effects."

Served 22 years 310 days.

In possession of three Good Conduct badge.

Aged 42 years 10 months on discharge.

Conduct and character: "good". In possession of three Good Conduct badges. Never tried by Court-martial.

Awarded a pension of 1/- per day. He was living in the Clonmell Pension District in 1862, but in the Dublin District from the 1st of July 1863.

Medals

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

Awarded the Long Service & Good Conduct medal on the 4th of December 1860.

Letter sent to the Patriotic Fund regarding the cause of his discharge — no date.

Commemorations

Life after service

Three children are known to have been born to him and his wife (name unknown): Harriet J. at Fulford in 1842, David at Coventry in 1846, and Bathia at Kilmainham in 1854.

The 1851 Census for Pockthorpe Barracks at Norwich show him to have been a "Widower" at this time. But from the date of birth of his youngest child, he must have married again.

Death & burial

Died in the Dublin Pension District on the 3rd of December 1863.

The Burial Records of Arbour Hill Cemetery show he was buried there on the 5th of December 1863, aged 46 years, the officiating clergyman being the Revd. Horace Wheeler.

He is shown as being from the Royal Barracks, but one explanation for this could be that he may have been employed in some capacity at the barracks, although the nature of the cause of his discharge from the service does not imply he was fit for employment.

(There is a picture of the cemetery in the 11th Hussar files.)

To follow up

George Elvey
United Kingdom, Chelsea Pensioners' Service Records
Name George Elvey
Event Type Pension
Event Year Range 1760-1913
Event Place United Kingdom
Birthplace Surrey
Birth Year (Estimated) 1819.

[Source: "United Kingdom, Chelsea Pensioners' Service Records, 1760-1913," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V5H1-BRL : 6 December 2014), George Elvey, ; from "Chelsea Pensioners' Service Records 1760-1913," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing WO 97, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey. (accssed 19.3.2017). [PB]]


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