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

IN PROGRESS — NOT FOR PUBLICATION

1085, Private Joseph GOSBELL — 4th Light Dragoons

Also recorded as "Gosbel", "Goshall","Gosman", and "Gotbell".

Birth & early life

Born at St. Alban's, Hertfordshire, but christened at Great Gaddesden on the 14th of April 1822, the son of James Gosbell and his wife, Mary.

Enlistment

Enlisted at London on the 27th of March 1840, and at the Maidstone Depot from the 28th of March.

Age: 18.

Height: 5' 6".

Trade: Groom.

Appearance: Fresh complexion. Grey eyes. Brown hair.

Service

Embarked for India on the 5th of June and joined the regiment on the 28th of October 1840.

"Deserted" from Brighton on the 10th of February but returned on the 17th of March 1843.

He was tried by a Regimental Court-martial on the 24th of March 1843 and sentenced to three months' imprisonment with hard labour in Lewes Prison and to forfeit all of his previous service. But this former service was restored by War Office Authority dated the 29th of June 1849 and the War Office Authority dated the 16th of July 1849.

Marriage registered

Joseph Gosbell married Eliza Napper, March Quarter 1854, Canterbury.

Births registered to the marriage

William Joseph Gosbell, March Quarter 1856, St Thomas [Exeter].

Eliza Mary Gosball [sic], June Quarter 1859, Shoreditch.

Louisa Gosbell, March Quarter 1861, St Luke.

Severely wounded in action at Balaclava on the 25th of October 1854.

Sent to Scutari on the 26th of October and invalided to England on the 21st of February 1855.

Extract of a letter written from The Crimea

to his wife by Private Joseph Gosbell

with a commentary by the newspaper which published it

Western Times, Saturday, 16 December 1854

Letter from a Private in the Fourth Light Dragoons — The Hospital at Scutari

The following is an extract from a letter written by Joseph Gosbell, to his wife who resides in St. Thomas. It is dated Scutari Hospital, Nov. 20th. Gosbell is a private in the 4th Light Dragoons, and had his leg broken in the gallant Cavalry charge at Balaklava.

`At one o'clock I fell near the enemy's guns. I was struck with a 24 pound shot and lifted clean out of the saddle; two of our regiment galloped over me, but did not hurt me. I let go my sword and the three day's pork and biscuit which I carried with me. I looked up, and saw the Russians killing our wounded. I called on God for strength, and he heard me. I lay four hours on the field, and was then taken to our hospital tent. Dr. Hunter put me a bit to rights; I was then taken on board ship, and after remaining there nine days, was brought to this place on the 5th November. The General Doctor ordered us wine, fowl and tea, which we had as soon as it could be got ready. This is a very good hospital and I am thankful I was sent here, if it was only to get a good wash and a clean shirt. The day that I came here, 40 women arrived from England to wash and dress the wounded, and they are very good to us. I have a good clean bed. I have good bread, mutton, tea, soup, a pint of porter or half a pint of wine daily. With this and kind treatment, I am doing well, and shall soon be able to walk about. When the men came here first, there was no one to take care of them, but it is quite different now. The Turkish Sultan is very good to the wounded, and so he ought, for it is him we are fighting for.'

[Source: http://shadowsoftime.co.nz/josephgosbellletter1.html (accessed 2.5.2018).]

[PB: Where originally published?]

(Click on image to enlarge)

He is shown as Private Joseph "Goshall" in the muster rolls, but as "Gotbell" when listed amongst the men seen by Queen Victoria in the Mess-Room at Brompton Barracks, Chatham, on the 3rd of March 1855. He was described then as "being 33 years of age, with 15 years' service. Thigh broken by a 24lb. shot. He had crawled a long distance from the field. Noted for discharge..."

Sent "on furlo, till discharge," from the Invalid Depot to Exeter on the 30th of June 1855.

Extract from the Naval and Military Gazette, 14th of April 1856:

4th Light Dragoons — Private Gosman [sic] of this regiment, has just returned to Exeter. Gosman charged with his regiment towards the Russian guns, when a 24lb shot struck him on the knee, breaking it above and below the knee-cap. He was knocked completely out of his saddle and others charged over him, but the men humanely leapt their horses over his body, the officers shouting, 'Mind the poor fellow.' Immediately after our troops had left the Russians came round barbarously killing all the wounded...

Gosman, struggling for his life, succeeded in crawling a quarter of a mile, his leg dangling as he went, the toe being turned around towards the heel. On arriving at an English redoubt he was taken in, and thence removed to the General Hospital and afterwards to Balaclava. Thence he was taken aboard the "Australia" to Scutari, where he arrived on the 5th of November, the day after the battle of Inkerman [sic] and on the arrival of Miss Nightingale that very same evening, that lady assisted in the washing and dressing of him and the others that were wounded.

At that time the hospital was in a very bad condition and the patients had nothing from breakfast at eight o'clock in the morning, when they had bread and tea, until three or four p.m., when they were invariably supplied with Turkish mutton. After remaining upwards of seventy days he started for England, where he arrived on the 15th of February last. Whilst at Chatham Military Hospital he was visited and consoled with by the Queen. He is now declared unfit for further service and is therefore entitled to a pension."

Discharge & pension

Finally discharged from Chatham Invalid Depot on the 6th of May 1855:

"Unfit for further military service. Disabled by permanent lameness from gun-shot wounds received at Balaclava."

Served 15 years 38 days.

Conduct: "good".

In possession of two Good Conduct badges.

Aged 33 years 2 months on discharge.

Awarded a pension of 1/- per day.

To live in Exeter after discharge, but he was living in the East London Pension District in 1863.

Medals

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

Lummis and Wynn show him as "Goshall". They also show him as being entitled to the Inkerman clasp, but this is not so. He is not shown as such on the medal roll.

Commemorations

Life after service

1861 Census

126, Golden Lane, St Luke, Finsbury.

Joseph Gosbel, 40, Timekeeper at a Stationers, born Harding, Hertfordshire.

Eliza Gosbel, 39, born Exeter.

William Gosbel, 5, born Exeter

Eliza Gosbel, 1, born Shoreditch.

Louisa Gosbel, 3 months, born St Luke.

Death & burial

Death registered

Joseph Gosbell, aged 50, March Quarter 1871, Shoreditch.

Died in the East London Pension District on the 29th of March 1871.

St Catherine's House records his death in the Shoreditch District of London, aged 50 years, during the January-March quarter of 1871.

His death certificate shows that he died in Shoreditch Workhouse, aged 50 years, from "Dropsy" [Oedema — swelling of tissues resulting from excessive water retention — caused by congestive heart failure], and was a Carpenter by occupation. A Dinah Marshall, also from the Workhouse, was present at, and the informant of, his death. (See copy of this in the "Certificates" file.)

Further information

1891 Census

49, Gifford Street, Shoreditch.

William J Gosbell [son], 35, Warehouseman, born Exeter.

1901 Census

26, Heygate Street, Newington.

William Gosbell [son], Warehouseman, born Exeter.

Louise Gosbell, 29, wife, born London.

1911 Census

63, Vestry Road, Camberwell.

William Joseph Gosbell [son], 56, Packing Room Foreman, born Exeter.

Louise Gosbell, 39, born London.

married 11 years.

Death registered

William J Gosbell [son], aged 66, March Quarter 1922, Hampstead.

References & acknowledgements

Additional marriage, birth and death registrations, and Census information for 1861, 1891, 1901 and 1911 kindly provided by Chris Poole.

Further information