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

Added 26.11.12.

IN PROGRESS — NOT FOR PUBLICATION

882, Thomas MARSHMAN — 4th Light Dragoons

Birth & early life

Born in the parish of St. John's, Devizes, Wiltshire, c.1818.

Enlistment

Enlisted at London on the 3rd of June 1837.

Age: 19 years 1 month.

Height: 5' 10".

Trade: Groom.

Appearance: Fresh complexion. Grey eyes, Brown hair.

Service

At Scutari from the 20th of September and rejoined the regiment on the 3rd of October 1854.

Discharge & pension

Discharged from Dublin on the 10th of June 1862.

"At own request, after 24 years' service."

Served 24 years 355 days.

In Turkey and the Crimea: 1 year 10 months.

India 3 years.

Conduct: "very good".

In possession of three Good Conduct badges.

Twice entered in the Regimental Defaulters' book. Never tried by Court-martial.

Aged 44 years 3 months on discharge.

Granted a pension of 1/d. per day.

To live in Aldington, near Hythe, Kent, after discharge, but he was living in the South London Pension District in 1863.

Documents confirm the award of the Crimean, Turkish, and Long Service medals.

Medals

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

Awarded the Long Service & Good Conduct medal on the 26th of December 1858, with a gratuity of £5.

Further detailed medal information archived.

Commemorations

Life after service

According to his death certificate, he was a "Beer Seller" when he died at "The Bell" public house, Southgate, Edmonton, in 1864.

Death & burial

Thomas Marshman died in the North London Pension District on the 10th of June 1864.

The St. Catherine's House records show a man of this name as dying at Edmonton, London, during the April-June quarter of 1864. No age at death is shown, this being before it was recorded.

His death certificate shows that he died at "The Bell" public house, Southgate, Edmonton, at the age of 45 years, from "Tuberculosis and Pulmonalis". He is shown as a Beer Seller. A Samuel Beckley, of Southgate, Edmonton, was present at, and the informant of his death. (See copy of this certificate in the "Certificates" file.)

Further information

50 Thomas Marshman, 13th Light Dragoons

Another man of the same name also served in the 13th Light Dragoons, and could possibly have been a relation. This was No. 50 Thomas Marshman, who was born in the parish of St Ann's, Trowbridge, Wiltshire, and discharged from Chatham Invalid Depot on the 13th of August 1840, as "Unfit for further service."

He was described on enlistment as being 5' 10" in height, with a fresh complexion, grey eyes, brown hair, and a tailor by trade. He is said to have served 28 years 11 months as a Private, 2 years 9 months as a Corporal (including two years extra service for being at Waterloo), and had been in India for 21 years 6 months. His total service to count towards pension, was 44 years 2 months, and for this he was awarded a pension of 1/10d per day.

He had embarked from India aboard the "True Briton" on the 18th of February 1840, disembarking at Gravesend on the 31st of May and sent from Canterbury to the Invalid Depot on the 6th of July 1840.

At this time he was the oldest soldier in the regiment. He was described as being of a "good character, efficient, trustworthy and sober." Aged 49 years of age at the time of his discharge, he went to live in the Trowbridge Pension District, and this was where he died on the 13th of October 1863.


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