Said to have been born at Wells, Somerset.
But, contrary to what is shown in the 11th Hussar records, he was born in the parish of St. Edmund's, Salisbury, Wiltshire.
He was the son of William Short, a plumber, and his second wife, Harriet (nee Blake), who came from Dinton, near Salisbury. The couple were married at St Edmund's Church on the 4th of August 1824.1841 Census
Winchester Street, St Edmund, Salisbury.
Harriett Short, 40, widow.
Joseph, 15.
Charles, 10.
Martha, 8.
There were two other known children who may have died young — or left home — as Harriet Short (by then shown as a nurse) was shown in the 1851 Census returns as living with her son Charles, aged 20, a tailor. It has not (at the moment) been possible to find the date of birth, baptism, or of the marriage, of the latter.
1851 Census
Winchester Street, Salisbury.
Harriett Short, widow, 49, Nurse, born Dinton.
Charles Short, 20, Tailor, born Salisbury.
Harriett's sister and husband are also shown.
Enlisted at London on the 30th of October 1851.
Age: 18 years 8 months.
Height: 5' 7".
Trade: Tailor.
Appearance: Fresh complexion. Blue eyes. Brown hair.
Discharged, "by claim, time expired", from Dublin on the 31st of October 1863.
Served 12 years.
Conduct "very good".
In possession of two Good Conduct badges.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman, and Sebastopol, and the Turkish medal.
Member of the Balaclava Commemoration Society in 1879.
Signed the Loyal Address to the Queen in 1887.
Present at the Annual Dinners in 1890-95 and 1899.
He appears on the group photograph taken on the occasion of the Annual Dinner at Olympia in 1890. (There is a copy of this photograph in the 17th Lancer file.)
Although not shown on the list of survivors who were invited by T.H. Roberts to be present at his Fleet Street offices for the Jubilee Day celebrations and Parade for Queen Victoria in June of 1897, he was obviously present, as he signed the testimonial given to Mr Roberts on that occasion for his efforts on the veteran's behalf. (See copy of all the signatures in the 11th Hussar file.)
A daughter, Florence, born in 1870, named after Nurse Florence Nightingale, and his only surviving child, died in December 1961. Up to her death she received a pension from a fund set up by Queen Victoria for dependants of survivors of the Charge.
A Mrs Short was invited to (but was not able to attend) a Crimean Centenary Luncheon held at the Connaught Rooms in London on the 10th of May 1955 for 56 sons and daughters of veterans.
Marriage registered
Charles Wiltshire Short married Sarah Poore, March Quarter 1859, Salisbury.
1861 Census
11, Tatton Street, Hulme, Manchester.
Charles Wiltshire Short, married, aged 30, Private 11th Hussars, born Salisbury.
Sarah Short, married, 22, born Salisbury.
Births registered
Six children are shown:
Alice Short, June Quarter 1864, Salisbury.
Ann Short, June Quarter 1866, Brighton.
Charles Wiltshire Short, June Quarter 1868, Alverstone.
Florence Short, September Quarter 1870, Farnham.
Amy Jane Short, March Quarter 1873, Salford.
Gertrude Short, June Quarter 1879, Alderbury.
He re-enlisted into the 2nd Battalion of the 12th Foot at Gosport Depot on the 17th of September 1867, and was appointed Master Tailor (as Sergeant) on the same day. His Regimental No. was 1683.
Transferred (in that rank) to the 38th Foot on the 5th of September 1868, but did not join it, remaining on detached duty with the 12th Foot and went to the 101st Foot on the 1st of April 1869. Regimental No. 1629.
His former service in the 11th Hussars was allowed to reckon towards good conduct and pension rights, by Authority of the Horse Guards, dated the 14th of May 1873
Discharged from Netley Hospital on the 3rd of December 1878: "At his own request, free to pension, after 21 years' service."
Served 22 years 362 days, but for pensionable purposes this is shown as 23 years 76 days.
In Turkey and the Crimea: 2 years, Malta, 3 years 9 months. Cyprus, 2 months.
His Conduct and Character, "has been very good." He was not in possession of any Good Conduct badges when promoted, but would now have had five.
Aged 45 years 9 months on discharge.
Never entered in the Regimental Defaulters' book. Never tried by Court-martial.
Awarded a pension of 25d. per day.
Next-of-kin: his wife, Amelia. He is shown on the Regimental "Married roll" of the 101st Foot from the 1st of April 1869 and there were four known children in the family at the time of his discharge.
1871 Census
101st Fusiliers & Depot 104, North Camp Aldershot.
Charles Wiltshire Short, aged 39, Master Tailor, born St Edmund, Wilts.
Sarah Short, 32, born St Edmund, Wilts.
Alice, 7, born St Edmund, Wilts.
Annie, 5, born The Palace, Essex.
Charles Wiltshire, 3, born Alverstoke, Hants.
Florence, 6 months, born Frimley, Hants.
When the regiment went to Malta, leaving Parkhurst on the Isle of Wight on the 6th of October 1874 and arriving on the 18th, there were five children in the family. However, by the end of March 1875, only three children are shown, seemingly therefore, Charles Wiltshire and the youngest, born circa June 1873, were deceased.
Awarded the Long Service & Good Conduct medal on the 28th of March 1874, with a gratuity of £5.
To live in Salisbury.
On leaving the Army on the second occasion Charles Short became a plumber and glazier (as were both his father and grandfather) — this information coming from the marriage certificate of his daughter, Alice, the great-grandmother of Mrs. Beavis. (See later paragraphs.)
1881 Census
Teffont Magna, Tisbury, Wilts.
Charles Short, aged 52, Chelsea Pensioner, born Salisbury.
Sarah Short, 42, Salisbury.
Charles W Short, 13, Gosport, Hants.
Alice Short, 17, Salisbury Wilts.
Annie, 15, Brighton, Sussex.
Florence, 11, Aldershot, Hants.
Amy, 8, Salford, Lancs.
Gertrude, 2, Salisbury Wilts.
Note that the children were born in different Army stations.
Marriage registered
Alice Short [daughter] married William Sparks, September 1884, Alderbury.
1891 Census
Teffont Evias, Tisbury.
Charles Short, 60, Tailor, born Salisbury.
Sarah Short, 52, Salisbury.
Annie Short, 24 Domestic Servant, Brighton.
Gertude Short, 12, Scholar, Salisbury.
Deaths registered
Sarah Short [wife], 55, December Quarter 1893, Alderbury.
Gertrude Short [daughter], 14, December Quarter 1893, Alderbury.
Marriage registered
Charles Wiltshire Short [son], March 1897, Exeter.
Died on the 13th of April 1900 and was buried in the London Road Cemetery in Salisbury.
Death registered
Charles Willshire [sic] Short, aged 69, June Quarter 1900, Salisbury.
Note: The GRO records spell the name Willshire. I suspect the original death certificate has a poorly written 'l' that should be a 't'. [CP]
Extract from an unknown which newspaper report:
"Another Balaclava Hero"
"The numbers of the remnant of the gallant Light Brigade, whose deeds at Balaclava will remain evergreen, have been lessened by yet another in the person of Private C.W. Short (late of the 11th (Prince Albert's Own Hussars)) who died of a paralytic stroke on Good Friday, and whose burial has taken place at Salisbury. Short served throughout the Crimean campaign, being present at the Alma, Inkerman, Balaclava, and Sebastopol, for which engagements he wore the medal and bars. His age was 70 years."
See the report of his funeral taken from the "Salisbury Times", 27th of April 1900, in the 11th Hussar file.
The Cemetery records show that he was buried in Section "O", Grave No. 15, in the London Road Cemetery at Salisbury. No memorial stone was erected, it being a common grave. He is shown as dying at Melford, Salisbury, an "Ex-soldier", aged 69 years. The burial service was performed by the Revd. Myers.
(He had also lived at No. 10 St Martin's Road, Salisbury, Wiltshire.)
See photograph of his grave-space in the 11th Hussar file.
PB: Some sections of the following information has been integrated into the sections above. However the narration of how information was discovered has been left here as in EJB's notes.
In 1991 a Mrs. Beavis, of Knaphill, Surrey, enquired of the Aldershot Military Museum for any information on Charles Wiltshire Short, who she said was her great-great-grandfather. The enquiry being passed on, it is now known that she is descended from Short's daughter, Alice, born at Salisbury in 1863, who married a William Parkes and was the Mrs. Parkes mentioned in the obituary report.
Not a great deal was known about him by the family, apart from the odd "family story", and the possession of a few family heirlooms, such as a chest with his name, Regimental number and the number of the regiment, 101st Fusiliers, in which he had later served; two engraved wine glasses (to "B.P.") thought to have belonged to his wife, and an engagement ring also thought to have belonged to Charles Short's wife. A prayer-book formerly belonging to him and which contained on the fly-leaves several references to the Crimean campaign cannot now be found, family differences prevailing.
A copy of all known of him at that particular time was sent. This led to joint research and the finding of the following: He was the son of William Short, a plumber, and his second wife, Harriet (nee Blake), who came from Dinton, near Salisbury. The couple were married at St Edmunds Church on the 4th of August 1824.
There were two other known children who may have died young — or left home — as Harriet Short (by then shown as a nurse) was shown in the 1851 Census returns as living with her son Charles, a tailor, he shown as being 20 years of age. It has not (at the moment) been possible to find the date of birth, baptism, or of the marriage, of the latter.
On leaving the Army on the second occasion Charles Short became a plumber and glazier (as were both his father and grandfather) — this information coming from the marriage certificate of his daughter, Alice, the great-grandmother of Mrs. Beavis. (See later paragraphs.)
A Florence Short was found at St. Catherine's House who was born in the Farnham District during the July-September Quarter of 1870, and a person of the same name who died in the Hampstead District of London, aged 91, during the October-December Quarter of 1961. These are almost certainly one and the same person.
The Regimental "Married roll" for April 1871 finds his wife shown as "Amelia" and also for 1874 (when the regiment went to Malta) as it was right up to the date of his discharge, so there is no explanation why it was shown as "Sarah" in June 1871.
When the regiment went to Malta, leaving Parkhurst on the Isle of Wight on the 6th of October 1874 and arriving on the 18th, there were five children in the family. However, by the end of March 1875, only three children are shown, seemingly therefore, Charles Wiltshire and the youngest, born circa June 1873, were deceased.
On one occasion he sent £12 to his brother-in-law, Joseph Walker, and on several occasions £6 to his sister-in-law, Ellen Walker (sic). So, JW was perhaps his wife's brother and therefore her maiden name! Joseph Walker and Ellen (known as "Betsey" and now thought to be the "B.P." of the wine glasses) Poore were married at Salisbury in 1861, the daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Poore, of Winchester and Church Streets. The third child in the Poore family was "Emma Amelia".
It is thought there is a family connection here, although neither "Charles Short" marriages yet found at St. Catherine's House at approximate possible periods show the wife as having the surname of Poore.
1901 Census
18, Byron Road, Gillingham.
Charles Short, 32, Engine Room Artificer, born Gosport.
Ellen Short, 28, born Denton.
Ella, 4 months, born Aldershot.
Also shown: her sister, Florence, 30, living on own means, born Gosport.
1901 Census
St Martin's Crescent, Milford, Salisbury.
Amy J Short, 28, Living on own means, born Manchester.
Visiting her married sister Alice, 37, and husband William Sparks and their children, William,15 and Winifred, 12.
Marriage registered
Amy Jane Short [daughter] married Thomas William Male, September 1902, Steyning.
1911 Census
46, Hubert Grove, Stockwell.
Florence Short, 40, single, visitor, Servant Housemaid, born Aldershot, Hants.
1911 Census
201, Shakespeare Road, Gillingham.
Chas Short, 42, Engine Room Artificer, born Gosport.
Ella Short, 37, born Denton.
Ella,10, Elsie 7, George 3, Winnifred 1; all born Gillingham.
1911 Census
61, Carlton Road, Sale, Cheshire.
Albert William Male 32 insurance agent.
Amy [daughter] Male, 33, born Manchester.
Stanley Albert, 3
Alan Edmund, 1.
Death registered
Amy Male, 48, September 1926, Manchester.
Death registered
Florence Short [daughter], 91, December Quarter 1961, Hampstead.
A number of registrations of births, deaths and marriages, and additional Census information for 1871 — 1911, kindly provided by Chris Poole.