1506, Private George WATSON - 11th Hussars

Birth & early life

Born at Radford, near Nottingham, c.1830.

Enlistment

Enlisted at Nottingham on the 6th of June 1850.

Age: 19 years 3 months.

Height: 5' 7".

Trade: Labourer.

Sallow complexion. Hazel eyes. Dk. brown hair.

Service

At Scutari Depot from the 14th of December 1854 and sent to England on the 3rd of March 1855.

Transferred to the Military Train on the 13th of October 1856. Regimental No. 558.

From Private to Corporal: 15th of November 1856.

Corporal to Sergeant: 1st of April 1857.

To Paymaster Sergeant in the 1st Bn. on the 5th of April 1859.

Attached to the 6th Bn from the 1st of July - 10th of September and rejoined the 1st Bn. on the 11th of September 1859.

Next of kin: Wife, Mary Watson.

He is shown on the Regimental "Married roll" from the 12th of September 1860.

They had one child by the 31st of March 1868.

Attached to the 60th Rifles at Samsin, China, during July to September of 1860.

Invalided to England on the 11th of May 1861 and served with the 2nd Bn. from January of 1862.

Re-engaged at Aldershot for a further period of 11 years 248 days service on the 16th of September 1863.

Transferred to the Army Service Corps on its formation. 21st of February 1870. Regimental No. 687. Served in the Transport Branch.

Promoted to 3rd Class Sergeant on the 1st of September 1870.

1871 Census

Army Service Corps Barracks, Woolwich

George Watson, 39, Staff Sgt ASC, born Scotland [sic]

Mary Watson, 39, soldiers wife, born Radford

Promoted to 2nd Class Staff Sergeant on the 7th of June 1872.

Discharge & pension

Discharged from Aldershot on the 25th of June 1872.

"He having claimed it on the termination of his second period of service. Conduct: "very good". Would have been in possession of five Good Conduct badges if not promoted.

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

Served 21 years 6 days.

In Turkey and the Crimea: 1 year 10 months. [sic]

Aged 40 years 3 months on discharge.

He was awarded a pension of 2/3d. per day.

Said he intended to live at 7, Clifford Street, New Radford, Nottingham.

Later served as a Sergeant in the National Reserve at Nottingham.

Medals

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

China medal with clasps for the Relief of Pekin and Taku Forts, 1860.

Awarded the Long Service & Good Conduct medal on the 23rd of March 1870, with a gratuity of £5.

Documents confirm the award of the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma and Sebastopol, the Turkish Medal, China Medal with clasps for Pekin and Taku Forts, and the Long Service medal.

Commemorations

He received a presentation from the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Crimean and Indian Mutiny Veterans on the 19th of March 1912, his 80th birthday. (See report of this taken from the "Nottingham Daily Express" for the 20th of March 1912 in the 11th Hussar file.)

He was also present at the Coronation Dinner given to the Veterans Association held in the Ice Rink at Nottingham on the 20th of June 1910.

Life after service

1881 Census

4, Peachey Street, 'Cobden Club', Nottingham

George Watson, 49, Manager of Club House, born Scotland (sic)

Mary Watson, 49, Manager of Club House, born Radford, Nottingham

Death & burial

Death registered

George Watson, aged 83 years, December Quarter 1915, Nottingham.

Died at Nottingham on the 21st of November 1915. (See copies of the newspaper reports of his death and funeral taken from the Nottingham newspapers of the period and also an extract from the records of the Nottingham Veterans Association regarding his death, in the 11th Hussar file.

Also a photograph of him in old age and wearing his medals. He was 83 years old at the time of his death.

Buried in the General Cemetery at Nottingham on the 25th of November 1915.

Sheffield Daily Telegraph, 26 Nov 1915:

(Click on image to enlarge)

Further information

From the United Services Gazette:

"To celebrate his 80th birthday he gave a dinner in the Mikado Cafe the other evening to his comrades amd members of the local militia units who have been closely allied to the Veterans' Association.

The menu gave orders to "fall in for knife and fork drill" the joints constituting "pursuing practice" and the sweets were "trophies of victory."

Trooper Matthew Holland, the only survivor of the Balaclava Charge in Nottingham, was styled "chef" for the evening and each menu bore his signature autograph with the order - "No retreat - retire when full."

References & acknowledgements

Death registration, Census information for 1871, 1881, and 1891, and a newspaper cutting, kindly provided by Chris Poole.