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

673, Corporal George WEATHERLEY — 17th Lancers

Birth & early life

Born in the parish of Thurnham, near Maidstone, Kent.

A check of the parish records of Thurnham from 1820-1825 has shown no record of his birth or baptism. However, there was a family of this name living in Stockbury whose three children were baptised at "Thornham" (as it is sometimes called) between the years 1842-51.

Enlistment

Enlisted at London on the 5th of August 1841.

Age: 19.

Height: 5' 8".

Trade: Groom.

Features: Sallow complexion. Hazel eyes. Brown hair.

Service

From Private to Corporal: 14th of August 1854.

Corporal to Sergeant: 11th of January 1855.

He sent money from the Crimea to his wife, Maria Weatherley, then living in Canterbury. (He also sent money to a Miss Yates.)

Embarked for India from Cork aboard the S.S. Great Britain on the 8th of October 1857.

The musters for July-September 1858 show him as no particular service movement during the whole of the period.

Sent to Bombay of the 9th of December 1860 and on passage to England from India on the 24th of February 1861, was at the Maidstone Depot from the 27th of June.

Discharge & pension

Discharged from Colchester on the 24th of October 1865, as "Free, at own request after 24 years service".

Served 24 years 66 days.

In Turkey and the Crimea: 2 years. In India: 3 years.

Conduct: "very good". "Would have been in the possession of five Good Conduct badges if not promoted to an N.C.O."

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

Aged 43 years 4 months on discharge.

His intended place of residence was c/o "The Pensions Office", Maidstone, but he was living in the West London Pension District from the 1st of April 1869 to 1875 at least.

Granted a pension of 1/11d. per day.

Medals

Entitled (according to the medal rolls) to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Sebastopol, and the Turkish medal.

Can find no trace on the Mutiny medal roll.

Awarded the Long Service & Good Conduct medal on the 30th of June 1865, with a gratuity of £5.

Further detailed medal information archived.

Commemorations

Attended the first Balaclava Banquet in 1875. His portrait appeared in the Illustrated London News for the 30th of October 1875. (See copy in the 17th Lancer file.)

Portrait of George Weatherley in the Illustrated London News, 30th October 1875.

(Click on image to enlarge)

His portrait appeared in the Balaclava Banquet commemorative issue of the Illustrated London News, 30th of October 1875. (There are copies in the 8th Hussar file).

Member of the Balaclava Commemoration Society in 1877 (as "Private G Wetherley" [sic]), and 1879 (as "Corporal G Wetherley").

Life after service

Appointed a Yeoman of the Guard in 1866. (There is a copy of his record of service from the archives of the Yeoman of the Guard, in the 17th Lancer file.)

1871 Census

34, U. Manor St, St Luke's, Chelsea.

George Weatherley, 48, Army Pensioner, born Thurnham, Kent.

Minnie Weatherley, 38, born Dublin.

Harriett M Weatherley, 21, Dressmaker, born Dublin.

[PB, May 2014: CP notes that George Weatherley's wife's name is "Maria" when he was in the Crimea, but "Minnie" in 1871. It is possible that Minnie was a nickname for Maria, or that she was his second wife.]

In an Account and Address Book formerly used by James W. Wightman when the Secretary of the Balaclava Society his address was shown as "65, Tasman Road, Clapham, SW." (crossed through) and "5, Radnor Street, King's Road, Chelsea" inserted. His name is crossed through as though "Deceased", but there is no indication when. He was not living in Radnor Street at the time of the 1881 Census.

[PB, May 2014: CP has found no trace of George Weatherley, or members of his family, in the 1881 or 1891 Censuses.]

Death & burial

According to the Yeoman of the Guard records, he died on the 9th of June 1885, but no trace of this can be found at St Catherine's House. (The death of a man of this name, aged 54 years, is shown in the GRO records in the Barnet District during the October-December quarter of 1884. However, 673 George Weatherley would have been aged 62 in 1884, so it is very unlikely to be him.)

[PB, May 2014: CP has located the death of a man of his name, aged 63, in Uxbridge in the December Quarter of 1886, which is just possibly him.]

References & acknowledgements

Further research and additional Census information for 1871 kindly provided by Chris Poole.