Born at Hinkley, near Lancaster. [sic]
Enlisted at Nottingham on the 21st of April 1845.
Age: 21.
Height: 5' 8".
Trade: Cotton-spinner.
Features: Fair complexion. Grey eyes. Lt. brown hair.
From Private to Corporal: 28th of December 1851.
Corporal to Sergeant: 10th of October 1854.
Sent to the Crimea from the Canterbury Depot on the 19th of June and joined the regiment on the 18th of July 1855.
Sent to Scutari on the 5th of August 1855 and being invalided to England on the 24th of January 1856.
Rejoined the regiment at Cahir from the Brighton Depot on the 1st of June 1856.
Discharged, "invalided", from Dublin on the 12th of January 1857, upon the:
"Reduction of the Army and being totally unfit for further service from a weakly constitution. Was left behind at the Depot when the Regiment went on service to the Crimea as being deemed too weakly for service in the field.
He was afterwards sent to the Crimea, but within three weeks of arriving went into hospital and remained there until invalided back to England. His delicacy appears to be constitutional and has not been aggravated by drink or mis-conduct."
Served 11 years 267 days.
In Turkey and the Crimea: 6 months.
Conduct and character: "a good soldier." Has no Good Conduct badges, but had he not been promoted would be in possession of two.
He was granted a "deferred pension" of 4d. per day from the 22nd of April 1875. This would have been when he attained the age of 50 years. He was then living at Headon-cum-Upton, near Tusford, Notts.
It is not clear how Joseph Wild came to be awarded a "deferred pension" of 4d. per day in April of 1875, he not having served the usual term of 14 years before this was granted. His original pension was for 9d. per day for 2 years, "final".
He was refused extra pension on the 5th of April 1882.
To live in Southwell, Notts, after discharge.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasp for Sebastopol, and the Turkish medal
1861 Census
New Ollerton, Ollerton, East Retford.
Joseph Wild, 36, Police Constable, born Hinkley.
Jane, 27 born Ireland.
1881 Census
Address?
The 1881 Census returns show him aged 56, a "General Servant" born Hinkley, Leicester (not Lancaster). He was married to Jane aged 49, born Cork, Ireland.
They were both serving in the household of Samuel Cumming, the Rector of Little Carlton cum Castle Lincolnshire. [RM]
1891 Census
Ludwell Grange, Hartington, Derbyshire.
Joseph Wild, 66, Retired Soldier, Hinkley.
Jane, 59 Ireland.
One son, Levi, was born at Brighton in 1856.
Levi Wild is shown on the 1901 Census as aged 45, a "Warrant Officer" in the Headingly with Burnley civil parish, Yorkshire.
Census information for 1861 & 1891 kindly provided by Chris Poole.