Born at Shillington, Kent, c. 1824.
Enlisted at York on the 25th of November 1843.
Age: 19.
Height: 5' 10".
Trade: Farrier.
Appearance: Fresh complexion. Grey eyes. Fair hair.
Embarked for the Crimea aboard the H.T. "Shooting Star" on the 25th of April 1854.
At Scutari from the 22nd of September and sent to rejoin the regiment in the Crimea proper on the 10th of November 1854.
Embarked for India from Cork aboard the S.S. "Great Britain" on the 8th of October 1857.
Served at Kotah.
From Private to Corporal: 23rd of June 1858.
Corporal to Sergeant: 5th of December 1860.
Discharged from Longford on the 7th of October 1873.
"Free, at own request after 24 years' service."
Served 29 years 300 days.
In Turkey and the Crimea: 2 years
In India: 6 years 1 month.
Conduct: "very good".
In possession of four Good Conduct badges when promoted and would now have had six.
Aged 48 years 2 months on discharge.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasp for Sebastopol.
Lummis and Wynn state "No clasps", but he is shown on the Sebastopol clasp roll.
Mutiny medal with clasp for Central India. Served at Kotah.
Awarded the Long Service & Good Conduct medal on the 29th of June 1856, with a gratuity of £5.
Documents confirm the award of the Crimean medal with clasp for Sebastopol, the Turkish Medal, Mutiny medal with clasp for Central India, and the Long Service & Good Conduct medal.
He was living in the Leeds Pension District in 1875.
Death registered
Robert Walker, aged 64 years, December Quarter 1888, Strand.
Extract from the Broad Arrow for the 3rd of November 1888:
"8th Hussars. — Robert Walker, Corps of Commissionaires, late of this regiment, and of which he was for many years the Officers' Mess Sergeant, died very suddenly on the 25th of October at the age of 64. The remains were conveyed to Woking for interment on the 28th."
The Burial records of Brookwood Cemetery show that he was brought from the St. Martin's-in-the-Fields Parish Mortuary and buried in Grave No. 108491 (S6) on the 28th of October 1888, aged 60 years [sic]. Although there is no clear indication (as was usual), that he was interred in the "Commissionaires Plot", it can be assumed that this was so.
The only available Corps of Commissionaires' records show that he joined the Corps on the 9th of December 1878, serving in the London Division as No. 344. Apart from this, only his date of death can be confirmed.
Death registration kindly provided by Chris Poole.