hi
I'm looking for information on the "Waterloo Men" who appear in most accounts of the early years of celebrations of the battle of Waterloo in Durham City, which involved processions of boats on the river Wear and which developed into the first Durham Regatta in 1834. We’ve managed to find at least two veterans who served at Waterloo and subsequently lived, and died, in Durham:
Tho(ma)s Laidler, born in Durham, who served in 3rd Battalion Artilllery, was a Chelsea Pensioner and died 12 July 1854 aged 77
and
Thomas Simpson, who served in 23rd Regiment of Foot - His Majesty’s 23rd Regiment, Royal Welch Fuzeleers/Welsh Fusileers, born in Kidderminster 1897 and died in Durham in 1877 aged 81
We are interested in finding the names of Waterloo, and Peninsular, veterans who came from Durham so that we trace their descendants and invite them to the 2015 Durham Regatta to celebrate the bicentenary of their ancestors’ service.
We know that the 68th (Durham) Regiment of Foot (Light Infantry), the forerunners of the DLI, fought as part of Wellington’s army throughout the Peninsular campaign, but were not present at the Battle of Waterloo, having been posted to Ireland in 1814. However, it is likely that local men, like Thomas Laidler, did serve at the battle and survive to attend the “substantial supper, and a plentiful supply of strong ale and punch” given by Captain Chipchase, himself a veteran of the Peninsular, “to every private and non-commissioned officer in Durham and its vicinity, who fought under the illustrious Wellington in the Peninsula, and at Waterloo.” Interestingly, “forty-three of these brave fellows assembled around the festive board”. The regatta still has a clause in its constitution promising free ale to anyone who can prove that they served at Waterloo and we wish to deliver on that promise, at least to their descendants.
Nigel van Zwanenberg, Chairman, Durham Regatta)
http://www.durham-regatta.org.uk/
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