One for Liverpool Annie (Continued in Part 2)

[liverpool annie]

Look what Tony from Blackpool sent me ..... he says theres two soldiers there and he'll get the other one this weeekend .... how cool is this ??

Buried in in Layton Cemetery Blackpool section 1.grave 138 is Sjt William Butler

[uk2003]

Dont you just love rootschat  Can more be found?

[uk2003]

Mack can you find any info on William Butler?

[liverpool annie]

Tony sent me some more stuff on Edwin Hughes ... I didn't realise he was "Balaclava Ned" !!

I invited him to put the stuff on here - but I honestly couldn't resist posting this !!  .... a horse that was in the Charge ( and Edwin on the left !! ) .... isn't he wonderful ??

[liverpool annie]

EDWIN Hughes  .....  'Balaclava Ned' was the last survivor of the infamous Charge of the Light Brigade.

Born:12 DEC 1830
Place of Birth: Wrexham
Biography: On October 25 1854 he rode in the infamous Charge of the Light Brigade, which occurred at the Battle of Balaclava during the Crimean War.
British forces mounted an attack on the Russian artillery which led to the deaths of 272 of the 673 British soldiers involved. The disastrous attack was immortalised in Tennyson's poem The Charge of the Light Brigade.

Edwin Hughes was born in Mount Street, Wrexham, the son of a tinplate worker. He became a shoemaker until 1852 when he joined the 13th Light Dragoons as a Private.

Hughes was injured in the charge and his horse was killed. However he survived and continued to serve in the Crimean campaign until being discharged in 1873.

He then enlisted in the Worcestershire Yeomanry Cavalry, serving with them until 1886. He married and had two sons and two daughters. After the death of his wife he went to live with his unmarried daughter, Mary, in Blackpool.

In 1923 he became the last survivor of the Charge of the Light Brigade. He died in Blackpool in 1927. Though he had moved away from Wrexham he often returned to the town and could be persuaded to tell the tale of his historic experience.

In October 1992, on the anniversary of the Charge, a plaque was placed on the house in Mount Street where Hughes was born.

PS I remember when his medals went on sale .... Tony tells me his medals sold for £16,000 !!

[liverpool annie]

I was surprised to see William Butler's headstone was in such good condition ........ but this must be why ! 

Wednesday July 14th 2004 - The Visit of HRH Princess Alexander

CEREMONY TO REMEMBER HERO WHO TOOK PART IN CHARGE OF LIGHT BRIGADE

An emotive tribute ...... dozens of soldiers were joined by HRH Princess Alexander at Layton Cemetery yesterday to re-dedicate a memorial to a Blackpool man who fought in the Charge of the Light Brigade.

On October 25.1854 Sergeant William Butler was one of 137 soldiers in the 17th Lancers who took part in the Charge during the Crimean War - although he was badly wounded and had his horse shot from under him - he survived.
He was brought up in Preston but in later years, following the advice of his doctor to move close to the sea, he and his wife moved to South Shore. He died on February 13, 1901 aged 76.
The Princess who is deputy colonel-in chief of the 17th Queens Royal Lancers, went to Layton yesterday to lay a wreath on Sgt.Butler's grave to mark the 150th anniversary of the Charge of the Light Brigade. She was greeted by the Deputy Mayor of Blackpool, Coun.Susan Fowler -  the Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire, Lord Shuttleworth and the Colonel of the Queen's Royal Lancers, Brigadeer Hurrel. Prayers and psalms were said by Reverend Jonathan Ball, the regiment's chaplain, and Reverend Stephen Brook, the vicar of Layton.

Retired captain Mick Holtby, who organised the event, told the gathered crowd about the life of Sgt Butler and after The Last Post and the Reveille, the Princess laid a blue and white wreath on the gravestone.

Article courtesy of 'The Gazette' Thursday July15 2004
 

[liverpool annie]

Tony sent me some more stuff on Edwin Hughes ... I didn't realise he was "Balaclava Ned" !!

I invited him to put the stuff on here - but I honestly couldn't resist posting this !!  .... a horse that was in the Charge ( and Edwin on the left !! ) .... isn't he wonderful ??

FYI ..... I was referring to the horse "Butcher " .......... 

[Tephra]

A horse that actually survived..............now that's something......!!   


I'm loving reading all this.  It's fantastic what you're finding.


Barbara

[liverpool annie]

Can you see the bandages on his back Barb ? ... he was wounded too !!

I love getting all of this but what can we do with it .... that's meaningful ??

Annie