One for Liverpool Annie Part 2

[liverpool annie]

Trumpeter William Wilson 8th Hussars  ( King's Royal Irish )     

Charged with the Light Brigade at Balaklava and evinced great coolness and courage being then only 16 years of age and the youngest man in the brigade ... he was subsequently at the Battle of Tehernaya

*EJ Boys - Wilson Trmptr William 1204 8th H

[liverpool annie]

William Rathbone 1819-1902 was a prominent person in the life of Florence Nightingale 

William Rathbone VI was the eldest son of William Rathbone V and Elizabeth (nee Greg). He was a merchant, shipowner, philanthropist and MP, 1968-1895 first for Liverpool and later for Caernarvonshire. He became a partner of Rathbone Brothers and Co., general merchants, in 1842 after some time spent with Nichol, Duckworth and Co. in Liverpool, and Baring   Brothers in London, and remained a partner until 1885.
His first wife was Lucretia Wainwright Gair 1823-27 May 1859 daughter of Samuel Stillman Gair of Liverpool, who he married in 1847. He married again on 6 February 1862 to Esther Emily Acheson Lyle 1863-19 daughter of Acheson Lyle of Londonderry - he had ten children !

He took an interest in nursing which occupied more than half his life. He was the founder of district nursing, and he recognised the importance of effective training for all nurses. He was also largely responsible for improved workhouse conditions. In 1859 soon after the death of his first wife, thinking what intense misery must be felt in the houses of the poor from the want of such home nursing care, he paid a Mrs Robinson the former private nurse of his late wife Lucretia, to go into one of the poorest districts of Liverpool and try, in nursing the poor, to relieve suffering and to teach them the rules of health and comfort.

He achieved the establishment of the Liverpool Training School and Home for Nurses in 1862, from which basis a district nursing system was implemented in Liverpool through the 1860s and spread through the country. His involvement with this scheme led him to an awareness of the poor state of the workhouse hospitals, and he did much to assist in the reform of the nursing in workhouses. In 1888-1889 he was honorary secretary, and then Vice-President of the Queen Victoria Jubilee Institute for Nurses.

He was elected a Liberal MP for Liverpool in 1868, and sat for the city until 1880, he was returned as M.P. for Carnarvonshire from 1861-1885, and for North Carnarvonshire from 1885-1895. He was closely involved in the formation of University College Liverpool in 1882, founding a Professorship in English with his two brothers, and serving as president of the college in 1892. He also played an important part in the establishment of the University College of North Wales in 1884, of which he served as president from 1891. He was made Freeman of the City of Liverpool on 21 Oct 1891.

He died on 6 Mar 1902 at Greenbank

[liverpool annie]

Roger Fenton March 20 1819 - August 8 1869

He was born in Heywood, Lancashire. His grandfather was a wealthy Lancashire cotton manufacturer and banker, his father a banker and member of Parliament. Fenton was the fourth of seven children by his father's first marriage. His father had 10 more children by his second wife.

Fenton moved to London at the age of nineteen to study law but during the 1840s he changed direction, and decided to study painting. Like many British artists, Fenton decided to take up photography after seeing examples of the new art form at the Great Exhibition in 1851. He trained in Paris with a leading photographer - and was making his first successful photographs by February 1852.

In November 1854 Roger Fenton became the official government photographer in the Crimea. He purchased a wine merchant`s van and converted it to a mobile darkroom. He hired an assistant, and traveled the English countryside testing the suitability of the van.

In February 1855, he set sail for the Crimea aboard the Hecla, traveling under royal patronage and with the assistance of the British government.  This is probably the reason that Fentons pictures shied away from views that would have portrayed the war in a negative light. There could also have been other factors affecting the content of his pictures, that being that he was using new photographic techniques with a lengthy exposure time would not capture the action of war.  Also the heat in his van during the Spring and Summer months was unbearable, so many of his pictures were taken early in the morning.

He photographed many of the leading figures British soldiers and their camp life and many scenes in and around Balaklava and Sevastopol

In the summer of 1860 Fenton photographed over forty large, luxuriant still lifes once again showing that photography could equal - or surpass - the traditional roles of painting. These images also seem tinged with sadness over the achingly brief beauty of life. Fenton’s only son had died in April 1860 aged fifteen months.

Marcus Sparling, Fenton’s longtime assistant died the same month. The family mill that had helped to support Fenton’s comfortable lifestyle also closed later that year. Photography itself was at a tipping point. Hundreds of thousands of small, cheap photographs flooded the market. Fenton, like many others, found he could not compete with the photographic industry and still uphold his high professional standards

In 1862 Roger Fenton gave up photography for good auctioning off all of his equipment - and returned to the practice of law. Roger Fenton died in 1869 after a brief illness. The family fortune was all but depleted, his artistic endeavors lost, and himself nearly forgotten as a leader in the development of photography in England.

 

[liverpool annie]

Stephen Kennedy b.1819.

He joined the band of the 88th Regiment the Connaught Rangers aged 13 and then enlisted in 1838 with 17th Lancers and  transferred aged 20 as a trumpeter with the 17th Lancers in 1839 .......  He served as batman to Cornet Taylor the Riding Master during the first quarter of 1854 and he rode in the Charge of the Light Brigade .......... He was sent to Scutari on December 13 1854, and then to England on February 26 1855 ...... serving in 17th Lancers for 21yrs, retiring as a lance-sergeant in 1860. He then took on a civil position at the Royal Small Arms Factory in Enfield North London and also acted as Bugle-major with the 41st Middlesex Volunteer Rifles.

An old newspaper obituary describes much of the information above and also mentions how Stephen was one of the few survivors from the Charge of the Light Brigade at Balaklava

He was awarded the Crimean Medal with 4 clasps -  for the Battle of the Alma - Balaclava -  Inkerman - and Sebastopol - he was also awarded Long Service and Good Conduct medals as a private on January 30 1857 ........ He attended the First Balaclava Banquet on October 25 1875 and was a member of the Balaclava Commemoration Society in both 1877 and 1879.

* EJ Boys - Kennedy Pte Stephen 566 17th L

http://genforum.genealogy.com/crimeanwar/messages/2.html

[liverpool annie]

Private  William Davies b. London ( a porter ) son of Samuel Davies

Enlisted 25th October 1848 11th Hussars ( Prince Albert's Own )

Killed in Action at Balaklava  25th October 1854

* EJ Boys - Davies   Pte   William 1406 11th H

       

[liverpool annie]

Seems Lord Cardigan liked to get himself into hot water every now and again !! 

In 1840 one Captain Harvey Tuckett had insulted Lord Cardigan by publishing a letter which attacked him in the strongest terms .....  At 5 p.m. on September 12 they met at the windmill on Wimbledon Common. Shots were exchanged and Tuckett was wounded. The miller (a civilian), arrested all those involved and took them to Wandsworth police station, where they were charged to appear at the Old Bailey on October 20th. Here a grand jury found the Earl of Cardigan and his second - fit to be charged with intent to murder, maim, and cause bodily harm to Captain Tuckett. The Earl as a Peer of the Realm, was to appear before the House of Lords on February 16 1841.

Duelling had been illegal under Lord Lansdowne’s Act since 1828, carrying the death penalty -  in 1837 this was modified to apply only if injury or death resulted, otherwise the penalty was three years’ hard labour or transportation for fifteen years.

The Earl of Cardigan was acquitted on a technicality by a unanimous vote of his peers - the prosecution failed to show that the victim named in the charge and the man found wounded on Wimbledon Common were one and the same person

General public indignation with this much publicised case led to the effective end of all judicial tolerance in the matter of duelling -  after this - all duellers were prosecuted.

Source: http://gaslight.mtroyal.ca/archive/98oct19.htm

The Connaught Journal Thursday October 8th 1840

A London paper complains that 16 officers left the 15th Hussars since Lord Cardigan took the command - but it must be understood in this list are those who were obliged to go out on the reduction of the regiment from the India establishment.
Lieutenant Forrest 11th Hussars, another of Lord Cardigan's officers, was reprimanded by the Horse Guards last week, on complaint of his Lieut.- Colonel for not giving up the key his of barrack rooms, on change of quarters

Lieutenant Tuckett who was wounded by Lord Cardigan in the late duel has left his bed, and is able to walk about his house. Before the Magistrates it was stated by the Police that Captain Tuckett's pistols were of the commonest kind of duelling pistols, but Lord Cardigan's were of a superior manufacture, with hair triggers and French-rifled from within an inch of the muzzles. Lord Cardigan took up the pistols, and shewed the bench that they were not hair triggers, and his Lordship continued to say that he had bought them of Mr. Manton as common duelling pistols, and knew nothing more of them. Captain Douglas said they  were loaded by himself and Captain Wainwright. He looked at the barrels to ascertain whether they were rifled or not, and satisfied himself they were not.

http://www.irelandoldnews.com/Galway/1840/OCT.html

But then October 28th 1840 ........

Lieut. H. Tuckett, late 11th Hussars, was on Wednesday brought up at Wandsworth before the magistrates, for shooting at the Earl of Cardigan with intent to kill, in the late duel at Wimbledon. He was held to bail in 1000l and two sureties of 500l each.

http://www.irelandoldnews.com/Galway/1840/OCT.html

[liverpool annie]

Cornet John Barry Marshall - 4th Light Dragoons -

Died of disease ( Crimean fever ) at St. George Monastery Balaklava - 20 Sept. 1855.
Aged 25 - son of William Skinner Marshall of London and of Stowmarket Suffolk.
Memorial at Wetherden parish Church Suffolk -
"Sacred to the memory of John Barry Marshall Esqre Captain 4th Light Dragoons who died on the 20th of September 1855 of Crimean Fever at the Monastery of St. George, Balaklava Heights aged 25 second son of William Skinner Marshall Esqre No. 4 Hyde Park Square London."

* EJ Boys - Marshall Lt John 4th LD

http://www.inthefootsteps.com/itfCommercial/CrimeanWar1854-56/CrimeanWarSimpsonPage.htm

[liverpool annie]

19th foot Crimean War

25 Oct 1854   The Russian army that had settled a day or two ago before Balaklava, began offensive operations by attacking two Redoubts garrisoned by the Turks, whom on their approach bolted without offering the least resistance and which ultimately led to a General Engagement in which the British Light Cavalry suffered severely. Not being an eye witness of this affair altho' the reports of cannonading and musketry could be distinctly heard by the troops before Sebastopol and who were out under arms the greater part of the day, suffice it will be to observe that this battle reflected both credit and discredit upon the British, tho' nevertheless no question could be put forward to the discredit of the bravery of the Troops engaged or the ultimate result of their behaviour as the enemy were defeated in their designs and prevented from further molesting for a time this position of the British.

26 Oct 1854   Not satisfied with the result of yesterday before Balaklava the enemy tried his hand in the shape of a sortie in broad day approaching as it appeared in the direction from the Carreen Bay toward the hill in front of the 1st Brigade Light Division, and of the 2nd Division where afterwards a redoubt was thrown up and named "Victoria".   This sortie was met by the 2nd Division under Sir Lacy-de-Evans which after a sharp cannonading and fusilade he repulsed, the enemy retiring into the town.

Hitherto burials having been made at no particular place, and as it was desirable that some particular spot should be selected, a Division order was issued today directing the place in the ravine to the left of the Worensoff Road under the Picquet House to be the burial ground of the Light Division instead of in the hollow near the Windmill.

29 Oct 1854   In General after orders of this day the subjoined were issued to the troops in praise of the battle of Balaklava fought on the 25th and of the sortie repulsed on the 26th Inst.

The Commander of the Forces feels deeply indebted to Major General Sir Colon Campbell KCB for his able and persevering exertions in the action in front of Balaklava on the 25 Inst and he has great pleasure in publishing to the army the brilliant manner in which the 93 Highlanders under his able directions repulsed the enemy's cavalry.   The Major General had such confidence in this distinguished Corps that he was satisfied that it should receive the charge in line, and the result proved that his confidence was not misplaced.   The Commander of the Forces considers it his duty to notice the brilliant conduct of the Division of Cavalry under the command of Lt. Genl the Earl of Lucan in the action of the 25th Inst, he congratulates Br Genl the Hon I.G. Scarlett and the officers and men of the Heavy Brigade upon their successful charge and repulse of the Russian Cavalry in far greater force than themselves, and while he condoles with Major General the Earl of Cardigan and the officers and men of the Light Brigade on the heavy loss it sustained, he feels it to be due to them to place on record the gallantry they displayed and the coolness and perseverance with which they executed one of the most arduous attacks that was ever witnessed under the heaviest fire, and in face of powerful bodies of Artillery Cavalry and Infantry.

http://www.greenhowards.org.uk/gh-diaries/charlieusherwood-6.htm

Here's a challenge .... who do you think this is ?? 

I know this soldier was with the 19th foot and they were not at the Charge .... but I thought it was a poignant urging of a son to his mother ......... 

In 1854, a private in the 19th Foot, from Worthing, who fought at the battle of Alma in the Crimea, where his regiment suffered severely, wrote a letter to his mother about his experiences.

Sadly, his name is lost to history, but he penned the following from his camp near Sebastopol -

"Dear mother, I have to tell you that we are near Sebastopol, and the shot and shell are flying about us like hail.

"As good luck is, they do not hurt anyone. We are at work at entrenchments close to the walls and I could jerk a stone into the town on the top of the people.

"They fire on us with their big guns every night, and they are no joke mind you, for the shot are 56-pounders. We are up five or six nights a week, and what is worst of all, we get green coffee, and when we should be sleeping or eating we have that to burn and pound.

"I don't know how we shall get on, for we have a queer task to do and no mistake. There is a talk that we are to make an attack tomorrow morning; so if you do not hear from me any more you must write to the War Office, and enquire whether I am dead or not. You must put my number 2462, and tell them the regiment I belong to; and if they tell you I am dead, you must write for the money that is coming to me.

"But I hope, please God, to come back again."

http://archive.theargus.co.uk/2003/2/13/140457.html

[forester]

Hello Annie,

Is this site in your archive yet?

http://www.historyhome.co.uk/forpol/crimea/crimeaov.htm

Phil