Hi Martin
My Great, Great, Great Uncle Thomas Sheldon was born in Beeston, Nottinghamshire in 1795. He was at Waterloo in 1815 in the Royal Horse Artillery as a Gunner & Driver.
My attention to his possible involvement in the battle was drawn to research when I discovered in the transcription of his burial the comment ‘Waterloo Man’, which was confirmed when I looked at the scan of the original document at the Nottingham records office. Later I also discovered at the National Archives at Kew his discharge papers and requested a copy which confirmed he served at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. He also served in France for 3 years 6 months which would of been possibly before but certainly after the battle and also in England and Ireland. He was medically discharged from the army in 1840 with an ‘exemplary’ record and then worked at the Royal Ordnance Hospital in Woolwich and is showing in the 1841 census as the Driver for the Director General of the Hospital a Capt Webb. His wife Elizabeth Sheldon was also working at the hospital as an Office Keeper together with their children William, Elizabeth, Robert and Sarah (William and Robert I have reason to believe joined the military together with their oldest son Thomas Sheldon who joined the Royal Horse Artillery as well). In the 1851 census they are still showing as working at the hospital and Thomas is the driver for the then retired Director General of the hospital Capt Webb the children are not on the census record with them. In the 1861 Census they have by then moved back to Nottingham and are living in Scont Lane, Arnold, Nottingham and he is listed as a Chelsea Pensioner. He died and was buried on 18/11/1875 at St Mary’s Church in Arnold, Nottingham but there was no memorial erected by his widow, I have yet to discover the area in the graveyard where he was buried, but have found two articles in the newspapers of the time about his life, his death and funeral.
I have discovered that in the actual roll call taken after the battle when the names were recorded his name was taken and looks like Thomas Shelder. His name is entered under the list of the ‘Officers & Privates of the Royal Horse & Foot Artillery’ under Lieutenant Coln A. Dickson’s Troop on page 18 as a Driver at number 813 of the roll call.
I have been in touch with David Milner, a historian for the Association of Friends of the Waterloo Committee. The president is His Grace The Duke of Wellington KG,LVO,OBE,MC,DL; The Prince of Waterloo. David has the job of compiling any information about the men who fought in the battle and what happened to them afterwards, and as important is discovering where they are buried. I have given him the most information that he currently has about any of the ordinary soldiers that took part in the battle and also about his life afterwards.
Michael Sheldon
