Born in Hertford [parish of All Saints [RM]], c.1810
Enlisted at Maidstone on the 14th of February 1832.
Age: 21 years 5 months.
Height: 5' 9".
Trade: Farmer.
Appearance: Fresh complexion. Hazel eyes. Dk. brown hair.
From Private to Corporal: 28th of January 1843 [presumably 1833?].
Reverted to Private, "at his own request", on the 14th of July 1833.
Embarked for India on the 14th of July 1834.
From Private to Corporal: 12th of March 1838.
Corporal to Hospital Sergeant (later ranking as Troop Sergeant Major): 24th of January 1840.
Sent money from the Crimea to a Mrs. H.T. Archer. (No address shown.) Invalided to England from the Crimea on the 19th of October 1855.
Children
George Archer, born c. 1838, Cawnpore.
Thomas Archer, born c. 1840, Canterbury.
Elizabeth M. Archer, born c. 1848, Hounslow.
Edwin Julian Archer, born c. 1850, Hounslow.
Fanny Archer, born December Quarter 1851, Nottingham.
A son, Edwin Julian, was born to him and his wife, Elizabeth, on the 24th of March 1850 and baptised in the Military Chapel at Hounslow Barracks on the 21st of April 1850 "by certificate", and two daughters, Elizabeth M. at Hounslow in 1848 and Fanny at Nottingham in 1851, are shown in the Army Chaplain's Baptismal registers.)
1851 Census
Pockthorpe Cavalry Barracks, Norwich,
George Archer, married, 40, Staff Sgt Major, born Hertford [p.9].
Elizabeth Archer, Sgt Maj wife, 29, born Bengal, East India [p.4].
George Archer, 13, born Cawnpore, East India
Thomas Archer, 11, born Canterbury.
Discharged from Chatham Invalid Depot on the 24th of January 1856.
Served 23 years 312 days.
In Turkey and the Crimea: 1 year 6 months. East Indies, 4 years 6 months.
Conduct and character: "Examplary". In possession of a silver medal for "meritorious conduct".
Granted a pension of 2/- per day.
Later, he served with the 2nd Warwickshire Militia. Documents showing just when he enlisted no longer exist, the earliest being from 1862 onwards. He is, however, shown as being "Medically discharged" on the 31st of December 1870 and receiving a gratuity of £18. His Regimental number was 24.Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman, Sebastopol. And the Turkish medal.
Awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal. He was recommended for this on the 10th of January 1855, with a gratuity of £15, but it is not known under what circumstances this was awarded, or if this was an award for gallantry, coming as it did under the accepted criteria. He was the only Hospital Sergeant in the Brigade to be awarded it as such. (By the date of the Memorandum seven Hospital Sergeants from all arms had received the medal and annuity.)
Awarded the Long Service & Good Conduct medal, believed to be when serving with the 2nd Warwickshire Militia.
He was living in the Coventry Pension District from 1860.
1861 Census
5, Albion Terrace, Leamington.
[RM: The 1861 Census shows him as a lodger here, born c.1804. He is shown as a "Chelsea Pensioner Staff Serjt 2nd W. Mta", a widower, and was lodging with his son Thomas, aged 22, born Canterbury, Kent. [RM]
Warneford Hospital, Leamington.
1871 Census
The 1871 Census shows him as Sergeant Major, aged 61, a patient in the Warneford Hospital, Leamington.
Died in the Coventry Pension District on the 30th of April 1871.
Death registered
George Archer, aged 61 years, June Quarter 1871, Warwick.
His death at the age of 61 years is shown in the St. Catherine's House records for the Warwick District during the April-June quarter of 1871.
From his death certificate he died at the Warneford Hospital, Leamington, from "Hanaplegia" [?], aged 61 years, his occupation being that of a Pensioned Sergeant Major from the 11th Hussars. A Mary Wailes, also of the Warneford Hospital, was present at his death.
[PB: Should this be "Hemiplegia", where one side of the body is paralysed, perhaps after a stoke?]
(There is copy of this in the "Certificates"file.)
[PB: No information about his burial.]
Additional birth details, death registration, and Census information for 1851 kindly provided by Chris Poole.