LIVES OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE
The E.J. Boys Archive

Added 17.7.11. Minor edits 2.5.14. Info added 20 May 2018

IN PROGRESS — NOT FOR PUBLICATION

1113, Private Thomas Gibson CLARK — 17th Lancers

Also recorded as "Clarke".

Birth & early life

Born in the parish of St. George's [Bloomsbury], London, c.1834.

Enlistment

Enlisted at Canterbury on the 20th of March 1852.

Age: 18.

Height: 5' 7".

Trade: Servant.

Features: Fresh complexion. Dk. brown hair.

Service

From Private to Corporal: 29th of August 1855.

Corporal to Sergeant: 7th of September 1857.

The muster rolls for the period July-September 1858 show no particular service movement having taken place.

Embarked for India from Cork aboard the S.S. "Great Britain", 8th of October 1858.

In action against the rebels at Zeerapore, 29th of December 1858, and at Baroda, 1st of January 1859.

Appointed to Troop Sergeant Major on the 29th of September 1860.

Marriage

The India Office records show him as having married Emma Sarah Neville, a spinster, at Secunderabad, India, on the 17th of December 1863. He was then described as a bachelor. Both were "of full age".

His father was shown as Joseph Richard Clark and hers as James Neville. The witnesses were John Brown and Fanny Harrop Brown. (See record of 926 John Brown, 17th Lancers.) The service was conducted by the Revd Charles Gibson, Joint Chaplain.

Re-engaged for a further 12 years' service at Sandolwarra, India, on the 5th of December 1864.

Reduced to Sergeant, 26th of November 1865.

Appointed again to Troop Sergeant Major, 23rd of March 1867.

As Squadron Sergeant Major from the 1st of July 1870 and ranking again as Troop Sergeant Major from the 12th of April 1871.

Discharge & pension

Discharged "to pension" at Dublin, 31st of March 1874, "for the purpose of joining the Gloucestershire Yeomanry".

Aged 39 years 9 months on discharge.

Served 21 years 265 days. In Turkey and the Crimea: 2 years. India: 7 years 2 months.

Conduct: "very good".

Awarded a pension of 2/- per day.

Medals

Documents confirm the award of the Crimean and Turkish medals. No mention is made of the Long Service & Good Conduct medal, something which it could be expected to do in view of the fact that he was later a Yeoman of the Guard.

Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman, Sebastopol, and the Turkish medal.

Mutiny medal without clasp.

Awarded the Long Service & Good Conduct medal, 20th of September 1870, with a gratuity of £10.

Commemorations

Attended the first Balaclava Banquet in 1875.

Member of Balaclava Commemoration Society 1877 & 1879 and served on both committees

Signed the Loyal Address to the Queen in 1887 and served on the committee.

He was awarded the Queen Victoria 1887 Jubilee Medal while serving as a Yeoman of the Guard.

Attended the Annual Dinners in 1890-92 and appears in a photograph taken after the Annual Dinner in 1890. (See copy in the 17th Lancer file.)

1893? Source? [Image provided by Chris Poole.]

(Click on image to enlarge)

Life after service

To live in Monmouth after discharge.

In an Account and Address Book formerly used by James Wightman when the latter was Secretary of the Balaclava Commemoration Society, his address was shown as "No. 83 Graham Road, Dalston, London".

Living in the East London Pension District from the 1st of April 1876.

[RM: The 1881 Census shows him as an "Inspector of Lighters (Hart Service)", aged 46, born at Bloomsbury, London. His wife Emma S. is shown aged 47, born at Walworth, Surrey. Sharing the household at 83 Graham Street, Dalston, were two female lodgers.]

1881 Census

83, Graham Road, Dalston.

Thomas G Clark, 46, Inspector of Lighters — Harts Service, born Bloomsbury.

Emma S Clark, 47, born Walworth

Also 2 female lodgers.

Appointed a Yeoman of the Guard on the 7th of June 1884.

[RM] He appeared with other Crimean War veterans as a "Battle of Balaklava Hero" in the Lord Mayor's Show, 1890. Clark is shown as a Serjeant-Major travelling in the 15th carriage in the procession.

[PB: Is he shown in the group photograph taken at Olympia after the 1890 Dinner?]

1891 Census

168 High Street, Willesden, Harrow.

Thomas G Clark, 57, HM Royal Body Guard, born Bloomsbury.

Emma S., 62, born Camberwell.

Also a lodger.

Death & burial

Died on the 3rd of December 1893.

Death registered

Thomas Gibson Clark, aged 60 years, December Quarter 1893, Hampstead.

According to his death certificate he died at 55, Sherriff Road, West Hampstead, from "Influenza, Cardiac Syncope", aged 60 years. His occupation is given as "Yeoman of the Guard, and Army Pensioner". A niece (name indistinct), of the same address, was present at his death. (There is a copy of this in the "Certificates" file.)

References & acknowledgements

Photograph, Death registration, Census information for 1881 and 1891, and additional information about the Balaclava Commemoration Society an 1887 Loyal Address kindly provided by Chris Poole.