Born at Maidstone on the 19th of September 1836.
Educated at the Royal Military Asylum at Chelsea which he had entered on the 24th of April 1843, aged 6 years 5 months. His parents were shown as Trumpeter William Haas of the 4th Light Dragoons and his wife Sarah. His father was shown as being "Alive" at this time but his mother as "Dead."
On the 22nd of June 1830 a 678 William Hayes [sic] had enlisted into the 4th Light Dragoons at London.
Born on the island of Sicily, he was 5' 4" in height, with a fair complexion, blue eyes and sandy hair. His age was given as 14 years and 10 months and his trade as that of a shoemaker. He signed his name at this time as William Hayes.
A formal certificate was sent at the time of his enlistment:
Memorandum from the Recruiting Department for the information of the Inspecting Field officer of the London Recruiting District.
The Commander-in-Chief has approved of William Hays, a Boy lately discharged from the Royal Military Asylum, being enlisted for the 4th Light Dragoons to be trained as a Trumpeter. His bounty of Two Guineas will be issued on his joining the Cavalry Depot at Maidstone to equip him with his necessaries.
(Signed) John McDowell, DAG.
19th of June 1830.
Appointed to Trumpeter: 20th of October 1832.
"In confinement", 20th-29th of May 1834; tried by a Detachment Court-Martial; imprisoned from the 30th of April 1834; and reduced to Private.
Appointed again to Trumpeter on the 1st of April 1837 but resigned (in order to embark for India) on the 15th of July 1837.
Given the Regimental number of 678, his name had persisted in the musters as William Hayes until he embarked for India on the 28th of July 1837 and joined the regiment on the 14th of December 1837.
From the following quarter of January-March and on, he was shown as William Haas.
He was appointed Trumpeter on the 29th of March 1840, but was "returned to duty" as a Private on the 30th of June 1853.
Discharged from Chatham Invalid Depot on the 30th of November 1855, aged 40 years 2 months.
"Is unfit for any further service... Private Hays, when he was stationed at Brighton about two years ago, showed symptoms of impaired intellect which is attributed to natural causes. He was sent here on the 1st of October and found to be of so weak an intellect that he cannot perform any duty..."
Served 22 years 71 days, to count. Abroad, 4 years 104 days — 14th of December 1837 to the 27th of March 1842. 71 days, In Conduct and character: "a good soldier".
In possession of two Good Conduct badges and is entitled to a further badge on the 27th of September 1855. Once tried by a Court-martial, (for drunkenness.) Awarded a pension of 10d. per day. Is named on his documents as William Hayes, but signed his name as William Haas. (He died at Glasgow on the 5th of October 1856.)
Enlisted at Westminster into the Regimental Band on the 17th of December 1851.
Age: 15.
Height: 4' 7".
Trade: None.
Appearance: Fresh complexion. Grey eyes. Fair hair.
Sent to the Cavalry Depot on the 10th of July 1854.
From Private to Trumpeter. 21st of September 1854.
Joined the regiment in the Crimea on the 17th of July 1855.
He is shown on the Regimental "Married roll" from the 8th of June 1864. His wife's name was Catherine.
He is later shown as having four children by the 31st of March 1874, but other records show seven. Two of these may have died young.
Mary Anne, born 20th of March 1865.
Charlotte, born 4th of May 1866.
Catherine, born 26th of August 1867.
William James, born 11th of January 1871.
Samantha Ellen, born 11th of January 1871.
Two other children are shown in the St. Catherine's House Army Chaplain's Registers as being born in India: John J. at Simla in 1872 and Sarah at Rawalpindi in 1874.
Of the others, Mary Anne was born in Dublin, Charlotte at St. Mary's [sic], Catherine in Exeter, and William James and Samantha Ellen (twins) at Newbridge, Ireland.
His wife, Catherine, died in August 1876 at Rawalpindi, and he was shown as a widower on discharge.
Appointed Trumpet-Major on the 16th of November 1866.
Re-engaged for a further 12 years' service on the 1st of December 1866. Embarked for India aboard the "Serapia" from Portsmouth on the 15th of October 1867.
Tried by a Regimental Court-martial and reduced to Private on the 4th of March 1871.
From Private to Corporal: 5th of April 1871.
Transferred to the "Unattached List" and to the Governor General's Band on the 14th of December 1871.
Returned to the Regiment and "Reduced to the ranks by order of the Commander-in-Chief, India," on the 23rd of December 1873.
Discharged from Shorncliffe on the 1st of August 1878. "Claimed, after termination of second period of limited engagement."
Served 24 years 97 days.
In Turkey and the Crimea: 9 months
In India: 11 years 3 months.
Conduct: "good, and habits regular and temperate."
Twice entered in the Regimental Defaulter's book. Once tried by Court-martial.
Aged 42 years 2 months on discharge.
Next of kin: Wife, Catherine Haas.
His wife, Catherine, died in August 1876 at Rawalpindi, and he was shown as a widower on discharge.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasp for Sebastopol.
To live at No. 9 Moleand Street, Birmingham, after discharge.
Not recorded by Lummis and Wynn.
Documents confirm the award of the Crimean and Turkish medals.
1881 Census
187, Pleck Street, Walsall Foreign, Staffordshire.
The 1881 Census shows him as a Chelsea Pensioner, aged 44, born at Maidstone, Kent, with his son Charles, 14, Errand Boy born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and a William Jameson (also described as a Son), 10, a Scholar, born in Bengal in the East Indies.
None of his other known children appear to have been living with him at this time.
No info.
There were others of the name of Haas who served in the regiment at various times, and all were probably related. Considerable confusion however, arises over the various spellings of the name in the musters and on discharge documents.
Another William Haas had entered the Royal Military Asylum (also known as The Duke of York's School) at Chelsea at the age of 6 years and 4 months on the 29th of December 1821, the son of Private Christopher (or Christian) Haas of the 4th Light Dragoons and his wife, Louisa. An entry in red ink in the "Remarks" column shows, "To Southampton, 14th Dec. 1822." (There was another infants' home there at this time.) He was "Delivered over to his parents," on the 8th of August 1829, at the age of 14 years.
A John Haas, said to have been born at Belem in Portugal on the 11th of December 1809, enlisted into "Boy's service" with the 4th Light Dragoons at Romford on the 12th of December 1821, with the Regimental number of 165. Aged 14 years, 5' 4" in height, and with a fair complexion, grey eyes and light brown hair, and "no Trade". Never above the rank of Private, he served 22 years 170 days, to count, before being discharged at Newbridge, Ireland, on the 11th of May 1848, aged 40 years.
According to his Medical Report:
"After a treatment of ten months in Hospital was found unfit for further service from chronic pneumonia. Is also now much enfeebled. Possibly by pre-disposition, but he has also become debilitated by his years of service in India."
Served 19 years abroad. Conduct: "a very good soldier".
In possession of six Good Conduct badges.
Awarded a pension of 10d. per day, he died at Glasgow on the 17th of December 1865.
No one of the name of Haas was serving with the regiment in 1809 although it was at Belem for a short while on its arrival in Portugal. The name Haas is of Austrian origin, and his father could well have been someone serving in the King's German Legion, and neither has it yet been possible (1987) to trace the Christopher (or Christian) Haas said to have been the father of 658 William Haas. Both John and William Haas dying at Glasgow would suggest some connection between the two. Neither man was shown as being on "On service in Scinde" during the Ghuznee campaign period, so they would not appear to have been entitled to the medal for this campaign.