Birth & early life
Born at Tamworth, Staffordshire, on the 16th of December 1816, the second son of Edmund Peel, M.P. for Newcastle-under-Lyme, and Emily, the second daughter of John Swinfin, Esq., of Swinfin Hall, Staffordshire, who were married on the 2nd of January 1812. His father was an industrialist, with interests in agricultural improvement and the breeding of race horses.
3. Edmond [sic?] Yates Peel, born at Chamber Hall, Bury, August 8, 1791. He married in 1812, Jane, daughter of John Swinfen, Esq., of Swinfen, Staffordshire, and has issue three sons. This gentleman resides at Bonehill, near to Fazeley and Tamworth, and holds in his own occupation extensive bleach-works and spinning mills. He is also distinguished for his agricultural experiments and his successful breeding of race-horses.
[Source: The Peel Society, here.]
EYP's uncle was Sir Robert Peel (1788 — 1850), Prime Minister (1834 — 1835, 1841 — 1846) and founder of the modern police force.
EYP's two brothers both served in cavalry regiments. The elder, Robert, as a Cornet in the 8th Hussars, died unmarried in 1851 [where? how?], and William served as a Major in the 1st Bengal Cavalry.
Service
Ensign in the 33rd Foot: 18th of March 1836.
Lieutenant (Unattached): 17th of July 1840.
Lieutenant in the 54th Foot: 26th of August 1851 [presumably 1841?].
Lieutenant in the 11th Hussars: 25th of November 1841.
Captain: 3rd of November 1846.
1851 Census
Queens Barracks, Ipswich.
Edward [sic] Peel, Officer 11th Hussars, unmarried, 34, Captain Army 11th Hussars, born Tamworth. [CP]
Captain Edmund Yates Peel, in Hart's New Army List, 1854.
(Click on image to enlarge)
Major: 20th of June 1854.
Brevet-Lieutenant Colonel: 12th of December 1854.
[PB: George Loy Smith, 11th Hussars, mentions how in June 1854 "Lord Cardigan's promotion brought about other changes in the regiment: Captain Peel succeeding Colonel Douglas as Major".
Later Loy Smith records:
"Saturday 20th July 1855. A squadron of ours, composed of all the old soldiers under the command of Major Peel, marched today in company with several other squadrons of the Light Brigade to the valley of Baider about 19 miles from here."
"Tuesday 20th August 1855. Our brigade, which consists of the 8th, 10th and 11th Hussars and 17th Lancers, had a field day this morning under the command of Colonel Palby of the 10th Hussars. The 11th formed one squadron, Colonel Peel commanded, (Colonel Douglas being on leave at Constantinople since the beginning of the month)."
"Friday 9th November 1855. It is now finally settled that the 11th is the only cavalry regiment to remain in the Crimea during the winter. This morning we relieved the detachment at headquarters and all the letter parties...The only officers now doing duty with the regiments, besides Colonel Peel who commands, are five subalterns. Colonel Douglas having gone home on leave, the remainder are away sick."
"Saturday 1st December 1855...Colonel Peel had my name put in the regiment's orders the other evening to perform the duties of adjutant, although I may say that those duties have been principally performed by me for many months past."
"Tuesday 25th December 1855. Sergeant-Major Guttridge (the armourer sergeant) and I, dined together today in my hut. We had an excellent dinner: goose, ashed [hashed?] mutton and a plum pudding made by the armourer sergeant's wife in Birmingham. The goose and two bottles of sherry, Colonel Peel kindly made me a present of. We cooked it beautifully in front of my fire. The officers gave the men dinners same as at home so that the 11th after all are very happy in their isolation."
John Buckton, 11H, mentions him (in an interview reported in the ILN) as one of his officers at the time of the Charge [CHECK wording].
Thomas Morley, The Cause of the Charge of Balaclava, also quotes Peel, in events just before the Alma.
"The Russian artillery even yet could not find the proper angle of elevation, so fortunately no great damage was done; but one may as well be killed as frightened out of one's life; and I recall how some of us more nervous fellows, bowing our heads down to our horses' manes, as the guns of the enemy belched fire (and, as it seemed to our excited nerves, at each particular individual), how angry and indignant was the tone of Major Peel's remonstrance, 'What the h-ll are you bobbing your heads at?'"
John Edden, 4th Light Dragoons:
As the summer approached I was sent with an expedition to Byda Pass, to hunt up some spies that were lurking about, and there I spent some six weeks under Major Peel, subsequently returning to my old quarters at Balaclava. The Sardinians here joined us, and then came the great battle of Tchernaya, which was chiefly fought by the Sardinians and the French. The English cavalry were called to the front, but did not go into action, although they were under fire. Then we again took up our old quarters on the Balaclava side, and remained there until the fall of the city, at which we were present on 7th September 1855."
William Butler, 17th Lancers:
"About may [sic] 1855 I was one selected to go on an expedition to Byada, under command of Colonel Peel, of the 11th Hussars. We had a little sharp work there. We surprised a lot of Cossacks, I wounded one, and took him prisoner. A little later we ransacked Prince Warasoff's Palace, and came back to camp in about a month with pockets well lined. But money did not last long, there was a place called Donabrook, where a lot of Greeks were allowed to charge anything they pleased for what they sold."
Fanny Duberly:
"Monday, February 5th. [1855] — Dined with Major Peel. Oh! what terrible work it is to ride over these wretched roads! You flounder along in the most helpless manner; and coming back in the dark, I put the reins on the old horse's neck, and exhorted him in this wise: — "Remember, 'Bob,' that any fool of a horse can tumble down here, so pray recollect what a much cleverer horse you are than any other of your species." I conclude the admonition had the desired effect; at any rate, we got safely home."
"11th Hussars disembarking their horses and stores at Portsmouth docks, on their return from the Crimea, 1856." Pencil and watercolour by George Housman Thomas (1824-1869), artist for The Illustrated London News', 1856.
The first detachment of the 11th (or Prince Albert's Own) Hussars sailed for England in June 1856 and the remaining detachment under Lieutenant-Colonel Edmund Peel left the Crimea on 4 July that year. Although the artist, George Housman Thomas, produced a number of drawings for The Illustrated London News, it appears that this sketch was not selected for publication. [Source: www.nam.ac.uk/online-collection (accessed 19.12.2016).
(Click on image to enlarge)
On to half-pay (Unattached): 23rd of June 1858.
1871 Census
42, South Dudley [presumably Audley] Street, Westminster.
Edmund Peel, lodger, unmarried, 54, Lt. Colonel in the Army, born Tamworth.
2 servants are also shown. [CP]
[PB: South Audley Street runs south from Grosvenor Square, parallel to Park Lane. Assuming street numbers have not changed, in 2016 no. 41 could be seen here — a building of about the right age?]
Commuted his half-pay of 96d per day on the 21st of May 1872, finally receiving the sum of £1,7485.
1881 Census
3, Howick Place, St, Margaret's, Westminster, London
The 1881 Census returns show him as aged 64, Late Major and Lieut Col 11th Hussars, unmarried, born at Tamworth, Staffordshire.
A William Staden, Servant to Lt. Col. Peel and Army Pensioner, aged 67, born at Sundridge Kent, his wife, aged 40, born at Blackwater, Surrey, and a daughter, Clara, aged 19, born at [?], were all shown as Domestic Servants. [CP]
1881 Census
3, Howick Place, Westminster.
Edmund Peel, unmarried, 64, late Major and Lieut Col 11th Hussars, born Tamworth.
3 servants are also shown being the family of William Staden, servant to Col Peel and Army Pensioner.
Campaign service
Lieutenant-Colonel Peel served the Eastern campaign of 1854-55, including the affair of the Bulganak, the battles of the Alma and Tchernya (where he commanded the Regiment) and the Siege and fall of Sebastopol. (Medal and two clasps, Brevet of Lieutenant Colonel and the 5th Class Order of the Medjidie.) The muster roll taken on the 31st of October 1854, shows him as "Absent, Sick."
Death & burial
Died (by committing suicide) on the 25th of March 1885, at the age of 68.
Death registered
Edmund Yates Peel, aged 68, June Quarter 1885, St Geo H. Sq [St George's Hanover Square, Mayfair, London].
He was buried in Compartment 4, Catacomb "B" Vault No. 6614095, situated beneath the Chapel at Kensal Green Cemetery, London.
Portico of the Anglican Chapel at Kensal Green Cemetery. Edmund Yates Peel is in Catacomb B beneath the chapel.
The Friends of Kensal Green Cemetery website includes further detailed information about the Anglican Chapel and Catacomb B, including a plan of the compartments, here.
(Click on image to enlarge)
The right of interment was purchased [when?] by William Peel, of No. 24 Beaumont Street, St. Marylebone, London.
A Morella Peel (relationship not known, but who was buried in the same vault), 27, had died at the same address as that given by William Peel (Edmund Yates Peel's brother), the owner of the right of interment. She was buried on the 14th of October 1857.
(Morella Peel may have been the wife of William Peel of the Bengal Cavalry as he is known to have been married, and who himself died in June 1882.)
[This means both of EYP's brothers were already dead. I wonder if this affected his decision to kill himself?]
Deposit within the catacombs of Kensal Green has always been more expensive and prestigious than burial in a simple plot in the grounds of the cemetery, although less costly than a brick-lined grave or mausoleum. Without the further expense and responsibility of a monument above the grave, the catacombs have afforded a secure, dignified and exclusive resting place for the well-to-do, particularly the unmarried, the childless and young children of those without family plots or mausolea elsewhere.
[Source: Kensal Green Catacombs. Also cited in Wikipedia: Kensal Green Cemetery (accessed 20.12.2016).]
From the Daily Telegraph, 28th of March 1885:
Suicide of Colonel Peel
An inquest was held at Westminster Sessions House yesterday respecting the death of Lieut-Colonel Edmund Yates Peel, who shot himself on Wednesday afternoon last, at his chambers, No. 3 Howick place, Victoria Street, Westminster.
Dr S.E. Mullig, of No. 30 Gower Street, stated that the deceased officer was 68 years of age. His bodily health was fairly good, but he was mentally depressed and had expressed the desire to take his own life on several occasions.
He was under the delusion that he was in pecuniary difficulties, but there were no valid grounds for that idea. [When his will was proved he left £9,525.]
William Staden [870 William Staden, 11th Hussars], servant and valet to the deceased, stated that Colonel Peel seemed nervous, and spoke but little on Wednesday morning.
He had risen shortly after 11 o'clock, and did not go out for a walk as usual at one o'clock. Just before four o'clock that afternoon the witness had entered his room, and found his master dead, with a pistol-shot wound in the forehead. He was reclining against a chair, and near his body was an open despatch box containing his will and other papers.
The box was bespattered with blood. His right hand grasped a doubled-barrelled pistol and his finger was on the trigger. One chamber of the weapon had been discharged and the other was still loaded.
Doctor Langton stated that the wound which caused his death was self-inflicted, and the jury returned a verdict of 'Suicide — whilst of unsound mind.'
A Staffordshire local paper, in reporting his death, mistakenly added added that "He and his younger brother Captain W. Peel, were both privates in the Tamworth Troop of Yeomanry Cavalry commanded by their father, Edmund Peel." It also said that his son, Frederick Peel, was a Captain in the Royal Engineers. The following edition however, denied this and said that "He was not married."
