IN PROGRESS — NOT FOR PUBLICATION
Born at Sunninghill, near Windsor, Berkshire, c.1816.
Enlisted at Queen's Square, London, on the 13th of April 1836.
Aged 20 years 2 months.
Height: 5' 9".
Trade: Groom.
Appearance: Dark complexion. Grey eyes. Dk. brown hair.
[In India 1836? — 1841.]
Returned to England from India aboard the "Mary", having left Bombay on the 13th of December 1841 and arriving in England on the 12th of March 1842.
Sent to Scutari on the 13th of December 1855.
[PB, 3.10.17: Given that he died before the Balaclava Banquet in 1875, is it possible he is a previously unidentified Charger?]
[PB: At least one child was born to him and to Louisa Robinson while he was still in the Army. I do not know if/when they married.]
Children
George Robinson, born c.1858, Aldershot.
Charlotte Robinson, born c.1862, Kensington.
Discharged from Dublin on the 16th of October 1860.
"Free, at own request, after 24 years' service."
Served 24 years 158 days.
In Turkey and the Crimea: 1 year 10 months
In India: 4 years 4 months.
Conduct: "a good soldier,"
In possession of five Good Conduct badges. Never tried by Court-martial.
To live in Kensington, London.
Awarded the medal for Ghuznee [1839].
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman and Sebastopol. He is shown as No.882 on the medal roll for the latter.
Documents confirm the award of the Ghuznee, Crimean (four clasps), and the Turkish medals.
Awarded the Long Service & Good Conduct medal on the 6th of November 1857, with a gratuity of £5.
In 1996 it was learnt that his group of medals comprising of the medal for Ghuznee, the Crimean medal with four clasps and the Long Service & Good Conduct medal was in the Regimental Museum of the (now) Queen's Royal Hussars in the Fortress Redoubt at Eastbourne, Sussex. Enquiry of how and when they came to be in the Museum brought no response.
1861 Census
Park Lane, Kensington.
William Robinson, 44, Groom, born Sunninghill.
Louisa Robinson, 40, born Saxstead, Suffolk.
George Robinson, 3, born Aldershot.
1871 Census
2, Gen Mews, Kensington, Chelsea.
William Robinson, 58, Pensioner 4th Light Dragoons, born Sunninghill.
Louisa Robinson, 47, born Saxstead, Suffolk.
George Robinson, 13, Scholar, born Aldershot.
Charlotte Robinson, 9, born Kensington.
Died in the West London Pension District on the 30th of September 1874.
Death registered
William Robinson, aged 58 years, September Quarter 1874, Kensington.
WR is shown in St. Catherine's House records as having died in the Kensington District of London, aged 58 years, during the July-September quarter of 1874.
His death certificate shows that he died aged 58 years at 10, Church Court, Kensington Town on the 29th of September 1874 from "Phthisis Pulmonalis". His occupation was given as Labourer. A Louisa Robinson, of the same address, was present at, and the informant of, his death.
[PB: Kensington Town? In 2017, there is a Kensington Church Court, on Kensington High Street — any connection?]
There is a copy of the death certificate in the 4th Light Dragoons "Certificates" file.
(See record of 1568 Robert Watling, 4LD, for details of the photograph in Regimental possession captioned "Balaclava men of the 4th Hussars in 1856." (This date is not thought to be correct, and actually to be some years later, perhaps as late as 1858.) The photograph shows six men in different modes of uniform dress, with a civilian (and possibly an officer). There are two men pictured wearing the medal for Ghuznee, the Crimean medal with four clasps, the Turkish Crimean medal, and the L.S.& Good Conduct medal (see also the record of 855 John Moore, 4LD) who were both awarded this combination of medals and were serving at the time the original photograph was said to have been taken. See copy pictures of the two men referred to in the 4th Hussar file.)
Additional information about WR's children, death registration, and Census information for 1861 and 1871 kindly provided by Chris Poole.