Born at Clewer, near Windsor, Berkshire.
Enlisted at Westminster on the 24th of February 1854.
Age: 17 years 10 months.
Height: 5' 8".
Trade: Mason.
Appearance: Fresh complexion. Blue eyes. Brown hair.
Joined the regiment in the Crimea on the 21st of May 1855.
Transferred to the 2nd Battalion of the Military Train on the 30th of November 1856. Regimental No. 929.
From Private to Corporal: 27th of March 1859.
Corporal to Sergeant: 2nd of November 1859.
Birth registered
Charles J Lovell, March Quarter 1863, Islington [London].
George Wilson is shown on the muster rolls as "alias R. C. Lovell" from the 1st of April 1864.
Allowed to revert to his real name of "Raphael Charles Lovell" from the 1st of July 1864.
Re-engaged at Dublin for a further 12 years' service on the 26th of April 1866. Transferred to the Army Service Corps on the 20th of February 1870. Served with No. 3 (Transport Company), Regimental No. 20.
Promoted to 3rd Class Staff Sergeant on the 23rd of January 1871.
Promoted to 2nd Class Staff Sergeant on the 8th of June 1874.
Reverted to Sergeant, "at his own request", on the 15th of June 1872.
Discharged, at "Own request, free with pension after 21 years' service, from Portobello Barracks, Dublin, on the 18th of May 1875."
Served 21 years 25 days. In Turkey and the Crimea: 358 days. India, 1 year 241 days.
Conduct: "has been very good". Was in possession of one Good Conduct badge when promoted and would now have had five.
Never entered in the Regimental Defaulters' book. Never tried by Court-martial.
Aged 45 years on discharge.
To live at No. 15 Lynton Grove, Borough, London.
Awarded a pension of 2/- per day.
Next of kin: Wife, Henrietta Lovell. They are shown on the Regimental "married roll" from the 18th of February 1862, and had three children by the end of March 1868.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasp for Sebastopol and the Turkish medal.
Mutiny medal with clasps for Lucknow and the Relief of Lucknow.
Served with the force under the command of H. E. the Commander-in-Chief at Lucknow and with that under Sir James Outram at Alum Bagh.
Awarded the Long Service & Good Conduct medal as "No. 23 Raphael Charles Lovell" when serving in the A.S.C., on the 1st of August 1872, with a gratuity of £10.
Not recorded by Lummis and Wynn.
1871 Census
Malins Hotel (next to Railway Hotel), Coopers Hill, Easthampstead, Berks.
Charles Lovell, 35, Hotel Keeper, born Brightwalton, Berks.
Esther Lovell, 37, born Malington, Cambridgeshire.
Charles J. Lovell, 8.
A sister-in-law is also shown, together with a servant and a lodger.
It would seem he had married again, as his wife is named as Esther at this time, whereas in records dated 1862 and 1868 it was Henrietta. However, it has not as yet been possible to find a record of the second marriage, or what happened to Henrietta.
1881 Census
Station Hotel, Guildford Street, Chertsey, Surrey
He is shown as a Hotel Keeper, aged 44, born at Brightswilliam, Berkshire, with his wife, Esther, aged 55, born at Madingly, Cambridgeshire, and one son, a Clerk.
A Domestic Servant and five Boarders are also shown.
Census information, and 1863 birth registration, kindly provided by Chris Poole.