Born in Twickenham, Middlesex, c.1819.
Enlisted at Nottingham on the 25th of February 1837.
Age: 17 years 9 months.
Height: 5' 6".
Trade: Labourer.
Appearance: Fresh complexion. Grey eyes. Lt. brown hair.
Tried by Court martial and imprisoned:
3rd — 16th of March 1840
21st of April — 15 of June 1840
26th of April — 9th of June 1848
10th of July — 22nd of August 1848
7th of January — 24th of February 1850.
1851 Census
Pockthorpe Barracks, Norwich.
William Bennett, soldier, unmarried, 32, Private, born Twickenham.
William Bennett married in the March Quarter of 1851 and was registered in the Wayland district of Norfolk approx, 20 miles west of Norwich. His wife's name is Charlotte but no last name was found.
Birth registered
William Bennett [son] was born in the June Quarter of 1851.
From Private to Corporal: 19th of November 1854.
At Scutari General Depot from the 22nd of September 1854. Sent to rejoin the regiment on the 3rd of October.
At Scutari again from the 5th of April 1855, and invalided to England on the 27th of June 1855.
Corporal to Sergeant: 10th of September 1857.
1861 Census
Hulme Cavalry Barracks, Lancashire.
W. Bennett, married, 41, Sergeant Major, born Twickenham.
>Discharged from the Curragh Camp on the 11th of September 1863, "At own request, to Out-Pension after 24 years service."
Served 25 years 324 days. In Bulgaria, Turkey and the Crimea, 1 year.
Conduct and character:
"Have been good since 1850 and was in the possession of three Good Conduct badges when promoted to Sergeant. Had he not been promoted he would now have had four."
Twenty-six times entered in the Regimental Defaulter's book. Five times tried by Court-martial.
Aged 43 years 7 months on discharge.
To live in Nottingham.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasp for Sebastopol, and the Turkish medal.
1871 Census
12 Nottingham & Derby Road South, Bramcote.
William Bennett, 51, Drill Sergeant/Chelsea Pensioner, born Twickenham.
Charlotte Bennett, 50, born Norwich.
1881 Census
Alexandra Street, Stapleford, Notts.
William Bennett is shown in the 1881 Census as a "Pensioner and Groom", aged 61, born Twickenham, living with his wife Charlotte, 60, born Norwich. [RM/CP]
1891 Census
Peasfield Terrace, Stapleford, Nottingham.
He appears in the 1891 Census aged 71, a Postman, living at Peasfield Terrace, Stapleford, Nottingham. His wife Charlotte, 70, born Norwich, is also shown, as well as a son, William, 39, single, also born at Norwich.
The GRO registers show William Bennett as dying in the Shardlow registration district of Nottinghamshire (which includes Stapleford) in the December quarter of 1897.
Deaths registered
Charlotte Elizabeth Bennett, 73 years, March Quarter 1894, Shardlow.
William Bennett, 78 years, December Quarter 1897, Shardlow.
It is likely they were buried locally.
A Private in the Regiment with the same name appeared at Kensington Magistrates Court some time in 1840 accused of assaulting Hugh Percy Holden, a man of respectable appearance; the other witnesses being a soldier of the same regiment and a pair of prostitutes who had been in the street with them. "Holden had provoked the fight", said Bennett, by his remark to the two soldiers. He had called them "Black Bottles" — an allusion to the cause celebre connected with Lord Cardigan and another officer in the Regiment. 970 William Bennett was the only man of this surname serving in the regiment at this time.
Additional marriage, birth and death registrations, and Census information for 1851, 1861, 1871, and 1881 kindly provided by Chris Poole.