Born at Bradwell, Suffolk, c.1832.
1841 Census
Ann Bensley 55 cowkeeper
Ann, 30, [query mother to James?]
Henry, 25, Bricklayer
Joseph, 20, Bricklayer
Robert, 20, Bricklayer
John, 15,
James, 9,
Enlisted at London into 15th Hussars on the 11th of June 1851. Joined the regiment at Newbridge from Maidstone. No other enlistment details are shown.
Transferred to the 11th Hussars (as a Cpl.) on the 1st of October 1854.
Reduced to Private by a Regimental Court-martial on the 27th of October 1854.
From Private to Corporal: 1st of February 1855.
Joined the regiment in the Crimea on the 25th of May 1855.
He was obviously older than most recruits when originally enlisting as when he left Ireland for the Crimea to join the 11th Hussars his wife is shown as "travelling to Liverpool, accompanied by four children, aged 11-9-5 and 3 years." It was most unusual for a married man to have joined the Army at this time and he may possibly have served before, been discharged and re-enlisted.
>Discharged, "by purchase", from Canterbury on the 26th of November 1856. Payment of £25.
Served 5 years 164 days.
Conduct: "very good". In possession of one Good Conduct badge.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasp for Sebastopol, and the Turkish medal.
Lummis and Wynn state, "Name not on medal roll." This is not so, his name appears on the Sebastopol clasp list.
1851 Census
Bradwell.
Ann Bensley, 66, Laundress.
Frances, 30, daughter.
James, 19, son, Journeyman bricklayer.
1861 Census
Greenwich. [Is more info available?]
James Bensley, 39.
Emma, 36.
Three children shown: Robert, 7, James, 5, Kate, 3.
1871 Census
Blackheath, North side, Holy Trinity parish, Greenwich, London.
He appears on the 1871 Census as aged 39 , a "Bricklayer, out contractor", married to [?], 36, a "Tobacconist", born at Farnham, Suffolk.
Two sons, Robert, 7, and James, 5, and a daughter, Kate, 3, all born in Kent, are also shown.
A nephew Thomas Pearce aged 17 born Suffolk also appears in the household. [RM]
No information. Hs last recorded address was Blackheath, North side, Holy Trinity parish, Greenwich, London. It is possible he is buried locally.i
Census information for 1851 & 1861 kindly provided by Chris Poole.