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LIVES OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE
The E.J. Boys Archive

Added 05.10.11. Minor edits 14.4.14.

1840, Private Alexander BURGESS — 11th Hussars

Birth & early life

Born in the parish of St. Pancras, London, c.1832.

Enlistment

Enlisted at London on the 21st of December 1854.

Age: 22.

Height: 5' 7".

Trade: Brass-fitter.

Appearance: Fresh complexion. Hazel eyes. Brown hair.

Service

Joined the regiment in the Crimea on the 25th of April 1855.

From Private to Corporal: 19th of January 1859.

1861 Census

Fulwood Barracks, Lancashire

A. Burgess, unmarried, 26, S.Sergt 11th Hussars, born St Pancras Middx.

Corporal to Sergeant: 22nd of December 1861.

Tried by a Regimental Court-martial and reduced to Private on the 3rd of November 1862.

From Private to Corporal: 27th of April 1865.

Sent to the Depot at Canterbury when the regiment went to India. 25th of June 1866.

Re-engaged for a further 12 years service at Canterbury on the 16th of October 1866.

Corporal to Sergeant: 13th of September 1866:

"Under arrest", 14th-29th of February 1872. Tried by a District Court-martial and reduced to Private on the 1st of March 1872. (He was charged with "using insubordinate language" at this second court-martial.)

Discharge & pension

Discharged from the Royal Victoria Hospital, Netley, on the 30th of September 1875 as "Free, at own request after 21 years service."

20 years 289 days service, to count.

In Turkey and the Crimea: 1 years 3 months. India 3 years. (From this service he must have joined the regiment in India at a later date.)

Aged 43 years on discharge.

Conduct and character: "very good". In possession of four Good Conduct badges.

Five times entered in the Regimental Defaulter's book. Twice tried by Court-martial.

He was awarded a pension of 1/- per day.

To live, c/o. Abel and Son's, Camden Town, London.

Next of kin (in 1867): wife, Bethial [sic?] Burgess.

Living in the North London Pension District in 1875.

Medals

Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasp for Sebastopol, and the Turkish medal.

Documents confirm the award of the Crimean and Turkish medals.

Commemorations

Life after service

A man of this name was shown in the 1881 Census returns as living in the Cavalry Barracks, New Windsor, Berkshire, an Army Pensioner, aged 47, born in Holborn, London, with his wife, Bithiah [sic], an Army Schoolmistress, aged 47, born in Crowland, Lincolnshire.

No other trace.

Death & burial

No information.

References & acknowledgements

Census information for 1861 kindly provided by Chris Poole.


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