Born at Nonington, Kent.
Enlisted at Canterbury on the 19th of October 1841.
Age: 21.
Height: 5' 7".
Trade: Labourer.
Features: Fresh complexion. Grey eyes. Lt. brown hair.
He was shown on a nominal roll of men of the Regiment made out at the Cavalry Depot, Scutari, on the 9th of November 1855, as being On Duty there from the 24th of October.
Sent money from the Crimea to his wife, Hannah, "At Stephen Gibson's, Star Street, Canterbury".
Invalided from Scutari to England on the 12th of March 1856.
>Discharged from Cahir, 18th of October 1858:
"Unfit for further service. This man suffers from Epilepsy — resulting from being kicked in the head by a troop horse whilst engaged on duty. He does not appear to have been intoxicated at the time of the accident. The duty engaged in was riding horses on watering duty at Canterbury in 1851. The horse threw him and he was struck on the head by the horse's hoof. He was taken to the hospital, where he remained for a month. From that time till now he has constantly been having epileptic fits which he never had before. There are several men who saw the accident and know he never suffered from fits before it."
Aged 37 years on discharge.
Served 16 years 58 days. In Turkey and the Crimea: 2 years.
Conduct: "good". In possession of three Good Conduct badges.
Awarded a pension of 6d. per day, but this was increased to 9d. per day from the 11th of May 1888.
To live in Canterbury after discharge.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman, Sebastopol, and the Turkish medal.
The 1881 Census shows him as living at Horton Cottage, Chartham, Kent, an Agricultural Labourer, aged 59, born at Nonington, Kent, with his wife, Hannah, a Laundress, aged 59, born at Petham, Kent, and a son of 17, also an Agricultural Labourer, and a married daughter, Hannah Lane, aged 24, born Canterbury, and granddaughter, Elizabeth, aged 6.
1891 Census
Shalmeford Bridge, Chartham.
William Bushell, 69, Agricultural Labourer, born Nonington.
Hannah Bushell, 69, Laundress, born Petham.
One granddaughter shown.
Death registered
Hannah Bushell, 78, June Quarter 1899, Bridge.
Applied for possible increase of pension but a letter was sent to the Revd. C. Randolph: "No power, but would encourage application for possible In-Pension status at Chelsea Royal Hospital." This reply was sent on the 17th of September 1899, but there is no indication if this was taken up.
[RM: The GRO records list his death aged 80 in the Bridge District (includes Chartham), Kent, in the September quarter of 1900.]
Registration of Hannah Bushell's death, and Census information for 1891, kindly provided by Chris Poole.