Born at Lincoln, and baptised in the church of St. Faith (or St. Mary Le Wigford) on the 10th of March 1833, the son of John and Sarah Cullen.
1851 Census
The Parsonage Farm, Grantham, Lincs.
William Cullen, 57, farmer with 96 acres.
Mary Ann, 40.
Five children shown: William, 18, Farmer's son, Charles 13, Frederick 11, Matilda, 8, James 5.
Enlisted at Nottingham on the 1st of December 1851.
Age: 19.
Height: 5' 6".
Trade: Farmer.
In his manuscript autobiography, A Chequered Life, Nathan Henry mentions William Cullen as his "right-hand man" during the Charge:
"[J]ust before reaching the battery a shell burst in front and part of the shell struck my horse on the near fore-leg, shattering it to pieces, and as we were riding at a gallop the poor old horse suddenly came down. I went over its head, and dislocated my bridle-hand, my right-hand man, William Cullen, who is still alive, leaping over me and saving me from being crushed to death no doubt."
From the Illustrated London News, 30th of October 1875:
Mr. William Cullen, late of the 11th (Prince Albert's Own) Hussars, writes as follows:
"I do not know whether my old comrade, Jack Fleming [1156 John Fleming, 11th Hussars], has turned up at any of your meetings. I shall be happy indeed, to see him once again, as I had the pleasure of saving his life in that dreadful charge in which so many of our poor comrades fell. This is how it happened: When retiring, after driving the Cossacks into the river Tchernya, I came up to poor Jack, who had three Cossacks attacking him. I had the pleasure of "skewering" one, when the other two bolted, not seeming to care about stopping in our company.
We were then by ourselves, those of our comrades who were left having ridden on. The Polish lancers were extended right across the valley; we rode up to them, when they put spurs to their horses and let us go through. All honour to them, for had they opened fire on us there would have been no one to tell the tale.
We then had to go through the cross-fire to reach our lines, and on the way I saw poor Bob Lazell [1335 Robert Layzell, 11th Hussars] lying wounded, with his horse beside him, and several Cossacks murdering him. I could not assist him, though my heart was good. I reported the matter to Lord Cardigan and Lord Raglan sent a flag of truce the next day to General Liprandi the Russian commander, to know why it was allowed.
He replied that he would be answerable for his own soldiers, as they were Christians, but would not be for the Cossacks, as they were not paid, but employed in the time of war to harass the enemy of a night and plunder and destroy all they possibly could. As for fighting, they were no good.
Another incident you will doubtless remember, the time when the Russian horses got loose and the cry was, "Turn out! Turn Out! the Russians are in the lines." I was very tired at the time, and had thoughts of a comfortable night. It being very cold, I got into a biscuit sack with my boots and spurs on, but the blessed spurs worked through the bottom of the sack, and completely made a prisoner of me for some time.
The Adjutant came up to me, saying that if I stopped there I should be cut to pieces. I told him that I could not help it if I was: I must take my chance, for I could not get out. At length I got my sabre, and cut the bottom of the sack. Had it been a fact that the Russians had turned out, I should not have stood much of a chance. I must say that I never tried to use a biscuit-sack again.
I am sorry indeed that our brave Cardigan is dead. I am sure he would have been proud of such a thing as a banquet coming off, and it would have been a pleasant sight to have seen him at the head of the remains of his gallant little band again: but though he is dead his name will never be forgotten, especially among us. I have the honour of wearing the Crimean medal with four clasps, also the Turkish medal."
From Private to Corporal: 1st of October 1855.
Reduced to Private by a Regimental Court-martial on the 24th of August 1856.
Discharged, "by claim", from Dublin on the 19th of January 1863.
Served 12 years 2 days.
Conduct and character: "good". In possession of two Good Conduct badges.
Awarded a Special Campaign Pension (no date shown, but in common with others this would have been in the early 1890s).
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman, and Sebastopol, and the Turkish medal.
Member of the Balaclava Commemoration Society in 1879.
Attended the Annual Dinners in 1890, 1892,1893 and 1897.
He appears in a photograph taken after the Annual Dinner in 1890. (There is a copy of this in the 11th Hussar file and also a copy of a letter (taken from the "Illustrated London News" of the 30th of October 1875) in which he describes his experiences during the Charge.
He wrote from No. 133 Devonshire Street, Globe Road, Mile End, London, when accepting the invitation from Mr. Roberts to attend the Jubilee celebrations in 1897:
"25th May 1897
Dear Sir,
I received your letter last night, and thank you for your kind invitation. I am delighted to know we had got such a man to interest himself in us. I am certain to be there on the night you mentioned. If all is well, my wife will accompany me, as I am now very bad in my eyes. Thanking you very much indeed for your kind invitation.
I remain,
Yours truly,
Wm. Cullen."
Present at the Fleet Street Offices of T.H. Roberts for the Jubilee celebrations in June of 1897 and signed the testimonial given to Mr. Roberts on that occasion. (There is a copy of this in the "Memoirs" file.)
THE MAN IN THE BISCUIT SACK.
And still another Crimean veteran arrived — William Cullen.
"I'm the man that got into the biscuit sack," he explained, with a grin. "Boots and spurs were on, and the adjutant came along and said ' If you don't get out of that sack you'll get killed.' 'Then I'll have to get killed,' I said, ' because my spurs have caught in the sack and I can't get out.' But fortunately I cut myself free in time to be in the charge."
He received a total of £10/17/6d. in financial help from the Roberts Fund, which also paid for his funeral.
Appeared with other Crimean War veterans as a "Battle of Balaklava Hero" in the Lord Mayor's Show, 1890. A specially printed programme for this event lists all these men and Cullen is shown travelling in the 13th carriage in the procession.
1871 Census
6 Albert Street, Mile End, Tower Hamlets.
William Cullen, 37, Checker Railway [?], born Grantham.
Mary, 26, born Tipperary.
One child shown: Catherine, 10.
1881 Census
155, Devonshire Road, Mile End Old Town.
The 1881 Census shows him as a Railway Clerk, aged 47 years, born at Grantham, Linclonshire, with his wife, Mary, 40, born in Ireland.
1891 Census
133, Devonshire Street, Mile End.
William Cullen, 56, Railway servant, born Grantham.
Mary A., 45, born Ireland.
A nephew and boarder are also shown.
His death, aged 72 years, is shown in the GRO records in the Mile End District during the April-June quarter of 1905.
His death certificate shows that he died at 133, Devonshire Street, Mile End Old Town, on the 6th of May 1905, aged 72 years, an "Army Pensioner, and formerly a railway foreman," from "Moribus Cordis, Acute Bronchitis, 4 days, Exhaustion. "A Richard Watling, son-in-law, of 14, High Road, Leyton, was the informant of his death. (There is a copy of the death certificate in the 11th Hussars "Certificates" file.)
Extract from Lloyds Weekly News for the 14th of May 1897 [1905, surely?]:
"'One of the 'Noble Six Hundred.'
The funeral took place on Friday last of William Cullen, erstwhile of the 11th (Prince Albert's Own) Hussars, and one of the survivors of the Light Brigade Charge at Balaclava. The deceased, who was seventy-two years of age, resided in Devonshire Street, Mile End, where he had been ailing for some time with bronchitis.
In the great historic event, of which he could give so graphic a description and which will be for ever associated with the name of Balaclava, Cullen received two severe wounds — a bullet passing through his thigh and a sword-cut almost severing his chin. (He is not shown as being so wounded in any of the official casualty lists.)
In spite of all this, he, on retiring from the Valley of Death came across a wounded officer attached to the 17th Lancers, whom he gallantly rescued by placing him across his horse, and returned safely to the British lines.
He received his discharge with a pension of 9d. per day [this probably refers to the "Special Campaign Pension" that many received about 1895 onwards] when he obtained a position on the Great Eastern Railway. This position he held for 19 years until he had to relinquish the post in consequence of failing sight through cataracts, eventually becoming almost blind.
He possessed two medals — the English, with four clasps — and the Turkish medal."
Census information for 1871 & 1891 kindly provided by Chris Poole.