Born in Aldgate, London.
Enlisted into the 4th Light Dragoons at London on the 18th of December 1837. No Regimental number was allocated to him.
Age: 23.
Height: 5' 8".
Trade: Labourer.
Appearance: Sallow complexion. Hazel eyes. Brown hair.
Went to London on Recruiting Duties, from Maidstone on the 25th of April 1842.
Transferred to the 17th Lancers on the 17th of May 1842. He joined the regiment from the Regimental Depot of the 4th Light Dragoons on the 31st of May 1842.
Tried by a Regimental Court-martial on the 2nd of March 1855 for "being drunk on duty". Sentenced to 25 lashes, but this sentence was remitted.
Sent to Scutari on the 8th of August 1855.
Invalided to the Depot at Brighton from the Crimea on the 1st of November 1855.
Rejoined the Regiment at Cahir on the 1st of June 1856.
Embarked for India from Cork aboard the S.S. "Great Britain" on the 8th of October 1857.
The muster rolls for the period July-September 1858 show him as being "On Field Service" during the whole of this period.
Served in the field at Rajghur and Mungrowlee with Captain William Gordon.
Discharged from Colchester on the 30th of December 1865, as "Free, to pension after 24 years service."
In Turkey and the Crimea, 1 year 7 months.
In India, 7 years 1 month.
Conduct: "good". In possession of three Good Conduct badges.
15 times entered in the Regimental Defaulters' book. Once tried by Court-martial.
Aged 48 years 9 months on discharge.
Next of kin: Wife, Ellen, living in London.
Awarded a pension of 11d. per day.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Balaclava, Inkerman, Sebastopol, and the Turkish medal.
Mutiny medal without clasp.
His name appeared (but spelt "Comerley") in the 1877 list of members of the Balaclava Commemoration Society, but is not in the 1879 revised list.
To live at No. 4 Durham Cottages, Durham Road, Seven Sisters Road, Holloway, London on discharge.
Living in the South London Pension District in 1867.
1871 Census
18 Stockwell Grove, Lambeth.
Samuel W Comley, 54, Public Carriage Attendant, born Aldgate.
Mary A, 31, born Godmersham, Kent.
Priscilla, 81 mother, Annuitant, born Aldgate.
Rosa S. A. Green, 9, daughter of wife.
Also two lodgers.
Death registered
His death, aged 62, is recorded in Wandsworth in the December Quarter, 1878. [RM]
[RM: The GRO registers show the marriage of Samuel William Comley to Mary Ann Green in the June Quarter of 1868 at Lambeth. His death, at the age of 62, is recorded in Wandsworth in the December Quarter of 1878.
His wife is shown in the 1881 Census returns as a widow, aged 41, born at Godmersham, Kent, living at 8 Regent Street West, Lambeth, London. Also shown is a daughter, Rosa Green, which implies that her marriage to Samuel Comley was her second. Samuel's first wife, Ellen, died aged 33 in the Islington registration district (which includes Holloway) in the March Quarter of 1866.]
Census information for 1871 kindly provided by Chris Poole.