Born at Leeds, c.1810.
Enlisted at Leeds on the 8th of March 1831 by 634, Private Ephraim Mountain, 13th Light Dragoons.
Age: 21.
Height: 5' 7".
Trade: Broadcloth-weaver.
Features: Fair complexion. Grey eyes. Dk. brown hair.
Tried by a Regimental Court-martial at Hounslow on the 31st of May 1844 for "being drunk, and using disrespectful language to an N.C.O.". Sentenced to 40 days' imprisonment, with hard labour.
Tried on the 17th of February 1845 for the same offence and sentenced to three months' imprisonment. Confined, "in cells", 10th-30th of July 1845.
1851 Census
Hamilton Barracks, Lanarkshire, Scotland
He appears as "William Dorgan, born 1811".
Note: Almost certainly a modern transcription error, but at this time [2013] it is still not possible to view the original Scottish Census documents. Certainly many of the other names listed in the Barracks are wrong, sometimes wildly so e.g. Captain Soames Gambier Jenyns is named as "Joaque Gambies Leugus".
Sent to Scutari on the 11th of December 1854 and invalided to England on the 10th of February 1855.
Discharged from Chatham Invalid Depot on the 2nd of October 1855 as "Unfit for further service through failing strength."
Served 24 years 217 days. In Turkey and the Crimea 9 months.
Conduct "Bad." Not in possession of any Good Conduct badges. Twice tried by Court-martial.
Aged 45 years on discharge.
Awarded a pension of 1/- per day, but this was increased to 1/1d. from the 1st of August 1857.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman and Sebastopol.
Known to be living in Halifax up to 1875.
Eds:
A William Doogan is shown in the GRO records as having died, aged 63, in the Dewsbury, Yorkshire registration district in the June quarter of 1878 . This age might be a misreading of 68, which would tally. No other details of a man of a similar age are recorded in the 1881 or 1901 Census, or in any deaths from 1875 to 1905.
However, a William Dougan, a "Cotton Weaver" aged 68, is shown in the 1881 Census as residing in the "Workhouse Receiving & Casual Wards", New Bridge, Manchester. His birthplace is given as Manchester. The death of this man, aged 75, is shown in the December Quarter 1884 in the Prestwich registration district of Manchester.
Our thanks to Gillian Crossley (see the record of 634, Ephraim Mountain, 13th Light Dragoons) for suggesting the likely mispelling of "Doogan" as "Dorgan" in the 1851 Census.