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

IN PROGRESS — NOT FOR PUBLICATION

1524, Private Frederick DOWNING — 4th Light Dragoons

Birth & early life

Born c.1830 at Merton, near Kingston, Surrey, and baptised there (with his brother James) on the 21st of March 1830, the son of John and Anne Downing, nee Webster. His father's occupation at this time was given as "Gardener". [PB: Possibly in nearby Morden Hall?]

His parents were married at St. Mary's church, Newington, on the 18th of April 1819.

By 1841, when Frederick was 10, his father was a Calico printer and there were 10 children in the family.

1841 Census

West Side Morden Road, Merton.

John Downing, 48, Calico Printer.

Ann Downing, 45.

John Downing, 21.

Julia Downing, 20.

Edwin Downing, 18.

Henry Downing, 15.

James Downing, 13.

Frederick Downing, 10.

Caroline Downing, 7.

Herbert Downing, 4.

Walter, 2.

Alfred, 8 months.

Initially, Frederick Downing appears to have followed his father into block printing — probably of calico or similar cloth. There were numerous cloth printing factories along the River Wandle at this time, powered by its swift and relatively constant flow. (For information about some of the these factories, at a slightly later date, see e.g. William Morris's Merton Abbey Mills.)

1851 Census

Merton Lane, Mitcham.

Fredk [sic] Downing, 20, Inmate [meaning?], Printer (Block), born Merton.

Living with Thomas Colins [sic?], his wife and two daughters.

Enlistment

Enlisted at Westminster on the 13th of February 1852.

Age: 22.

Height: 5' 7".

Trade: Labourer.

Appearance: Fresh complexion. Grey eyes. Black hair.

Service

Wounded in action in the Charge at Balaclava, 25th October 1854.

Sent to Scutari on the 26th of October 1854, and invalided to England on the 21st of January 1855. At the Invalid Depot, Chatham, from the 12th of February to the 30th of June, when he was sent to Mitcham, London, "on furlo until discharge."

Discharge & pension

Discharged from Chatham Invalid Depot on the 6th of November 1855.

"Unfit for further military service. Disabled by ankylosis of the right wrist from a severe sabre wound received at Balaclava, followed by diffused inflammation of the arm and loss of power of fingers. Equal to loss of hand."

Served 3 years 222 days. Aged 25 years on discharge.

Conduct: "good". Not in possession of any Good Conduct badges.

Medals

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

Commemorations

Life after service

Lived in Deptford from 1855, but at some point moved back to Merton, where he worked as a plumber.

Death & burial

Frederick Downing died on the 12th of April 1878.

Death registration

Frederick Downing, aged 48 years, June Quarter 1878, Croydon.

Acccording to a report of the inquest into his death, held 18th of April 1878, Frederick Downing died after a fall from a ladder:

"The deceased was one of the "Six Hundred," and since his discharge from the army has been following the trade of a plumber. A few days ago he was in the employ of Mr Loe, a Croydon builder, and was engaged in repairing some leadwork on the roof of a house. He had completed his work and was descending a ladder, one spoke of which had been previously broken. Missing his footing, he fell from a height of over twenty feet into the stone-paved area of the house. He expired shortly afterwards in the hospital. A verdict of Accidental Death was returned."

[Source?]

The inquest into Frederick Downing's death reported in the London Evening Standard, Friday 19th April 1878

(Click on image to enlarge)

References & acknowledgements

Census information for 1841 and 1851, details of the registration of his death, and a newspaper cutting reporting Frederick Downing's death kindly provided by Chris Poole.