Born at Chippenham, Wiltshire, c.1834.
Baptism
The IGI Index [International Genealogical Index] shows he was christened on 7 December 1834 at Chippenham, Wilts, the son of Edward and Theresa Fry. [RM]
1841 Census
Albion Place, Chippenham.
William Fry, 7, Pupil, born Chippenham.
Enlisted at London on the 12th of October 1852.
Age: 19.
Height: 5' 7".
Trade: Upholsterer.
Appearance: Fair complexion. Grey eyes. Brown hair.
Sent to Scutari on the 13th of December 1854 and invalided to England on the 23rd of March 1855.
The muster roll for October of 1854 shows no possible reason for any absence, so he may have ridden in the Charge.
Discharged from Chatham Invalid Depot on the 23rd of August 1859, as
"Unfit for further service. Was sent home from the Scutari Hospital in 1855 labouring under dysentery and scorbutic sores of the leg. In May of 1858 he had a seizure when asleep and under hospital treatment. In July of 1859 he had an attack of small-pox and in March of the same year, his cough, which was troublesome, became worse, his appetite failed and he started to lose flesh, eventually merging into Phthisis.
Has very little chance of ever again becoming effective for service. Has two small scars over false ribs on left side, said to be from lance wounds."
Served 6 years 265 days. Conduct and character: "very good". In possession of one Good Conduct badge.
Aged 25 years 10 months on discharge.
Granted a pension of 7d. per day for a period of two years, from the 21st of August 1859.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman and Sebastopol, and the Turkish medal.
Died on the 18th of October 1860.
His death is shown in the St. Catherine's House records for the Bath District during the July — September quarter of 1860.
He was buried in Walcot Cemetery, Bath, where a gravestone is said to have existed, bearing the inscription:
"William Augustus Fry, of the 11th Hussars, who died on the 18th of July 1860, aged 25. One of the gallant 600 in the Charge at Balaclava. Also his niece, Harriet Sarah Fry. Died 23rd of January 1871, aged 6."
[PB: Presumably "Walcot Cemetery" is the same as Lansdown Cemetery, since William Augustus Fry is listed there:
"William Augustus Fry (1835-1860) 3.N.8A A survivor of the Charge of the Light Brigade. The inscription states that “he was one of the gallant six hundred in the charge of Balaclava”.
In 1986 it was learnt that a large area of the original cemetery had now been cleared of gravestones, many being placed close together next to the church (now a parish hall). The great majority of these stones are in a very poor condition and none can be found for William Fry. (See photograph of the standing stones and part of the cleared area, in the 11th Hussar file.)
From the Annual Register, 1860:
"July 18th, 1860 — William Augustus Fry, of Weston Road, died at Upper Garden Place, Bath, in his 25th year. The deceased was one of the fortunate few who survived the gallant charge at Balaclava, where he was severely wounded [sic]."
From the Deaths Column of the Bath Express, 16th July 1860:
"July 18th — at No 18 Upper Camden Place, Wm. Augustus Fry, after a painful illness, of Weston Road, late of the 11th Hussars, aged 25."
[RM: From the Evening Advertiser, first published Thursday 2nd Sep 2004:
"Soldiers from the town took part in Battle""AT LEAST ONE of the brave men who secured a place in the history books when they took part in the suicidal Charge of the Light Brigade in 1854 lived in Swindon.
And now the search is on for relatives of William Fry who survived the charge against Russian cannons but was later invalided at home after suffering illness and exhaustion during the winter that followed.
Terry Brighton, the assistant curator of The Queen's Royal Lancers Museum, in Grantham, is organising a commemorative event to mark the 150th anniversary of the Charge. It took place during the Crimean War, fought by Britain, Turkey and France against Russia for control of sea routes, and more than 240 men were either killed or wounded. As part of the project Mr Brighton is researching the background of the men involved, including Mr Fry, who is known to have enlisted with the 11th Hussars when the regiments involved recruited in the Swindon area.
He later took part in the infamous charge by light cavalrymen over open terrain by British forces in the Battle of Balaclava in the Ukraine. Mr Brighton said:
'October marks the 150th anniversary of the Charge of the Light Brigade. Those who survived were welcomed back as heroes and it was said a Light Brigade medal and a good story of the charge were worth a free quart of ale in any pub in England and I am sure it was true in Swindon.'
Mr Brighton said the last survivors of the Charge died in the 1920s and he is looking for anyone who might remember hearing about these heroes from their parents or grandparents. He said: "In advance of the anniversary I am attempting to contact descendants of all Light Brigade cavalrymen and learn more about the local men who took part."
Census information for 1841 kindly provided by Chris Poole.