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

Veterinary Surgeon John William GLOAG — 11th Hussars

Birth & early life

Born in Clonmell Barracks, Tipperary, Ireland, on the 11th of January 1812, the son of Quartermaster John Gloag of the 19th Hussars and his wife, Elizabeth Ann.

Quartermaster John Gloag, 19th Hussars [father]

No records exist of just when his father joined the Army, but he was commissioned as Quartermaster from Troop Quarter Master in the 19th Hussars on the 23rd of August 1809, being the first to take up this new appointment.

A widower at the time, he married Elizabeth Ann Darby at St. George's, Tombland, Norwich, on the 14th of February 1809, the ceremony being conducted by the Revd. Charles Sutton, D.D.

One other child, a daughter, was born to them at Tullamore in July of 1810, both children being baptised by the Reverend William Stephenson, Minister of the Garrison Church.

John Gloag, senior, died at Hounslow Barracks in January of 1819 and was buried in St. Leonard's Churchyard at Heston.

Qualified in London on the 11th of February 1830.

Service

Veterinary Surgeon in the 10th Hussars: 29th of June 1832.

Marriage & children

John Gloag married Sarah Ann Thompson (born 21st of October 1812) at Moneymore, Desertly, Co. Londonderry, on the 24th of October 1831. The officiating clergyman was the Revd. Lindsey. The witnesses were Captain John Smith and Alex McGhee, MD.

He was then serving with the 10th Hussars at Longford Barracks.

At least ten children were born into the family:

- John William, born at Moneymore, 7th of April 1834.

- Frances Ann, born at Dundalk, 18th of April 1836.

- John, born at Glasgow, 9th of February 1838.

- Sarah Ellen, born at Nottingham, 20th of February 1841.

- Henry John, born at Canterbury, 4th of June 1843.

- Ellen Elizabeth, born at Cahir, 27th of April 1845.

- Elizabeth Ann, born at Newbridge, 22nd of August 1847.

- George Alexander, born at Coventry, 8th of November 1849.

- Catherine, born at Hounslow, 13th of November 1851.

- "AJ", a daughter, born Ireland, late 1854/e.1855 (i.e. when Gloag was in the Crimea).

[PB: EJB writes about the first 9 children above. But there must have been at least one child after Catherine, as in a letter dated 5th of January 1855 Gloag asks his son George, then aged about 6, "I have heard that you are going to have another baby sent to you — has it arrived, and is it a brother or sister?"

The letter names his six daughters — Fanny [Frances], Sarah, Ellen, Lilly [Elizabeth], and Kitty [Catherine] — but not his sons:

"Tell Ellen I received her letter which I was very pleased to get and that I have not forgotten her but will write to her but that she must write to me _ Tell Lilly I am constantly expecting a letter from her and that I hope she will write _ I have heard that you are going to have another baby sent to you — has it arrived, and is it a brother or sister? ...

I suppose Bobby Patchell and Kitty are great friends _ It is snowing very hard George and my feet and hands are very cold so I must conclude my letter _ Tell Sarah I am expecting a letter from her.

Give my kindest love to Mamma and Fanny and Sarah and Ellen and Lilly and Kitty and Bobby _ God bless you my dear boy and receive the love of

Your affectionate father, John William Gloag.

[PB: Check and clarify the punctuation.]

And in a later letter (4 August 1855):

Receive my Kindest love and give my love to Fanny Sarah . Ellen . Lilly . Kitty & little Baby _ What do you think of the Baby _ Does she cry much?

We have two remarkable letters in the archive (transcribed by PB and AT), both addressed to George, dated 5 January 1855 and 4 August 1855. The latter states that it was written to mark George's birthday, but according to the EJB list above, his birthday was 8th November. The letters are tender and humorous but also contain several references to the hard and dangerous conditions he was experiencing and to violent deaths among a number of soldiers known to young George.

[PB: Find these letters and add?]

[PB: Henry Kauntze's son William, then about 9 years old, wrote to him in the Crimea. In a letter home (dated 5 Jan 1855), John Gloag wrote to his son George: "Billy Kauntze sometimes writes to his Papa and he writes very well — I hope you will not allow Billy Kauntze to write better than you."]

Veterinary Surgeon, 11th Hussars: 3rd of April 1846.

Veterinary Surgeon John William Gloag, in Hart's New Army List, 1854.

(Click on image to enlarge)

Employed as a Staff Veterinary Surgeon: 22nd of December 1854 — 5th of April 1855.

Principal Veterinary Surgeon to the Army in the East: 6th of April 1855 — 13th of June 1856.

He was the first Principal Veterinary Surgeon with the Army in the East, when appointed. And the History of the Army Veterinary Corps states:

"A better choice could not have been made. On appointment he was ordered to proceed to Constantinople to superintend the purchase of veterinary medicines and stores and subsequently to examine the state of the animals then at the Depot...

His visit to Constantinople is interesting in that the stores were lying on board the "Medway" in the Black Sea, where they remained for six months before they were discovered."

Transferred to the Land Transport Corps (Military Train), 20th of February 1857.

His eldest daughter, Frances Ann, later married Veterinary Surgeon William Partridge, 17th Lancers [Check: another note says 11th Hussars].

Marriage registered

Frances Ann Gloag [daughter] married William Partridge, June Quarter 1857, Clifton.

1st Class Veterinary Surgeon. 1st of July 1859.

Appointed to Staff Veterinary Surgeon. 4th of November 1859. (To serve in Dublin.) Made Vice-President of the R.C.V.S. in 1858.

1861 Census

Commissariat Department, Aldershot Camp.

JW Gloag, 49, Staff Vet Surgeon Army, born Ireland.

S A Gloag, 50, wife, born Ireland.

S E Gloag, 21, daughter, unmarried, Domestic Occupation, born Nottingham.

E Gloag, 17, daughter, unmarried, Domestic Occupation, born Ireland.

E Gloag, 15, daughter, born Ireland.

G A Gloag, 13, son, born Coventry.

C Gloag, 11, daughter, born Hounslow.

A J Gloag, 6, daughter, born Ireland.

His mother and one servant are also shown.

__________

9 Elwich Terrace, Plumstead.

William Partridge, 30, Veterinary Surgeon, Reg. Artillery, born Norwich.

Frances Ann Partridge [daughter], 27, born Ireland.

Frances Elizabeth Partridge [granddaughter], 3, born Bristol.

Two servants [a married couple] are also shown.

Extract from the Army and Navy Gazette for the 13th of August 1870:

"11th Hussars. — Tuesday's "Gazette" announces the retirement on half-pay of an officer who was for many years associated with the Regiment, and who, we doubt not, although his connection with it was severed nearly thirteen years ago, is well-known to the majority of officers now serving in it. [An account of his services follows.]

Upon his appointment to the Staff in 1859, Mr. Gloag was given the Veterinary charge of the Aldershot Division, which he held up to 1864, when he relieved Mr. Hurford at Dublin, and where he has been stationed since that time.

By all who have served with him in this regiment as well as in the 10th Hussars and the Military Train, in which corps the full term of his regimental service extending over a period of twenty seven years was passed, and by those who were brought into contact with him during his eleven years of service on the Staff at Aldershot or Dublin, Mr. Gloag has been held in high esteem, and he now relinquishes his active employment.

On to retired pay from the 6th of July 1870, being appointed Veterinary Surgeon to the Royal Irish Constabulary (ranking as First Class County Inspector) and as such he served up until the time of his death at the age of 74 on the 20th of July 1886.

[PB: I have not found JG in the 1871 Census.]

1871 Census

Bank Street, Aldershot.

William Partridge, 40, Veterinary Surgeon 1st Class R.H.A, born Norwich.

Frances A Partridge [daughter], 37, born Ireland.

Frances E Partridge, 13, born Bristol.

William F Partridge, 6, born Woolwich.

John E Partridge, 3, born Maidstone.

George M Partridge, 1, born Maidstone.

Two servants are also shown.

Campaign Service

Mr. Gloag served with the 11th Hussars during the Eastern campaign of 1854-55, including the affair of the Bulganak, the battles of the Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman, Tchernya and the Siege and fall of Sebastopol. (Medal and Clasps) Knight of the Legion of Honour (7th of April 1857) and the Order of the Medjidie, 5th Class, (2nd of March 1858.)

Medals

Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman, Sebastopol and the Turkish Medal. Awarded the Legion of Honour (5th Class) and the Order of the Medjidie, 5th Class. (The Sebastopol clasp to his Crimean medal was awarded on the "Staff" roll.)

Further medal information archived.

Death & burial

Death registered

William Partridge, 46, June Quarter 1876, Pancras.

He was buried in Mount Jerome Cemetery on the 23rd of July 1887 in Grave No. BS165-6926. A headstone was erected.

From the Obituary Columns of the Veterinary Journal for 1887:

"It is with deep regret that we record the death of one of the oldest members of the veterinary profession, and certainly one of the most estimable, sympathetic and loveable of any who have ever entered its ranks.

John William Gloag, F.R.C.V.S., on the retired list of the Army and veterinary surgeon to the Royal Irish Constabulary, died at his residence, No. 9 Blackhall Street, Dublin. on the 20th of July aged 74 years.

He entered the Army as a veterinary surgeon as long ago as June 1832; consequently he had served his country, for he was still in the Constabulary when he died, for fifty-four years. He first entered the 10th Hussars, with whom he remained for several years, and afterwards in the 11th Hussars.

With the latter regiment he went to the Crimea, remaining there during the whole of the campaign and acting as principal Veterinary Surgeon to the British Army in the East.

He was present at the battles of the Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman and Tchernya, the affair of the Bulganak and the Siege and fall of Sebastopol.

For his services in the Crimea he had received the Crimean medal with four clasps, the Turkish war medal, the Knighthood of the Legion of Honour and the 5th Class of the Order of the Medjidie.

In the year 1870 he retired from the Army and was appointed Veterinary Surgeon to the Royal Irish Constabulary, with the rank of First Class Inspector.

Though for many years he made no contribution to veterinary literature, yet in his earlier years he gave to the profession some valuable papers, particularly one detailing a series of ingenious experiments on the expansion of the horse's foot, in which the views maintained by Coleman and Bracey Clark were shown to be completely erroneous.

He was also the inventor of the casting hopples now in use ["casting hopples"? A great variety of hopples or hobbles are used to tie a horse's legs together to stop it wandering off. But I'm not sure what was unique to Gloag's device.].

Throughout his military career he conducted himself in the most exemplary manner, and won the confidence of all the officers with whom he served, while his genial disposition, large store of knowledge, and goodness of heart, endeared him to his professional colleagues, especially the younger members, to whom he was a counsellor and guide, affording them encouragement, stimulating them to exertion, and winning their lasting friendship and gratitude.

A Dublin newspaper, alluding to the final scene, says: 'The number of persons attending the funeral, which was one of the most imposing ever seen in Dublin, was sufficient proof that during his long service Mr. Gloag had endeared himself to all who came into contact with him, and both the military and constabulary branches united in paying the last tribute of respect to his memory.

Shortly after nine o'clock the coffin containing the remains of the deceased was carried from the house on the shoulders of six sergeants of the constabulary troop. and by them borne to St. Paul's Church in King Street, some of the officers of the troop acting as pall-bearers.

The coffin, which was of oak, and bore a breastplate on which was the name and age of the deceased, was preceded by the bands of the 16th Lancers, and that of the Royal Irish Constabulary, — the latter playing the Dead March in "Saul", — and a firing party, sixty strong, from the former regiment, under the command of Captain Sharman-Crawford and Lieutenant Beaumont, whilst the street leading to the church was lined with constabulary men, who numbered about 140.

In the church, of which Mr. Gloag had been churchwarden for many years, the lesson for the day was read by the Revd. Mr. Johnston, and the Revd, Mr. Mahaffey, Rector, delivered an impressive address.

As the coffin was being removed from the church to the gun-carriage which was in waiting, the Dead March was played on the organ.

The cortege having been formed, with the firing party and the two bands in front, the chief mourners next, then the constabulary followed by the general mourners, a start was made and Mount Jerome reached about eleven o'clock.

Here the Reverend Mr. Mahaffy and the Revd. Mr. Johnston again officiated, and as the coffin was being lowered into the earth the usual three volleys of musketry were discharged, the band of the 16th Lancers playing a sad dirge-like air, which was most effective.

A very large number of magnificent wreaths were forwarded by the friends of Mr. Gloag, amongst the most beautiful being from the corps to which he had formerly belonged...

The chief mourners were Dr. Gloag, Mr. W.A. Russell, A.V.D., Mr. George Partridge, and Mr. Robert Patchell. A large body of police were on duty in Blackhall Street, and its neighbourhood, under the command of Inspector Gorman.

[Then follows a list of the names of more than seventy people from the Army, the constabulary and of professional standing, who were present.]'"

[Check where the Dublin newspaper quote ends.]

The erected gravestone in Mount Jerome Cemetery, Dublin, is inscribed:

"In loving remembrance of Sarah Anne, the dearly beloved wife of John William Gloag, Staff Veterinary Surgeon, who died 1st of February 1877, aged 55 years.

Also of his mother, Elizabeth Anne Gloag, who died on the 19th of January 1867 in her 77th year. Buried in Arbour Hill Cemetery, Dublin.

And also to the afore-mentioned John William Gloag. Staff Veterinary Surgeon, H.R. [sic] and Staff Veterinary Surgeon of the R.I.C. Formerly of the 10th and 11th Hussars, who died, 20th of July 1887, aged 74 years.

He served in the Sebastopol campaign of 1854-55 and was present at the battles of the Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman and Sebastopol."

At the base of the stone is "Blessed are the dead who live in the Lord." REV. X1 Verse 13. The stone is normally almost entirely behind dense foliage, but was cleared of it sufficiently to enable the inscription to be copied.

References & acknowledgements

Additional Census information for 1851-1901, and details of a number of registrations of births, deaths and marriages kindly provided by Chris Poole.