Born in Wiltshire, c.1832.
He was educated at theRoyal Military Asylum (also known as The Duke of York's School) at Chelsea. His name is shown on a plaque commemorating those who died in the Crimea. [PB: FIND IMAGE OR TRANSCRIPTION]
He had entered the Asylum on the 9th of May 1839, aged 7 years 2 months. His father, Private John Lovelock of the 76th Foot, was shown as "Dead," and his mother, Ellen, as "Still alive".
There was also a 727 Thomas Lovelock serving in the 76th Foot at the same time, so his father and were possibly brothers. The former was born at Eston, Wiltshire, and had enlisted at Winchester on the 8th of June 1825. He was discharged "on medical grounds" from Halifax on the 27th of April 1842.
Enlisted at London on the 26th of March 1846.
Age: 14.
Height: 5' 4".
Trade: None.
Attained the age of 15 years and on to "Man's pay" on the 27th of March 1847.
From Private to Trumpeter: 23rd of August 1850.
Killed in action at Balaclava.
In his "Memoirs",1227 Robert Farquharson, 4th Light Dragoons, said that he and Lovelock, "an old comrade", "had been brought up together as boys together in the Regiment". Prior to the Charge Farquharson had spoken to him after seeing him looking very depressed and thought he might have the beginnings of cholera, but he replied that he was "All right,"! and then said, "Well, Bob, you'll find that many of us will never get back to our lines again," He spoke but true" (p.35 ff).
He also speaks of another incident which took place a few weeks after the battle of Balaclava. There was a midnight alarm, horses being heard galloping across the valley towards the camp. These turned out to be loose horses, led by "Donkey" (the horse Lovelock had ridden). It turned out later that a French Zouave had made his way to the Russian lines and cut the picket ropes of a squadron of Russian cavalry. The patriotic "Donkey" had led the horses back to the British lines.
[PB: CHECK above against original (Farquharson pp.35-37) & standardise — some of the above is EJB's summary, some direct quotation. There are numerous versions of this story in which others claim they cut the ropes.
]Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for AlmSebastopol.
Killed in action at Balaclava, 25th October 1854.
Left £2 2s 5½d. Next of kin: Aunt, Eliza [surname?], living in Chelsea, London, SW.