Born at Aston, Birmingham, c.1835.
Enlisted at Birmingham on the 16th of November 1853.
Age: 18.
Height: 5' 8".
Trade: Clerk.
Appearance: Fresh complexion. Blue eyes. Brown hair.
Sent to Scutari on the 13th of December 1854.
He was a Clerk in the General Hospital at Scutari from January until rejoining the regiment on the 5th of June 1855.
From Private to Corporal (and acting Paymaster Sergeant), from the 22nd of September 1855.
Corporal to Sergeant, 11th of February 1856.
Sent to the Lunatic Asylum at Chatham on the 15th of January 1863. It does not show for what reason he was sent there.
Discharged from Chatham Invalid Depot on the 26th of February 1863, "Found unfit for further military service".
He was awarded a pension of 6d. per day for a period of one year from the 28th of February 1863 and this was increased to 10d. per day for two years in 1865.
His intended place of residence at the time of his discharge was shown as Upper "Thomas" Street. This, in fact, was Upper "Thames" Street.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman, Sebastopol and the Turkish medal.
He is also shown as having been granted a "deferred" pension of 5d. per day on the 18th of November 1885 — his 50th birthday — but the reason for this is not clear. He was then living in Upper Thames [sic] Street, Aston, Birmingham, his trade being that of a "Clerk".
Died from a "Cerebral haemorrhage" on the 18th of March 1892 at 13, Rupert Street, Aston.
Death registered
William Martin, aged 56 years, March Quarter 1892, Aston.
Death registration kindly provided by Chris Poole.