Born at Rochdale, Lancashire, c.1821
Enlisted at Manchester on the 7th of September 1841.
Age: 20.
Height: 5' 9".
Trade: Butcher.
Appearance: Fresh complexion. Grey eyes. Brown hair.
From Private to Corporal: 30th of January 1844.
Reduced to Private by a Regimental Court-martial on the 7th of April 1845.
From Private to Corporal: 21st of May 1846.
Reduced to Private by a Regimental Court-martial on the 1st of March 1847.
From Private to Corporal: 1st of May 1849.
Reduced to Private by a Regimental Court-martial on the 12th of February 1850.
From Private to Corporal: 29th of March 1854.
At Scutari from the 1st of October 1854 and rejoined the regiment on the 9th of November 1954.
From Corporal to Sergeant: 28th of October 1854.
Sent to Scutari on the 19th of January and promoted to Troop Sergeant Major on the 1st of February 1855.
Invalided to England and was at the Regimental Depot from the 12th of March 1855.
Discharged, "invalided," from Dublin on the 22nd of November 1856.
"He suffers from general bad health and enlarged spleen, consequent upon repeated attacks of Intermittent Fever, whilst in the Crimea."
Served 15 years 67 days.
Conduct and character: "good".
In possession of one Good Conduct badge when promoted.
Aged 35 years on discharge. Was awarded a pension of 10d. per day for four years.
He was living in Rochdale after discharge, but was in Sheffield in 1859.
He is shown on a separate sheet in W0/97/1294 as receiving a "deferred pension of 6d. per day from the 12th of July 1872. This pension was awarded "following service in the Crimea, and as a non-commissioned officer..."
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasp for Sebastopol.
A Crimean medal, clasp or clasps unknown, but named to "T.S.M. C. Milne." was in a Glendining's auction on the 22nd of March 1967, Part Lot, (No. 116.) and a
Crimean medal, clasp for Sebastopol, and said to be with engraved naming to "G." [sic] Milne. T.S.M. 8th K.R.I. Hussars.", formed one of a Part Lot (No. 64) in a Spink's auction held on the 12th of July 1994.
1881 Census
The 1881 Census Returns for Nottingham St. Mary's show him as living at 3, Rye Hill Terrace, a Retired Publican. aged 60, born in Rochdale, Lancashire, with his wife, Ann Milne, aged 58 and born at Leicester. No children are shown. He was still alive on the 23rd of June 1891.
Death & burial
[PB: Is there any info. about Charles Milne's death? What follows is about his wife Ann's death in 1908.
From the United Services Gazette, 9th of April 1908:
With military honours, the remains of Mrs. Ann Milne (widow of the late Troop Sergeant Major Charles Milne of the 8th Hussars) who was the only woman member of the Nottinghamshire and Notts. Indian Mutiny and Crimean Veteran's Association, were interred on the 30th of March in the Nottingham General Cemetery. All the City and County Veterans who were able, attended, wearing their medals. Non-commissioned officers of the Robin Hood Rifles bore the coffin, which was covered with the Union Jack, to the graveside.
The chief mourner was Mr. Seeley Whitby, joint secretary with Colonel A,M. Brewell, of the veteran's organisation, which sent a magnificent wreath, another being sent by the regiment. Mrs. Milne, who was seventy-seven years of age, was the last survivor of the Nottingham woman who were allowed to go out with their husbands to the Crimean War.
Much nursing was required to be done by them before, and subsequent to the arrival of Miss Nightingale and her staff at Scutari. Mrs. Milne saw Miss Nightingale land. She witnessed the horrors of Inkerman and the field of Balaclava after the charge of the Heavy and Light Brigades, and many other trying experiences.
At the Royal Agricultural Show, held at Derby in 1906, Mrs Milne paraded with the Nottinghamshire and Notts. Indian Mutiny and Crimean Veterans's Association, and her greatest pride to the day of her death was that the King conversed at some length with her and accepted a rose that she offered and which his Majesty placed in his button-hole. Mrs Milne was a few years ago granted 7/- a week for life from the Royal Patriotic Fund Corporation...
Thanks to Mr. R. Towle, of Nottingham, it is now (1990) known that Mrs. Milne was buried under the name of "Jacques", the original entry of "Milne" being crossed out, and is the reason why it had not been possible to find her at either St. Catherine's House or in the Nottingham Cemetery records up till now.
There is no apparent reason for this, but perhaps she may have been re-married (most unlikely, as everything else about her, newspaper reports, etc., give her name as Milne) or it may have been her maiden name.
The "Nottingham Evening Post" of the 26th of March reports her death, and carries a good photograph of her (she also appears with a group of the Nottingham Veterans taken on the 23rd of June 1907 (See copies of both pictures in the 8th Hussar file) and a full account of the funeral appeared in the "Evening Post", dated the 30th of March 1908:
Nottingham Woman's Military Funeral — Impressive Scenes.
One of the most impressive funerals held in Nottingham for a considerable time was that which took place today, when Mrs. Ann Milne, the widow of Sergeant Major Milne was laid to rest in Nottingham General Cemetery.
This is the first occasion on which military honours have been paid at a woman's funeral in Nottingham and crowds of people lined the streets from 21 Westwood Road, Sneiton, to the place of interment. Signs of the deep sympathy felt were evident as the cortege left Westwood Road. The coffin, enshrouded with the Union Jack, was carried by Colour Sergeant Foster, Armourer-Sergeant Skim, Sergeant Stanley and Sergeant Johnson., and on top of which rested wreaths from the Nottingham Veteran's Association and from the neighbours of the deceased. A number of veterans, under Sergeant Major Watson, were drawn up at the cemetery gates and as the cortege arrived they fell in directly behind. The service was conducted by the Revd. E.A. Sims, and the principal mourners were Mr. Seeley Whitby, Mr. G. Pochin, Mrs. Wooland and Mrs. Moore.
At the grave-side, after the last rites had been performed by the minister, a unique and impressive ceremony took place. The regulations do not permit firing over the grave in such an instance, but to take the place of this Mr. Whitby suggested that each veteran responded to his name by roll call, and stepping forward, they detached a flower from the wreath they had sent and dropped it into the open grave.
Whilst this was taking place there was hardly a dry eye in the assembled multitude. At the graveside Mr. Whitby also paid a tribute to the deceased woman. He spoke of Mrs. Milne's stay in the Crimea, and said she was the last of the body of woman who were allowed to accompany the Army there. The Nottingham Veterans had also that day lost their only woman member, and a deep chasm was made in the ranks. He recalled that when Mrs. Milne returned from the Crimea she was met by the late Queen Victoria and the Prince of Wales, who both shook hands with her.
Amongst the wreaths received was one from the regiment to which Mrs. Milne's husband had formerly belonged, and which bore the inscription, "With Deepest Regret from the Officers, non-commissioned officers and men of the 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars, Colchester."
The cemetery record of her interment in Grave No. 5/1510 Plot 340.4.6. shows that she died at No. 21 Westwood Road, Sneiton, a widow, aged 77 years, on the 26th of March 1908. From the Memorial Card issued by the Veteran's Association the interment may have taken place in the Veterans' Ground, the parade forming up at the Waverley Street entrance, which is close to the Veterans' Plot. (See copies of these in the "Memoirs" file.) the coffin. There is no mention of Mrs. Milne being buried with her husband, as might have been expected, but he may not have died at Nottingham.
Death registered
A check of the St. Catherine's House Death registers shows her as being recorded under the name of Ann Jaques, aged 77 years and dying in the Nottingham District.
See photograph of the grave-site (which was not in the "Veterans' Plot" and on which no headstone was erected) in the 8th Hussar file.
For further information, or to express an interest in the project, please email the editors, Philip Boys & Roy Mills, via info@chargeofthelightbrigade.com