Born at Chilton, Wiltshire.
Originally enlisted into the Royal Berkshire Militia on the 8th of October 1852. Regimental No. 309.
Enlisted into the 11th Hussars at Reading on the 11th of May 1854.
Age: 18.
Height. 5' 8".
Trade: Labourer and farrier.
Appearance: Fair hair. Blue eyes. Brown hair.
"In Cells", 1st-3rd of May 1858.
Appointed Farrier-Sergeant on the 4th of February 1860 — under the Royal Warrant dated the 4th of February 1860.
Re-engaged at York for a further 12 year period of service on the 20th of December 1865.
Four children were born to him and his wife, Mary, while he was in the army: Mary at Felthard in 1863, Fanny at Newbridge in 1864, Frederick at Tulfield in 1866, and William at Mhow, India, in 1867.
Discharged from Canterbury on the 17th of August 1875, upon "Own request, after 21 years' service."
Served 21 years 95 days.
In Turkey and the Crimea: 1 year 66 days. East Indies, 7 years 227 days.
Conduct and character: "very good".
In possession of five Good Conduct badges. Three times entered in the Regimental Defaulters' book. Never tried by Court-martial.
Aged 39 years 3 months on discharge.
To live c/o Waldeshare Park, near Dover, Kent. (This was the seat of the Earl of Guildford.)
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasp for Sebastopol and the Turkish medal.
Awarded the Long Service & Good Conduct medal on the 2nd of August 1873, with a gratuity of £5.
Documents confirm the award of the Crimean medal with one clasp, and the Long Service medal.
CP: It seems he may have had another family after discharge. This has proved extremely confusing to research, but I have used his birthplace of Chilton as the link. There are more questions than answers, I am afraid.
Birth registered
Eva Painter, March Quarter 1877, Canterbury.
1881 Census
106, Regents Place, Chatham.
Alfred Painter, 49, Labourer at Ironworks, born Chiltern [sic?], Wilts.
Elizabeth, 42, born Chiltern, Wilts.
Eva, 4, Scholar, born Canterbury.
1891 Census
41, Hempsted Street, Ashford.
Alfred Painter, 61, Gardener, Domestic Servant, born Chilton.
Elizabeth, 54, born Chilton.
Eva, 14, Scholar, born Canterbury.
A lodger and a grandson, George Shiels, are also shown.
RM: Died 3 May 1895. See the obituary [death notice?] in Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald, 4 May 1895.
Notice the statement that AP "did not actually join in the charge". This perhaps explains why his death was not widely reported.
Death registered
Alfred Painter, aged 55 years [sic], June Quarter 1895, W. Ashford.
Census information for 1881 and 1891, birth registration for Eva Painter in 1877, press cuttings, and death registration kindly provided by Chris Poole.