Born in St. Margaret's [or St Pancras?], Westminster, London, c.1828.
Enlisted at London on the 1st of December 1847.
Age: 19.
Height: 5' 9".
Trade: Groom.
1851 Census
Cavalry Barracks, Pockthorpe [Norwich, Norfolk].
William Phillips, soldier, unmarried, 22, Private, born Westminster.
From Private to Corporal: 8th of August 1852.
Tried by a Regimental Court-martial, reduced to Private, and imprisoned 6th — 8th of April 1853.
Tried by a Regimental Court-martial and imprisoned from the 12-16 of March 1854.
Sick at Scutari during April and May of 1855.
From Private to Corporal: 21st of March 1859.
Discharged "by claim" from Coventry on the 18th of January 1860.
Conduct: "good."
In possession of two Good Conduct badges.
He re-enlisted into the 2nd Life Guards (as No. 144) at London on the 19th of January 1860 [the day after his discharge fro the 11th Hussars].
His documents show that he was then 31 years 3 months of age, born in the parish of St. Margaret's, Westminster, London, 5' 11" in height, with a fair complexion, grey eyes and brown hair.
1861 Census
He appears on the 1861 Census as a Private in the 2nd Life Guards at Windsor, aged 31, born at St Pancras, Middlesex. [RM]
1861 Census
Cavalry Barracks Hospital, Clewer Windsor.
William Phillips, 32, soldier, unmarried, Corporal 2nd Life Gds, Army, born St Pancras.
He is shown on the Regimental "Married roll" from the 24th of March 1864. His wife's name was Sarah, and there were two children in the family at the time of his discharge, one aged 6 years and the other 1 year. The younger child was born on the 9th of March 1871.
Births registered
Eliza E Phillips, March Quarter 1866, Pancras.
James Thomas Phillips, June Quarter 1866, Windsor.
1871 Census
5, Terrace, Cleever, Windsor,
William Phillips, 40, Trooper 2nd Life Gd, born St Pancras.
Sarah Phillips, 33, born Monk Sherborne, Hants.
Eliza Emily Phillips, 5, scholar, born St Pancras.
Jas Thos Phillips, 1 month, born Clewer, Windsor.
A visitor is also shown.
Discharged from Regent's Park Barracks, London, on the 2nd of March 1872, "his having claimed it on the termination of his second period of limited engagement."
Served 24 years 61 days.
In Turkey and the Crimea: 2 years 2 months.
Conduct and character: "very good."
Is in possession of two Good Conduct badges and also the Crimean and Turkish medals.
His name appears six times in the Regimental Defaulter's book. Twice tried by Court-martial.
Awarded a pension of 1/1d. per day.
Aged 43 years 6 months on discharge.
To live in Chester Square, London, SW.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman and Sebastopol, and the Turkish medal.
Member of Balaclava Commemoration Society in 1877 and 1879. [RM]
1881 Census
(Christ Church) 2, Wheatley Terrace Rd, Erith, Kent.
Eliza E Phillips [daughter], unmarried, 16, General Domestic Servant, born London.
Birth registrations and additional Census information for 1851, 1861, 1871 and 1881 kindly provided by Chris Poole.