Born at Quencoin [sic], near Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire.
Enlisted into the Coldstream Guards at Monmouth on the 8th of May 1847. Regimental No. 3336.
Age: 19.
Height: 5' 6".
Trade: Labourer.
Appearance: Fresh complexion. Hazel eyes. Dk. brown hair.
Imprisoned by the Civil Power from the 15th of June — 27th of December 1848. Transferred to the 3rd Light Dragoons on the 1st of June 1851. Regimental No. 2079.
Transferred to the 11th Hussars on the 1st of July 1853.
George Loy Smith twice mentions a man named Powell in his "Memoirs" (published as A Victorian R.S.M. in 1987):
"Wednesday 15th November 1854 — Private Powell of my Troop ('F') came to me during the morning saying that he had something to show me in his tent. I went with him to find a nice little sheep, one of a flock that had escaped from Sebastopol the day before. He said, 'I will send you a leg when I kill it', and sure enough in the evening he brought me a leg."
Charles Powell was tried by a Regimental Court-martial on the 3rd of December 1854 for "being drunk". He was imprisoned 3rd — 9th of December and sentenced to receive 50 lashes.
Loy Smith again:
"Sunday 11th February 1855. — 4 p.m. The rain and sleet is falling very fast. A poor fellow of ours, Private Powell (belonging to the letter party close to the Green Hill Battery) who had come to Balaclava for corn and left here about an hour ago, on his way back (riding one horse and leading another) has just returned without the corn, saying that the poor animal sank under the load.
We have given him another horse to replace the one knocked up, but he has a six-mile journey before him and is now completely saturated and covered with sleet. This is the kind of thing which kills our men."
At Scutari 4th of April — 11th of May 1855.
From Private to Corporal: 10th of September 1857.
Tried by a Regimental Court-martial and reduced to Private on the 27th of December 1861.
Discharged from Colchester on the 15th of June 1866, from "Disability of the hand — by poison introduced into the wound whilst cleaning out a drain in the execution of his duties. Has lost the use of his right hand." (His wife, Mary Ann, was with him at this time.)
Served 17 years 165 days, to count.
In Turkey and the Crimea: 2 years
In India: 1 year 3 months.
Conduct and character: "very good."
In possession of three Good Conduct badges.
Five times entered in the Regimental Defaulter's book. Twice tried by Court-martial.
Aged 36 years 5 months on discharge.
Awarded a pension of 1/- per day.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman, and Sebastopol, and the Turkish medal.
Documents confirm the award of the Crimean medal with four clasps and the Turkish Medal.
Attended the first Balaclava Banquet 1875.
Member of the Balaclava Commemoration Society in 1879.
He said he intended to live at 36, Trumayne Road, London, parish of St. Luke's, at after discharge, but he was living in the Gloucester Pension District in 1874.
[PB: I think there may have been a Trumayne Road in E4, or was it Tremaine Rd, Penge, SE20? I haven't found a St Luke's near to either. There is a St Luke's in Islington.],
1881 Census
Brick Kilns, Upper Bullingham [PB: 2 miles from Hereford?].
The 1881 Census Returns show a man of this name, aged 54, married, born at Little Birch, Herefordshire, was living as a Lodger in the home of John Tranter, a Railway Platelayer.
Died at Penarth, Wales, on the 2nd of May 1888.
Death registered
Charles Powell, aged 58 years, June Quarter 1888, Cardiff.
His death certificate shows that he died at 48, Ludlow Street, Penarth, Glamorgan, on the 2nd of May 1888, aged 58 years, an Army Pensioner, from "Probably Cancer of the stomach, 9 months. Vomiting, 4 weeks."
A J. B. Danvers, a stepson, of the same address, was present at, and the informant of his death. (See copy of the death certificate in the 11th Hussars "Certificates" file.)
Extract from Jackson's Woolwich Gazette for the 7th of May 1888:
Charles Powell, late 11th Hussars, has just died (May 2nd) at Penarth and was buried with military honours by the members of the Glamorgan Artillery and Rifle Volunteers...
Extract from the Western Mail, 7th of May 1888:
Military Funeral at Penarth
One of the Noble "Six Hundred" — An Impressive Ceremony.
The mortal remains of Private Charles Powell, late of the 11th Hussars, were interred on Saturday in the cemetery of St. Augustine's Church, Penarth, with full military honours.
A firing party was provided by the 3rd Volunteer (Rifle) Battalion of the Welsh Regiment, which was represented besides by a contingent of rank and file. Local Artillery Volunteers numbering about 50 also fell into line for the occasion.
The two bands of the detachments, conducted by Mr. Paul Draper, attended, and the whole of the men were under the command of Captain Coleman. The Navy had a presence in the persons of a number of Coast Guardsmen and two or three naval pensioners.
The Revd. W. Williams was the officiating minister, The demonstration of respect originated in a considerable desire to pay all honour to the memory of one whose glory it had been to take part in the ever-famous Charge of the Light Brigade at Balaclava.
The stalwart young Hereford man, who in 1849, when only 19 years of age, enlisted into the Coldstream Guards, reached the Crimea, attached to the 11th Hussars (Prince Albert's Own) in time to bear his full share of the trials, and glories, which fell to the lot of the men who asserted the supremacy of Britain on the Golden Cheronse.
At the Alma, Inkerman and Sebastopol he fought with the colours. On that never-to-be-forgotten day, when an official blunder resulted in the adding to the history of British arms one of its most glorious pages, Powell took his place with his troop.
He had joined in that wild charge between the Fedioukine Heights; swept with his comrades down that valley of death; braved the storm of shells and bullets which thinned at every leap the line of noble heroes; participated in the deadly struggle when the guns were reached; formed one of the straggling ragged troop who, weakened by wounds and worn out by fatigue, climbed the hill and stood beneath the eyes of thousands, "with sabres broken, helmets bent; with ranks how thinned, and colours rent."
He went through that terrible ordeal without a wound, and gained without pains the distinction to which only belongs to those "chosen souls who make the base of freedom's throne."
His service abroad did not extend above three and a half years, but the period was one of fierce activity — a history making epoch; and after spending his life in which its youthful vigour had been tempest-tossed and tried as few lives are, he has now, amongst peaceful surroundings, heard and obeyed the last order of the great Commander.
He died at Penarth on the 2nd of May, in his 58th year. Meet was it that one who had lived so bravely, had fought the good fight, should not be allowed to pass away without some recognition of the services he had rendered to his country and to his kind.
Warriors such as he merit the honours due to the heroic dead. So the public feeling rang, and hence it was that civilian soldiers of the neighbourhood met in martial array to offer to noble dust the tribute of their admiration and respect.
At five o'clock the street abutting the Conservative Club premises — wherein the body lay — was filled by a huge crowd, colour being lent to the scene by the bright scarlet of the Rifles and the darker hues of the shakoe'd artillerists.
On time, the coffin enclosing the dead hero appeared. It was wrapped by the Union Jack, and bore upon it, besides the floral offerings, items of a soldier's uniform. Promptly, and with due decorum and politeness, the volunteers took up their position in the saddening procession.
When the word of command came the firing-party, with rifles reversed and heads bowed — commenced the sorrowful march to the church. Opened out in two lines, having a wide space between them, they started.
Then came the dirgeful melancholy strains of the stately "Dead March" with its half-articulate wail of despair, with its tenderly sweet passages suggestive of hope, trustful and confident, with its almost fierce resistance notes, jubilant and triumphant, broke the silence, and played upon the heartstrings of the multitude assembled.
Above the mellowed music of the instruments and the clatter of wheels and the horse's hoofs rose the sharp click of the many feet as they moved in unison over the hard road. With slow measured tread the volunteers, spread into two thin long files, passed into the main thoroughfare between the public pressing upon them, line by line.
In this way, with downcast faces and heavy deliberate tread, the soldiers, civilian and professional — for the procession included half a dozen veterans who had seen fights by land and sea — slowly made their way to the church, where a short service was held.
Above the grave — in obedience to traditional usage — the firing-party shot off their volleys, and thus proclaimed to all that a soldier had ended his earthly warring. and the book of his life, with all its glorious pages, was closed for ever in this world..." [RM]
From the Register of Burials for St. Augustin's Church, Penarth:
Entry No. 225. Charles Powell, The Conservative Club, Ludlow Street, May 5th 1888, aged 58 years.(EJB: A search of the churchyard area fails to reveal any headstone for him — if indeed, one was ever erected.)
Dates of CP's attendance at the Balaclava Banquet and membership of the Balaclava Commemoration Society, and his death registration, kindly provided by Chris Poole.