Born in 1835, the third of the five children born to John Lavallin Puxley (1772-1856) of Dunboy Castle, Co. Cork and Lleth(e)r, Co. Pembrokeshire, and his wife, Fanny Rosa Maria, daughter of Simon White, Esq., of Glengarf Castle, Co. Cork.
He was the grandson of "Copper John" Edward Lavallin Puxley and his wife, Sarah, nee Hobbs.
On being told by a Colonel Hall, then stationed close by, that ex-miners from Cornwall in his regiment said there was copper in the region, mining engineers were brought over from Cornwall. Mining began in 1812, something which had a profound bearing on the life of the Beara Peninsula.
His mother originally wrote from Dunboy Castle, Castleton, Co. Cork, on the 20th of March 1852:
"My Lord, My second son, Edward Lavallin Puxley, being desirous of entering the army, I have the honour to request that your Lordship will be so obliged as to moot the Commander-in-Chief to sanction him becoming a candidate for the purchase of a commission and the money will be paid immediately when requested — by me.
He was sixteen last June and is at Eton College, where he has been for the last six years; having more than ordinary ability I had determined to send him to Oxford and afterwards for the Bar, but his inclination leads him so strongly towards the Army that I cannot oppose his choice, especially as I am informed that it is your Lordship's wish that her Majesty should be served by educated gentlemen.
Pardon the liberty I have taken to address you.
I have the honour to remain, etc. etc.,
Fanny Rosa Lavallin Puxley."
She was requested to apply later, "As he is rather young".
Puxley himself wrote from the Aldelphi Hotel, London, on the 18th of October 1854, asking to be allowed to purchase a commission, and with this P.S.:
"The regulated purchase money will be immediately forthcoming on application to my grandfather, John Lavallin Puxley Esq., Tenby, South Wales."
Cornet in the 4th Light Dragoons: 2nd of March 1855.
Retired, by the sale of his commission, on the 3rd of March 1857.
Cornet Puxley served the Eastern campaign from the 20th of June 1855, including the Siege and fall of Sebastopol.
A nominal roll of officers and men of the regiment at the Cavalry Depot, Scutari, made out on the 9th of November 1855 shows him as being On Duty there.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasp for Sebastopol and the Turkish medal.
Not recorded by Lummis and Wynn.
Entered into Holy Orders. B.D. [Bachelor of Divinity] [PB: date?]
In 1864, he married Maria Winifred, only daughter of Henry Leader, Esq., of Clonmoyle, Ireland, at a Kensington Church and had by her two sons and three daughters.
Missionary in Bengal: 1859-66.
Chaplain at Versailles, France, in 1875-76.
Filled several posts as Vicar, including that of Steep, Hampshire, but in 1905 was living at No. 24 Redland Road, Bristol.
Died at No. 8 Church Lane, Merton, Surrey, on the 30th of June 1909, aged 74 years.
In his will he left his estate of £3,955 to his daughter Emily.
Extract from the "Wimbledon Borough News" for the 9th of July 1909:
"Death of the Revd. E. L. Puxley
The Reverend Edward Lavallin Puxley, who had resided in Merton for the past three years and was well known to the congregation of the parish church, died last week, and was buried in his native town in Wales.
Last Sunday the Vicar (the Revd. J.E. Jagger) made a feeling reference to him as the loss of a friend, one who had often assisted him at St. Mary's and took a very active part in the work of the Mission Hall.
He mentioned the fact that the late Mr Puxley had formerly been a missionary in India, and had once refused an Australian bishopric, but had accepted the degree of Bachelor of Divinity from the Archbishop of Canterbury.
At the Mission Hall in Merton the Vicar also addressed more words to the people who had known and loved Mr Puxley during his stay at Merton."
There is some confusion as to whether his "native town" was Lleth(e)r, near St. David's in Pembrokeshire or Llethr Llestri, near Llanddarog, Carmarthenshire, where the greater family now live.
A John Lavallin Puxley (possibly a brother or other relation) entered the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons as a Cornet on the 23rd of November 1849 and becoming Lieutenant on the 29th of April 1852.
He embarked for the Crimea aboard H.M. Transport "Escort" on the 15th of July 1854, but the muster roll "Remarks Column" for the October-December quarter shows him as "Sick", to England, and promoted" (this was to Captain on the 3rd of November 1854) and that for the Depot for the January-March quarter as "From Service Troops." In neither instance was an actual date of leaving or arrival shown.
His name cannot be found on the medal rolls for any clasps to the Crimean medal and neither does "Hart's Army Lists" credit him with any. He retired from the Army by the sale of his commission on the 5th of January 1857, when the regiment was at Shorncliffe Camp, Kent.
Extract from a newspaper of unknown source, dated the 9th of May 1860:
"An inquest was held last week at Cheltenham on the body of Mr John Lavalant Pluxley [sic], aged 29 years, and formerly a cavalry officer who had served in the Crimea.
From the evidence of his valet, whose conduct appears to have been most creditable, it seemed that the deceased, a man of good fortune, was an incurable drunkard, and had been drunk for three weeks, when he suddenly went off in a state of coma and expired before medical aid could be procured."