Born at Macclesfield, Cheshire.
Enlisted at Westminster on the 15th of May 1854.
Age: 18.
Height: 5' 8".
Trade: Groom.
Fair complexion. Blue eyes. Brown hair.
Joined the regiment in the Crimea on the 25th of May 1855.
At Scutari General Hospital from the 1st of September 1855 and invalided to England on the 14th of September.
"Deserted" from Newbridge on the 7th of December 1855 and rejoined the regiment on the 3rd of May 1856.
Tried by a District Court-martial on the 12th of May and sentenced to be marked with the letter "D". He forfeited all of his previous service by this conviction and was imprisoned to the 2nd of August 1856.
Transferred to the 3rd Dragoon Guards on the 31st of October 1857. Regimental No. 190.
From Private to Corporal: 1st of October 1857.
Corporal to Sergeant: 1st of May 1860.
"In confinement", 15th-16th of November. Tried by a Regimental Court-martial on the 17th of November 1860 and reduced to Private.
Re-engaged at Aldershot for a further period of 12 years' service on the 12th of August 1867 and transferred back to the 11th Hussars. Regimental No. 996, by War Office Authority, dated the 7th of August 1867.
From Private to Corporal: 1st of November 1867.
Confined, 11-14 of January and reduced to Private by a Regimental Court-martial on the 15th of January and imprisoned until the 11th of February 1868.
Left Umbrella, India, for England on the 26th of October 1875.
Discharged from Canterbury on the 6th of September 1876, as "He having claimed it on the termination of his second period of limited service."
He had a long "medical history", ranging from "Dyspepsia" (caused by overloading his stomach with food) to a "Whitlow" on his finger (caused by a blow from a cricket-ball).
Served 20 years 354 days, to count.
In Turkey and the Crimea: 4 months.
East Indies: 4 years 161 days.
Conduct: "good and of temperate habits."
In possession of three Good Conduct badges.
Eleven times entered in the Regimental Defaulters' book. Three times tried by Court-martial.
Aged 41 years 4 months on discharge. Granted a pension of 11d. per day.
To live at No. 11 New Town, Canterbury, Kent.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasp for Sebastopol and the Turkish medal.
Documents confirm the award of this medal, with one clasp.
Life after service
Entered the Royal Hospital Chelsea as an In-Pensioner from ""The Union" at Chesterfield, Derbyshire, on the 1st of March 1904 as "being unable to work." He was then 69 years 11 months of age, and in receipt of 11d. per day pension.
His Crimean and Turkish medals were known to have been in the Museum of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, but were among a number stolen from the Museum on the night of the 22nd/23rd of June 1978. It is not known (1980) if they have been recovered.
He died at Chelsea on the 15th of November 1909, and was buried in Brookwood Cemetery, no headstone being erected.
Death registered
Charles Rowlands [sic], 73, December Quarter 1909, Chelsea.