Born in Walworth, London, c.1834.
Enlisted at Hounslow on the 15th of December 1853.
Age: 19.
Height: 5' 8".
Trade: Printer.
In Hospital when the regiment embarked for the Crimea, not going to the Crimea until the 8th of April 1855 and joining the regiment on the 29th of April.
Invalided to England "for the benefit of his health" on the 10th of June 1855, and in England from the 1st of July.
He deserted from Brighton on the 1st of October 1855 and rejoined on the 5th of January 1856. There is no record of any punishment for this.
Rejoined the regiment at Cahir on the 1st of June 1856.
Discharged, as "Not likely to become efficient" and on the "Reduction of the Army", from Cahir on the 9th of August 1856.
Served 3 years 96 days.
Conduct: "good".
Not in possession of any Good Conduct badges.
Re-enlisted into the Royal Artillery following his discharge from the 17th Lancers.
His discharge documents give the following details: Born in Walworth, London, he re-enlisted into the R.A. at the Woolwich Depot on the 29th of June 1859, with the Regimental number of 1968. He was then 25 years of age, with a fresh complexion, grey eyes and brown hair, 5' 9" in height, and a Porter by trade.
He transferred to the 12th Brigade R.A. as No. 1069 on the 12th of September 1860. (His previous service in the 17th Lancers was allowed to reckon towards pension rights vide a War Office letter, dated the 12th of December 1860.)
Following his re-engagement for 12 years' further service at Gosport on the 16th of January 1868 he transferred to the Coastal Brigade as No. 3984 on the 1st of September 1868. He was finally discharged from Norwich on the 27th of March 1877, aged 42 years 8 months, after 21 years 3 days' service.
Discharged:
"In consequence of his having completed the service entitling him to pension. His conduct has been 'very good' and he is in possession of four Good Conduct badges, the medal for the Crimea with clasp for Sebastopol, and the Turkish War medal. He was also been awarded a silver medal together with a gratuity of £5 for Long Service and Good Conduct: His name has not been recorded in the Regimental Defaulter's book and he has never been tried by Court-martial."
Served six months In Turkey and the Crimea and four years and six months on St. Helena Island.
To live at 9, Hawley Road, Chalk Farm Road, London.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasp for Sebastopol and the Turkish War medal (with 17th Lancers), and the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (with Coastal Brigade R.A.)
1881 Census [?]
78, The Strand [presumably London].
The 1891 Census shows a Henry Rayment, aged 46, born Widworth [sic], Surrey, a "Porter Pawnbroker" married to Mary, 42, born Little Hadham, Herts. No children are shown. [RM]
1901 Census
address?, Camberwell, London.
The 1901 Census shows a Henry Rayment, aged 66, an "Army Pensioner" born Walworth, with his wife, Mary, 61. [RM]
1986: A number of medals including Henry Rayment's medals and also a group to "Int. Captain G.V. Rayment, R.N." appeared at auction in 1985 as a "family" group. What relationship he was to Henry Rayment — perhaps a son? — has not yet been ascertained.
Captain Rayment (full name Guy Varley Rayment) was gazetted into the Royal Navy (already a B.A.) on the 7th of June 1901. He served at one time on the Staff of the R.N. Colleges at Dartmouth and Greenwich and also as Fleet Educational Officer on the Staff of the C-in-C., Mediterranean Fleet, from 1927-33, being placed on the Retired List from the 27th of January 1933.
Who Was Who for 1951-61 shows him as having been born on the 27th of January 1878, the son of Henry Rayment, married in 1911 to Laura Francis Ingram, and having one son. Educated at the Royal Naval School and Trinity College, Cambridge. Awarded the C.B.E. in 1919, Chinese and Siamese decorations in 1919 and Japanese in 1920. Died on the 10th of August 1951. Address: "Daisy Lodge", North Holmewood, Surrey.
[RM: Although Captain Rayment did indeed have a father called Henry, further research showes that they were probably not connected — see the Censuses for 1881 and 1901.]
1881 Census
[address?], Chiselhurst, Kent.
The 1881 Census shows a Henry Rayment born in Ireland in 1849, a Publisher's Assistant, married to Marion, with two children, Alice Mabel, 4, and Grey [Guy?] Varley, 3, both born in Chiselhurst.
A sister, Elizabeth Rayment, 21, and a servant, Eliza Hester, are also shown.
This confirms a connection with Captain Guy Varley Rayment RN above, and it would appear that Henry Rayment, ex-17th Lancers, was not his father.