Enlisted at London on the 13th of January 1855.
Age: 18.
Height: 5' 7".
Trade: None shown.
Joined the regiment in the Crimea from Cork on the 15th of July 1855.
Sent to Scutari on the 4th of October 1855, to England from Ismid on the 19th of November 1855 and was later shown on the Depot roll at Brighton.
Rejoined the regiment at Cahir on the 1st of June 1856.
Embarked for India from Cork aboard the S.S. "Great Britain" on the 8th of October 1857.
The musters for July-September 1858 show him as being "On Field Service" Detachment at Sholapoore"from September of the period.
In action against the rebels at Zeerapore on the 29th of December 1858 and at Baroda on the 1st of January 1859.
Discharged, "time expired", from Shorncliffe on the 14th of February 1867.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasp for Sebastopol, and the Turkish medal.
Mutiny medal without clasp.
1871 Census
1, Hare Place, St Dunstan's in the West, London City.
Richard Shires, lodger, married, 34, Carman, born Guildford.
1881 Census
5A, Tooke's Court, St, Andrew's Parish, Holborn
A "Richard" Shiers was shown in the 1881 Census Returns, a Porter, aged 44, born at Guildford, Surrey, with his wife, Emma, 35, born Exeter, Devonshire. [RM]
Death registered
Emma Shires [1st wife], 47, December Quarter 1887, Holborn.
Marriage registered [2nd].
Richard Shiers married Alice Maria Pegram, June Quarter 1895, Holborn.
In 1891, Alice was married to William Rowlett Pegram, a 52-year-old Parcel Postman whose death was registered in the March 1895 Quarter, Strand.
1901 Census
147, Grays New Building, St Andrew's Holborn.
Richard Shires [sic], aged 64, Workhouseman, born Guildford.
Alice M. Shires, 50, born St Pancras.
Death registered
Alice Maria Shires [2nd wife], aged 53, June Quarter 1904, Pancras.
1911 Census
23, Myddleton Street, Clerkenwell.
Richard Shires, 74, widower, Army Pensioner, born Guildford.
Death registered
Richard Shiers, aged 91, December Quarter 1927, Holborn.
[MORE TO FOLLOW...]
Item title reads:" Last Crimean Veteran. Full Military honours for Pte. R. Shiers — late of the 17th Lancers — the "Death or Glory Boys" who served in the Crimea Indian Mutiny and Turkish Campaigns. London M/S soldiers in busby helmets shoulder arms. The camera pans to a gun carriage. A brass band marches. It looks misty as mounted soldiers pass, followed by men in top hats and other mourners at the funeral.
Additional Census information for 1841-1901, and details of a number of registrations of deaths and marriages kindly provided by Chris Poole. We are also very grateful to him for locating the Pathe News film of his funeral