LIVES OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE
The E.J. Boys Archive

531, Private Thomas SMITH — 17th Lancers

Birth & early life

Born at Windsor, Berkshire.

Enlistment

Enlisted at Coventry on the 23rd of January 1838.

Age: 23.

Height: 5' 8".

Trade: Surveyor.

Features: Fresh complexion. Hazel eyes. Dark brown hair.

Service

From Private to Corporal: 25th of January 1845.

Corporal to Sergeant 31st of October 1845.

Reduced to Private by a Regimental Court-martial on the 10th of July 1846.

Tried by a Regimental Court-martial on the 28th of February and imprisoned until the 17th of August 1847.

Sent sick to Scutari on the 26th of October 1854.

Invalided to England aboard the "Alps" on the 2nd of March 1855 and on the Depot roll at Brighton from the 26th of April 1855.

From Private to Corporal: 1st of July 1855.

From Corporal to Sergeant on the 16th of February 1856 and appointed to the Staff of the Cavalry Depot as Orderly Room Clerk "on probation".

Discharge & pension

Discharged "by purchase" from Brighton on the 5th of June 1857, upon a payment of £15.

Served 17 years 322 days.

In Turkey and the Crimea: 1 year.

Character, "good" and in possession of three Good Conduct badges when promoted to Sergeant

Medals & commemorations

Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Sebastopol, and the Turkish medal.

Commemorations

Likenesses

He appears on a photograph with three other men of the 17th Lancers, taken, it is believed, especially for Queen Victoria as the original is in the Royal Library at Windsor. This was taken at Brighton in August 1855. Smith has been identified as the first man on the left. (See copy the 17th Lancer file.)

(Click on image to enlarge)

[PB: In 2015 Roy Mills made a remarkable discovery of where exactly this photograph (and a comparable one for four men of the 4th Light Dragoons) was taken (in front of Moulscoomb Place, Brighton, just outside Preston Barracks). I wrote a blog about his find in June 2015: "Oh, the rapture on spotting where these two charger photographs were taken".]

Further detailed medal information archived.

Life after service

[RM: A man of this name, aged 67, appears on the 1881 Census as a "House painter" living at 10, Quebec St, London, born at Windsor. His wife Ann, 74, born Hartland, and a daughter Louisa, 30, born Marylebone, are also listed. This could be Smith, but by no means certain.]