William Williams was born in London on the 13th of January 1836 and baptised in St Saviour's Church, Southwark, on the 6th of February 1837, the son of William Williams, a Hatter, of Union Street, and his wife, Sarah.
See the record of his brother, 1479 Thomas Williams, 11th Hussars, for details of his parentage and also a copy of a letter which his brother wrote from the Crimea which confirms William Williams was in hospital during the period of the battle of Balaclava.
Enlisted at London on the 6th of November 1852.
Age: 19.
Height: 5' 8".
Trade: None shown.
From the now-proven date of his birth, he was much younger than he stated at the time of his enlistment, being only 16 years 9 months of age.
Left sick at Varna when the regiment went to the Crimea proper, although the Scutari Depot muster rolls show him as being there from the 7th of August 1854 and sent back to the regiment on the 20th of October 1854.
He was back at Scutari from the 11th of January 1855 and invalided to England on the 23rd of February 1855.
His brother Thomas wrote home in a letter dated 6th of January 1855:
I am very sorry to say that poor Bill has been very unwell. We left him at Varna when we started for the Crimea, and the silly fellow kept trying to join us, although he was not fit for it.
He got his wish and came to Balaclava a few days after our charge, but he was much too weak to join his regiment, so he was sent back to Scutari, where he is much more comfortable.
He is all right, except weakness.
Tried by a District Court-martial at Dundalk, Ireland, on the 15th of September 1856 for "Desertion."
Sentenced to 112 days' imprisonment with hard labour (of which 56 days were remitted), and to be marked with the letter "D".
Transferred to the 18th Hussars at Hounslow on the 28th of February 1858. Regimental No. 374.
(Both he and 1479 Thomas Williams transferred to the 18th Hussars at the same time, an act which, as brothers, they might have been expected to do.)
From Private to Corporal: 1st of April 1858.
Corporal to Sergeant: 1st of June 1858.
"Absent", 6th-9th of April. Tried by a Regimental Court-martial and reduced to Private on the 10th of April 1859.
From Private to Corporal: 19th of April 1859.
Corporal to Sergeant: 1st of July 1860.
Discharged, "time expired", from Canterbury on the 9th of November 1864.
Conduct: "good".
In possession of two Good Conduct badges.
To live in London after discharge.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Inkerman and Sebastopol.
The Balaclava period muster roll states, "Sick, absent."
His Turkish medal only was in the "Needes" collection on the 19th of January 1905.
1861 Census
Aldershot [rest of address?]
At the time of the 1861 Census Return he was stationed at Aldershot with the 18th Hussars, and shown as being a Sergeant, aged 26 years, unmarried, born in London, Surrey.
Death registered
William Henry Williams, aged 43 [sic], June Quarter 1880, Portsea.
From the Army and Navy Gazette, May 1880:
"Pensioned Sergeant Major [sic] W. Williams has died at Portsmouth. He and his elder brother (now Governor of Birkenhead Workhouse) both belonged to Lord Cardigan's Regiment and both [sic] had taken part in the Charge of the Light Brigade.
During the Sergeant Major's last year, symptoms of insanity presented themselves. He died in the Borough Lunatic Asylum at Portsmouth."
Extract from the United Services Gazette, May 1880:
"The death is reported of Sergeant Major William Williams, who with his brother Thomas Williams, rode in the Charge of the Light Brigade at Balaclava.
The deceased however, when in the Crimea and sleeping on wet ground, became frozen to the earth, receiving such spinal injuries that eventually during the last years symptoms of insanity presenting themselves, was admitted to, and died in the Borough Lunatic Asylum at Portsmouth."
The burial registers of St Mary's parish churchyard at Portsea (held in the City Records Office, Portsmouth) show the following:"William Williams. Address: The Lunatic Asylum" [now the St James's Hospital, Lockway Road, Portsmouth].
Buried on the 5th of May 1880, aged 48 years, in the Portsea Burial Ground, St Mary's Road, Portsmouth.
The service was conducted by the Vicar of Portsmouth, the Revd. E.P. Grant.
Death registration kindly provided by Chris Poole.