Born at Drumcree, Castle Pollard, Co. Westmeath, c.1827.
Enlisted at Longford on the 18th of November 1845.
Age: 18.
Height: 5' 10".
Trade: Servant.
Fair complexion. Grey eyes. Fair hair.
Embarked for the Crimea aboard the H.T. "Echunga" on the 15th of May 1854.
Embarked for India from Cork aboard the S.S. "Great Britain" on the 8th of October 1857.
From Private to Corporal: 1st of January 1860.
The muster roll for October-November 1861 shows him as "en route to Calcutta" and that for December as "Discharge, free, 9th December." With no record of any actual discharge details in England it must be assumed that this was the actual date of it.
It is known however, that the terms of his discharge were "Free, with right of registry for a deferred pension upon reaching the age of 50 years."
Following a Board which sat on the 10th of June 1878 he was granted a deferred pension of 4d. per day on the 19th of November 1878. This was when he had reached the age of 50 years, and was unusual in itself — most other pensions of a similar nature were paid to men who had emigrated when they reached the age of 60 years.
At the time of receiving this pension he was living in 3rd Street, Sydenham, Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand.
Served 16 years 1 month.
In Turkey and the Crimea: 1 month. India 3 years 10 months.
Aged 33 years 11 months on discharge.
Conduct: "Good".
In possession of two Good Conduct badges.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman and Sebastopol.
Mutiny medal with clasp for Central India.
Served at Kotah and Gwalior.
Member of 1879 Balaclava Commemoration Society.
[Emigrated to New Zealand.]
Died on the 29th of July 1884 and was buried in the Addington Cemetery, Christchurch, New Zealand, on the 31st of July following a funeral service at St. Mary's Church, Addington, conducted by the Curate, Henry East.
From the Cemetery records it would appear that Wilson died a pauper and no headstone was erected.
The Addington Cemetery, opened in 1858, is now (2000) full and is undergoing development as an historic park under the control of the Christchurch City Council. (See general view picture in the 8th Hussar files.)
Christchurch Press, 30th of July 1884:
Wilson — On July 29th, at his residence in Addington, Mr. Samuel Wilson, late of the 8th Hussars and one of the survivors of the Charge of the Light Brigade, in his 54th year...
From the Christchurch Press,1st, 11th, and the 13th of August 1884:
"Yesterday the remains of a Crimean veteran, Mr. Wilson, who was 54 years old when he died, was a trooper in the 8th Hussars at the time of the famous charge, but before leaving the Army rose to the rank of Sergeant Major, [sic]. Up to his last illness he was employed in the railway workshops.
His body was buried without military honours but a large number of his fellow workmen and others followed the remains to the grave and the funeral cortege was headed by the Addington Workshop Band, playing the Dead March in "Saul".
[Source:?]
"The late Mr. S. Wilson.- At a meeting of the workmen last week it was decided to give a concert and issue a subscription list for the benefit of the widow and children of the late S. Wilson. The promoters expect that, considering the services rendered to his Queen and Country and the fact that he was one of the famous "Six Hundred" they will have very little difficulty in raising a respectable sum. The family of the gallant trooper, were sorry to say, is left in very needy circumstances...
Gift for Widow — At the Lyttleton Naval Brigade Annual meeting on Monday night, reference was made to the late Mr. S. Wilson, who was one on the "Six Hundred", when a member of the Corps, having known the deceased for over twenty years, testified to the unassuming and notable character of the gallant soldier and amidst silence proposed a vote of condolence to the widow, that a subscription list be drawn up by the members and that £5 be at once sent to the family out of the Funds of the Corps. The motion was carried without dissent."
The Press, 24th of August 1884:
"Communication from R.P. — Being amongst those who believe that one who took part in the now historical charge of the Light Brigade should not go to his grave un-noticed, I would first put on record a few facts of his military career which I believe will be of interest to many. [Then follows known details of his service in the Army.]
He arrived in Australia in 1862 and joined the Mounted Police there. In 1863 he came to New Zealand and was Drill-Instructor to the Rangitikei Yeomanry Cavalry from 1863 to 1866. He then went to Otago and was a member of the Mounted Police (as a Sergeant,) there until 1868, when he came to Christchurch, and which was where he lived until the time of his death.
He was in receipt of a small pension for the last few years of his life. There is one other also of these men that I know of in New Zealand. Sergeant John Bevin of the Otago Mounted Police, who served in the same troop as Mr. Wilson for seven years. I cannot but close this sketch than quoting from the brother-in-arms of the deceased when speaking of him — "He was a gallant and brave soldier — a good comrade in the field and elsewhere, and respected by all who knew him..." Samuel Wilson died on Tuesday the 28th of July 1884 and was buried on the following Thursday in Sydenham Cemetery."