Colour Sergeant James Smith

52nd Light Infantry Regt. No 591


Beginnings & Enlistment.

My great-great-grandfather, James Smith, was born around 1812 in or around Leicester, the son of Thomas Smith.

His early life shows that he was a "Framework Knitter" from the village of Croft near Leicester. "Framework knitting" was a very common trade for Leicestershire folk but this industry was in decline in the 1830's so it is not perhaps surprising that an illiterate James elected to sign up to the army at the age of 18 and on 13th December 1830 he was recruited into the 52nd Light Infantry at Coventry and embarked upon a 24 year military career that would carry him across the world.
Having enlisted, he was promptly marched some 25 miles south-east to Weedon Barracks in Northampton.
There he stayed at the Depot until the end of 1831, while the main body of the regiment were stationed in Portsmouth. (MR)

Ireland (Jan. 1832 - May 1836).

At the turn of the new year, the 52nd Regiment was posted to Ireland, and was to be the start of an extensive overseas posting that would last 15 years. (REG) , (MR)
The regiment disembarked in Waterford, with the Depot having travelled to Portsmouth to join the main troops, and together sailed from Bristol.
The next 4 years would see the regiment moving around the country, spending time in many towns such as Dublin, Athlone and Enniskillen, and it may be in Enniskillen that James married for the first time. James is believed to have married Eliza Walsh around 1833-34 and in 1835 their first son, John James, was born in Athlone, Westmeath.

Gibraltar (May 1836 - October 1838).

The regiment was posted for a quiet spell at Gibraltar, puncuated by regular inspections, and James was fortunate to be able to bring his family along with him (presumably because James was already on foriegn service) and in 1836, his daughter Mary Ann was born at Gibraltar. (GRO)

The West Indies (Nov. 1838 - March 1842).

The 52nd Regiment set sail for the West Indies, in October 1838 and after nearly a month at sea, arrived at Barbados.
Eliza must have been expecting another child, because the birth of son William Thomas was registered in Barbados in 1838. It is uncertain whether Willam was born en route or after arrival.
For the duration of their West Indies posting the regiment was dispersed across the various islands, supporting local authorities. The Muster Rolls incidate that James was regularly moved around the islands and would have experienced St Vincent, St Lucia, Pigeon Island , Grenada, and Berbice.

Towards the end of 1839, the regiment suffered greatly from yellow fever and on 4th December, the Barbados barracks had to be evacuated to allow it to be thoroughly fumigated. It was fortunate that the Smith family did not appear to have suffered from this outbreak.

On 1st May 1840, whilst on St Vincent, James was promoted to Corporal, and on 1st Feb 1842, he was further advanced to Sergeant. (MR)

Canada (April 1842 - July 1847).

In March 1842 the regiment was on the move once more - this time heading for North America; garrisoned first at Frederickton, New Brunswick, and latterly in Montreal.
James received another promotion to Colour Sergeant on 1st Sept 1845 and on 20th December 1846 another son was born : Stephen Henry.

Home Again (August 1847 - January 1851).

After 17 years away from home, the 52nd Light Infantry received orders to return home in August 1847. The regiment landed in Portsmouth where they stayed for a couple of months. During this time, James is recorded as having 9 days leave to Leicester - possibly the first time he has been home since he enlisted ?
Early in 1848, the regiment moved to the north of England where it stationed in a number of locations from Preston to Liverpool.
Another child is added to the Smith family, when Eliza Maria was born in 1849 at the regimental barracks at Burnley.
On 21st April 1850 James was reverted back to Sergeant although there is nothing in his army records that explains the reason for this.

Militia Life (1851+).

In January 1851 the regiment returned once more to Ireland and in May 1852 James was pensioned out of the regiment, citing chronic rheumatism.

James was not finished with military life however and in 1852-54 he took up a position on Staff Sergeant in the Leicestershire Militia. In 1853, another son Charles Walter was born in Leicester town, and in 1854 a further son, Joseph Samuel was born in Liverpool.

Retirement?

After this time, the trail goes cold on James and his family - thus far he has managed to evade all Census Returns having been overseas for all occasions. However it is believed that he and Eliza (and presumably some or all of the family) moved to Ireland at some time in the 1860s and settled at Enniskillen - perhaps this was the home town of Eliza ? Enniskillen had close ties to the Fusileers and James lived in street adjacent to the town barracks so it is possible that his Militia career led him to this town.

Enniskillen records list the death of an Eliza Smith in 1870 and it is possible that this was James' wife. There is also the marriage record of James Smith (widower) marrying Anne Britton in 1871. James was listed as 55 years of age and Anne was very much his junior at 35 years old. In 1879 Anne gave birth to Dina Marian Smith in Enniskillen, but when Dina was only 3 years old James passed away, leaving Anne to fend for herself. James' will, however, indicates that she will not be unsupported as he leaves "two houses in Queen Street" to Anne, in trust for Dina. This trust was well timed as only 3 year later in 1885, Anne herself died, a few years after marrying James Harrison (who also died shortly soonafter) leaving Dina in the care of friends...(PRONI)

His Legacy.

Despite the common nature of the Smith surname, I have been fortunate to have been able to trace the lives of James' children...not without considerable help from others of James' descendents...!

  • John James - followed his father's footsteps and enlisted with the Liverpool rifles. He spent his life in Liverpool, marrying Hannah Selby in 1853 and having son - also named John James (who became a Customs Officer before working in the Theatre) - in 1856. Hannah died in 1881, and John remarried to Edith Lewis soon after. John James died in 1884.
     
  • Mary Ann - married John McMahon, a sergeant of the 83rd Regt, in 1856, and this family emigrated to Melbourne Aus. in 1861. Their children spread out across a large area of Victoria.
     
  • William Thomas - also followed a military career first with the Fermanagh Light Infantry Militia in 1861 but migrated by way of Liverpool and Durham Miltia forces to Scotland. He was a trumpter by "trade" and in Inverness as a bandsmaster. He married Mary Ann Crawley at Liverpool in 1871 and he was buried in Inverness in 1894.
     
  • Stephen Henry - followed a career as a Customs Officer stationed in Liverpool and Hull before finally returning to Liverpool. He married Miriam Jane Williams at Liverpool in 1878. They had 4 children. Stephen retired to the Wirral and died around 1905.
     
  • Eliza Maria - married James Mitchell at Enniskillen in 1866. James was a sergeant with the 60th Royal Rifles and lost his life in a boating accident with 3 other NCOs on the Loch Ree near Athlone in 1881. James and Eliza had 8 children, most of whom followed military careers. Eliza died in 1929 at Winchester at the age of 79.
     
  • Charles Walter - joined his brother Stephen as a Customs Officer based in Liverpool. He married Alice Jane Newton in 1881 and they had 6 children. Charles died in 1927.
     
  • Joseph Samuel - also joined the Customs Service based in Liverpool and married Elizabeth Emma Fulword Moore in 1876. He died young in 1888 at the age of only 34 years old.
     
  • Dina Marian - was originally baptised as "Diana Minne" in 1879 but her mother changed her name in 1885. Dina found her way to Egypt in the 1890s and was married to Albert John Carey in 1903 at Peckham, London. Dina died in 1922 in Devon.



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Sources

  • (MR) Muster rolls for the 52nd Light Infantry at the National Archives in Kew (WO12/6261-6282 : 1830-1853)
  • (GRO) Regimental Births Index, Death certificate for James
  • (PRONI) James Smith's and Annie Harrison's Wills at PRONI
  • (REG) "Historical Record of the 52nd Regiment" by W S Moorsom

Page updated: 28th Sept 2013