The
Friends
of the
Green Howards
of the
Green Howards
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The
Friends of the Green Howards |
C Usherwood's Diary, 1852-56 | ||||||
| Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment (19th Foot) The North York Militia, The North York Local Militia & North York Rifle Volunteers | ||||||||
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This Journal relates to the period of Army service (1852 to 1856) of Charles William Usherwood, born 1831, the fourth of ten children of a glass maker in Worsbrodale, Rotherham, Yorks. His parents died in 1848 and 1850, by which time he seems to have become a grocer's assistant, but at the age of 20 enlisted as a private soldier in the 19th Foot (in which his two brothers later joined him).
The Journal here is the first half of Charles Usherwood's Service Journal. The second half describes his life in the Army between 1856 and 1864, including service in India.
No information is available as to Charles Usherwood's education, but it must have been good for his time and background. The Journal shows that he rose by successive stages in the service, to reach the rank of Lieutenant and Quartermaster by his retirement at the age of 33. In the previous year (having by then transferred to the 8th Foot) he married the daughter of his late adjutant, and on leaving the army, entered the prison service as a clerk at Salisbury; he later became Chief Warder at Horsemonger Lane in Southwark, and then went to Usk in South Wales as Deputy Governor; succeeding as Governor in 1879, he died at the end of 1880, aged 49. He left 6 children, and his widow survived until 1932. There are several references in the Journals both to Thomas Thompson, the adjutant, and his daughter, Elizabeth (Lizzie).
It would seem that it was during his service at Salisbury that he wrote the manuscript of the Journals, but it is clear that he must have kept extensive notes during his Army service.
The text of the Journals has not been edited in any way, and the author's occasional variants in spelling have been retained.
I am much indebted to Day Cooper for typing what is at times a far from easy manuscript.
Kenneth Usherwood
NOTE : For publication on this Web site, the Journal has been divided into Chapters with an Index to the Chapters. These do NOT appear in the original Journal.
Diary of Services in the Crimea by
Charles W Usherwood and while serving with
the 1st Bn 19th Regt of Foot.
