A couple of new pieces of information about our Lewis - I'm really quite fond of him now.
I bought a batch of certificates the night before the prices went up, and one of them was Lewis' birth certificate. So, having had the end of Lewis' life in a previous update, here is the start.
He was born on 27 September 1860 at Market Place, Wantage. His parents were William Saddington and Jane (nee Cox). William was an innkeeper. The birth was registered by Jane on 22 October 1860.
The place of birth corresponds with the 1861 census when the family were living at the "Crown Inn", Market Place, Wantage.
Having looked into his parents' marriage, according to the IGI, there is a marriage of a William Saddington and a Jane Cox on 24 June 1846 at Old Church, St Pancras, London. This corresponds with the only entry for a William Saddington/Jane Cox marriage on FreeBMD, which is for the June quarter of 1846 in the St Pancras registration district. However, without further information, I cannot be certain that this is the right marriage and so it will remain a possibility for the time being.
The other new piece of information relating to our Lewis comes from the Chelsea Pension records that are now on line at Findmypast.
He enlisted into the Army as Bryan Lewis Saddington at Canterbury on 11 November 1881. [I don't know yet when he was released from Holloway Prison which is where he had been for the 1881 census held on 3 April.]
Lewis said that he was born in Wantage, Berkshire, was 20 on his last birthday and was an ostler by trade. He enlisted for "General Services Cavalry" and was appointed to the 9th Lancers. His regimental number was 2194.
He is described as being 5 foot 7 1/4 inches tall, weighing 143lb, and with a chest measurement of 34 1/2 inches. He had reddish brown hair, brown eyes, a fresh complexion and scars on both knees. Lewis had been vaccinated in his childhood and had two vaccination scars on each arm. Nevertheless the Army revaccinated him on 22 November 1881.
Lewis' service record shows that he was stationed at "Home" (meaning England, Scotland and Ireland) between 11 November 1881 and 31 December 1882. Between 1 January 1883 and 22 November 1885, he was stationed in the East Indies. And then between 23 November 1885 and 14 August 1889, he was stationed at "Home" again, after which he was released from the regular Army and was a member of the Army Reserve from 15 August 1887 to 10 November 1893. He was then discharged from any form of Army service as of 10 November 1893.
During his Army service, Lewis had a number of medical problems. Whilst stationed in Canterbury, he had an ulcer at the end of 1881 and a sore throat in June 1882. He was sent to India on 31 January 1883 and was being treated for orchitis caused by gonorrhea at Umballa in late February/early March of that year. He had another longer bout of orchitis at Rasauli [sp?] in August/September 1883. He suffered a contusion of the foot following an accident in the gymnasium at Umballa in January 1884. He was then sent to Rasauli [sp?] Hill Depot for a change of air in August 1884.
Lewis seems to have remained healthy for the remainder of his time in India, boarding HMS Crocodile for the journey home on 28 October 1885. He arrived back in Shorncliffe, Kent on 24 November 1885, where he appears to have remained until 21 August 1886, when he was posted to York for the last part of his service in the regular Army.
General remarks regarding his habits, conduct etc were "Regular, Fair, Temperate". His character on being passed to the Army Reserve was described as "Fair".
Lewis spent 5 years 277 days in the Army and a further 6 years 88 days in the Reserve. The whole of the 5 years 277 days in the Army counted towards his Good Conduct pay and 5 years 263 days counted towards his pension.
So where do his convictions for assault in Canterbury in December 1882 come in? He would have been in the Army for about a year by then - surely assaulting a police officer in the execution of his duty is not Good Conduct! However, other than that, he seems either to have behaved himself whilst in the Army, or they didn't catch him when he misbehaved!
Still more research needed, methinks! If Lewis belongs to your branch of the family, please do get in touch.
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