Ian you will be pleased to learn that the Museum are out of stock of your book and I have had to resort to downloading an e-copy from the Wiltshire History Society. I always worry about downloading things as large as books, especially when there is money involved, but it worked perfectly and the 38.7 Mb arrived in seconds.
I am in awe of anybody who writes a book single handed, I am a co-author of two books about butterflies but if I had been the sole author they never would have happened. So congratulations.
Of course an e-copy has a big advantage when you want to search for things and the 2nd Worcesters receive 33 mentions but Worcestershire’s 1700 Private William Downing only appears in the index and the D Company medal list. He was listed in the Bromsgrove & Droitwich Messenger of 3 February 1940 as one of the Bromsgrove & district men already serving in the Boer War.
William was born at Lickey End, a small village just to the north of Bromsgrove, in 1867. The 1871 Census shows him still living at Lickey End with his parents and younger brother George. He was named after his father who was an agricultural labourer at the time. His mother, Mary was also bringing in an income by working as a “Nailer” which means she was involved in Bromsgrove’s major industry at the time, nail making.
I cannot find the family on the 1881 Census.
On 29 December 1896 William attested in Bromsgrove and gave his age as 19 years 9 months which made him born in either January or February 1867. He gave his occupation as “labourer” and both his parents as his next of kin with their address as Lickey End. He claimed to already be a part time solider serving in the 4th Militia Battalion of the Worcestershire Regiment. The recruiting officer was a member of the Worcestershire Regiment, so why he joined the Wiltshire Regiment is a mystery (both his parents were Worcestershire born). At the medical he measured 5 ft 8¾inches, weighed 10 stone 6 lbs and both his knees bore scars.
William served at home for exactly seven years before he was discharged to the Army Reserve in 1893. Based on the 1911 Census, the following year (1894) he married a lady named Alicia who was born in County Longford, Ireland and 3 years later (1897) their first daughter Wilmay was born in Lickey End. In December 1898 when he normally would have been fully discharged he was “re-engaged” in the Army Reserve. He was recalled to the colours on 15 January 1900 and just over a week later he was on his way to South Africa.
William was back on the soil of England on 26 June 1900 and was credited with 154 days of overseas service. He was discharged at Kilworth Camp on 10 September 1900 as “having been found medically unfit for further service”. He was still the same height as when he attested but they don’t give a piece of information that might have been interesting – how heavy he was on discharge. His character and conduct were given as “Very Good” and he gave his future address as “Norton, nr Bromsgrove”.
William & family can be found on the 1901, 1911 & 1921 Censuses, living in norton in 1901 and back in Lickey End for the later ones. Their second daughter Evelyn makes an appearance on the 1901 Census at 9 months old indicating William received a very warm welcome home when he was discharged. On all three returns his occupation is given as “labourer”.
The death of 64 year old Alicia Downing was registered in Bromsgrove during Q2 1928. There is a probate record for a William Downing who died 24 January 1935 living in Lickey End with an apparently unrelated “works foreman” and “gardener” as the joint executors of his will. His estate was assessed at £204 in round figures.
As your book shows he received the Queen’s Medal with Cape Colony & Orange Free State clasps for his approximately (allowing for travel) 4 months “on the veldt”.
Regards, David.
