William Neville & John Smith

"British regular soldiers were Wigan born William Neville and John Smith. Both Privates in the 2nd Battalion (2nd Warwickshire) Regiment of Foot.

John Smith was born in December In Chapel Lane, Wigan - the son of a Railway worker. He had worked as a Labourer and served in the Lancashire Rifle Militia. At the age of twenty-five, he enlisted Into the regular army. It is believed he was the only soldier to suffer injury from a Native spear, when he received a wound to The abdomen from a Zulu assegai whilst Defending the barricade at Rorke’s Drift John Smith discharged from the army in Described as of good character and temperate habits and went to live in Bury.

Nevillehad enlisted at Liverpool in 1877 and Smith on Christmas Eve 1876 at Ashton-Under-Lynne; it was not unusual for men to enlist in units whose nominal home was many miles away. William Neville was born the son of Abram farmer, James Neville, on Warrington Road in February y 1858. He worked as a colliery weigh clerk prior to enlisting in the army, aged nineteen. He continued his service until his discharge in described as of bad character and Intemperate habits he lived with his wife And children in Broom Street Ince. He died in 1895 of a heart attack at the age of Thirty -Seven and was buried in an Unmarked public grave in Ince cemetery."
Both men received the South African Medal 1877-8 and 1879 clasps.

Source: Wictculture

hi littlehand .

25B / 1005 Private . John Smith 2 / 24 th Regt . ' Assegai contusion of abdomen ' Slightly Wounded .
This from Julian Whybra's , England's Sons .
cheers 90th.

Hi All

William Neville

(He signed his service documents ‘William Nevil’, which may be the correct spelling of his surname)

NEVIL, William. 25B/1279 Private
Born at Wigan, Lancashire; trade - collier. Enlisted for 25 Brigade at Liverpool, Lancashire 23/2/1877. Description: age 19 years, height 5' 5 1/4", fresh complexion, hazel eyes, brown hair. Religion: Church of England. Attested at Liverpool 26/2/1877. Posted to 2nd Bn 24th Foot 28/2/1877.
Private 26/2/1877. Granted Good Conduct Pay at 1 penny per diem 6/11/1880. Service continued in South Wales Borderers 1/7/1881. Forfeited Good Conduct Pay 8/7/1881. Transferred to 1st Class Army Reserve, 20th Regiment District 21/6/1883. Transferred to Warrington, Lancashire, District 24/8/1883; transferred to 20th Regiment District 7/2/1884; transferred to Brecon Barracks 1/4/1884. Imprisoned by civil power 30/11/1885 - 18/5/1886; tried 19/5/1886 on a charge of assault and sentenced to 12 months imprisonment with hard labour; released 18/5/1887. Service continued from 19/5/1887. Discharged from Army Reserve at Brecon 25/2/1889. Character on discharge; habits intemperate, conduct bad.
Next-of-kin, Mrs. Anderson, mother, 7 Longbroom Street, Ince-in-Makerfield, near Wigan.
Married 1/6/1884, Sarah Elizabeth Graham at Ince-in-Makerfleld, Lancashire. Name recorded as 'Neville' (copy marriage certificate in WO97). In 1891 he, his wife and 3 children were residing at 28 Broom Street, Ince-in-Makerfield, near Wigan, Lancashire (Census Return for 1891, Wigan Heritage Series).
Served at Home 26/2/1877 - 31/1/1878; South Africa 1/2/1878 - 12/1/1880; Gibraltar 13/1/1880 - 11/8/1880; India 2/8/1880 - 27/5/1883; Home 28/5/1883 - 25/2/1889. Served in the Kaffir War 1878. Served in the Zulu War 1879 (WO97), a Private in B Company at the defence of Rorke's Drift.