1852 –02/12/1922
Fought in the Second Afghan War before becoming licensee of The Black Horse
Relatives
Research:
Plot 646 Patrick Crowley (1852-1922)
According to his Army records Patrick was born in 1852 in Winchester and vaccinated in infancy, but records of his early life have not been traced.
He joined the Militia as a volunteer and served with the Hampshire Artillery. At the end of November 1870 he applied to be discharged from the Militia in order to join the Army, being signed up for the 10th Royal Hussars 15 December 1870 at Fareham.
He was 18 years of age and a labourer, about 5’7” tall with brown hair. His muscular development was “good”. A note stated that his habits were temperate and regular – presumably from his Militia service.
Patrick served in England for two years. It is possible that he is the Patrick Crowley, “a soldier” who married Fanny Champ, the daughter of a weaver 21 May 1871 at Aldershot parish church.
Patrick was sent out to India where he landed with his regiment 13 February 1873. His medical history follows what was probably a familiar pattern for young soldiers finding themselves abroad: gonorrhoea in 1874, fever in 1875, “contusions” after falling from his horse in 1876 and ague in 1878, by which time he was stationed in Rawalpindi.
It was there on 1 April 1878 he was sentenced to 8 days for being drunk and attempting to pass alcohol into the married quarters which implies that, whether or not he was married to Fanny, he had a wife with him.
He took part in the Second Afghan War in 1878 and became a lance corporal. His records show that he was in the first part of the campaign and fought at the Battle of Ali Masjid, 21 November 1878. He received the Afghan Medal with the clasp for that battle. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Ali_Masjid)
In June 1879 he spent some time in hospital in Rawalpindi with ague (presumably malaria, as he was treated with quinine)
He was back in Rawalpindi by 23 April 1880 when he was court martialled for being absent without leave and was reduced to the ranks.
In the autumn of 1880 he was in hospital in Lucknow with various unpleasant diseases. He appears to have recovered from these well and returned back to England, arriving in December 1882. He left the Army 26 January 1883 at Gosport, his record signed off with the comment that his character was “Good.”
According to the 1911 census he married Johanna in 1888 but the record has not been traced, nor have his movements between January 1888, when he was discharged from the army, and 1891 when their son Bernard Napier was born in Ware in 1884. They had moved to Uxbridge by the time Cornelius Napier was born in 1891. Leonard Napier followed in 1896, Patrick Napier in 1897 and Terence Napier in 1900. However, the 1911 census records that there were three other children born to the couple who had not survived until that date.
In 1901 the family were living at 16, Waterloo Road, West Hillingdon. Patrick was a labourer for the Urban District Council.
By 1911 they had moved to Berkhamsted and Patrick was licensee of the Black Horse beer house. Their son Cornelius was living away but at home were Bernard, Leonard, Patrick jnr. and Terence They had three male lodgers.
Leonard died, aged only 19, in 1913.
In June 1921 Patrick and Johanna were still running the Black Horse. Bernard, Terence and Patrick were living at home but Bernard was an invalid and had no work and Terence, who had been a general labourer at John Dickinson’s in Apsley, was out of work. Patrick jnr., however, was employed as an engineering clerk at John Dickinson’s.
Patrick died in December at the Black Horse aged 69 in 1922 and was buried 5 December.
Cornelius moved back to Berkhamsted to help his mother at the beer house but he died suddenly in 1929 aged 38. He is buried in an unmarked grave in this cemetery.