SMITH, John Victor - Friends of Horton Cemetery

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b. bet.1846/1853-d.1902

This was originally a short story, based on limited information available. However, the author was able to piece together a very much more elaborate profile thanks to some service records.

Born between 1846-1853

Unfortunately, I have not found a birth or baptism record for John Victor Smith, and from the records found, as none of them give the same year of birth for him, his exact year of birth remains unknown. Nor is it known if he was given ‘Victor” as a middle name at birth, or whether he added it when he returned to England.

Born in Belgaum, East Indies

John, the first-born child of Alexander and Catherine Smith, was born in Belgaum, Southern Maharashtra, East Indies. The city of Belgaum (now known officially as Belagavi) is located near the border of the Indian states of Karnataka and Maharashtra and is a region in the western part of the Indian subcontinent.

Belgaum was a thriving British outpost, and it was here that John’s father Alexander was stationed as a Colour Sergeant of the 78^th Regiment of Highlanders. Alexander, born 1814 in Aberdeen, Inverness, Scotland, was a 33-year-old widower when he married John’s 15-year-old mother Catherine on 15^th February 1847. Catherine, the daughter of James Dooley, had been born in 1832 in Bathurst, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Return to United Kingdom

According to the Royal Hospital Chelsea Pensioner Soldier Service Records, John’s father was discharged on 18^th December 1851 as no longer fit for service as he was suffering from chronic rheumatism due to the climate and military service.

The family returned to Inverness, Scotland and on 26^th February 1852, John’s brother Alexander was born. Three more siblings were born – Mary in 1854 in Liverpool, Lancashire, James in 1857 in Shorncliffe, Kent, and Duncan in 1859 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk.

The UK 1861 census recorded John as being 11 years old (born 1850) and living with his parents and siblings in the Militia Quarters, South Dene, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. His father was aged 47 and was recorded as “Sergeant E N Militia”. This would indicate that Alexander was still serving in a reserve capacity. John’s mother was aged 28 and, shortly after the census was taken, gave birth to Janet who was later known as Jessie. Catherine had her last known child, William, in 1863.

Enlistment into the army

At 11.00 am, on 19^th September 1862, and claiming to be 14 years 1 month old, John enlisted for 13 years 11/12 months into the 17^th Foot where he was given the service number 757, and ‘Boy’ rank.

If he was indeed 14 years old, then his birth year would have been 1848. John stated that he was a musician and was described as 4 foot 7 ½ inches tall with a fresh complexion, blue eyes and dark brown hair. The witness to all of this was Staff Sergeant Alexander Smith EN Militia. The following day, at 13:30, John signed his oath of allegiance to Queen Victoria.

John’s military record

John’s military record shows where he was stationed, and his promotions, reductions, medical conditions etc.

Country stationed in	From	To	Years	Days
Home (Ireland)	20^th Sep 1862	1^st Oct 1863	1	12
North America	2^nd Oct 1863	5^th Jun 1865	1	247
Home	6^th Jun 1865	11^th Jan 1870	4	220
East Indies (Pakistan)	12^th Jan 1870	19^th Feb 1879	9	39
Afghanistan	20^th Feb 1879	16^th Aug 1879	0	178
East Indies	17^th Aug 1879	9^th Mar 1882	2	205
Home (Devon + Hampshire)	10^th Mar 1882	31 Oct 1885	3	236

Fortunately, John was never wounded when he served with Her Majesty’s 1st Battalion Leicestershire Regiment during the Afghanistan 1878-1879 campaign, for which he received a medal for his service there.

Promotions, Reductions, Casualties etc	Rank	Period of service in each rank
Promotions, Reductions, Casualties etc	Rank	From	To
	Boy (underage)	20^th Sep 1862	19^th Aug 1863
	Private (underage)	20^th Aug 1863	31^st Mar 1865
Appointed	Drummer (underage)	1^st Apr 1865	11^th Apr 1866
	Private (underage)	12^th Apr 1866	19^th Aug 1866
	Private + Bandsman	20^th Aug 1866	28^th Jul 1869
Imprisoned by Commanding Officer		29^th Jul 1869	4^th Aug 1869
	Private + Bandsman	5^th Aug 1869	10^th Feb 1875
Re-engaged at Peshawar to complete 21 years of service	Private + Bandsman	11^th Feb 1875	8^th Jan 1877
Appointed	L Corporal	9^th Jan 1877	11^th Apr 1877
Promoted	Corporal	12^th Apr 1877	9^th Sep 1879
Good Conduct Pay @ 3		27^th Aug 1878
Appointed	L Sergeant	10^th Sep 1879	18^th Nov 1879
Promoted	Sergeant	19^th Nov 1879	1^st May 1880
In Confinement.Forfeited Good Conduct Pay but recommenced on release.		2^nd May 1880	4^th May 1880
Tried, Reduced, + Released	Private + Bandsman	5^th May 1880	30^th Jun 1881
Service continued	Private + Bandsman	1^st Jul 1881	11^th Feb 1882
Forfeited 1-day Good Conduct Pay		20^th Jun 1882
Appointed	Lan. Corporal + Bandsman	12^th Feb 1882	14^th May 1882
Reverted	Private + Bandsman	15^th May 1882	31^st Oct 1885
Good Conduct Pay @ 4		29^th Aug 1884
Further service		1^st Nov 1885	3^rd Nov 1885

Medical History

John’s medical history shows that he did suffer from several maladies during his military life. During his first year of service in Limerick, Ireland, it was recorded that he was suffering from enuresis, commonly known as bedwetting. There is a poignant comment that he was “a lad from want of refulin (sic) habits”. This indicates that John was not drinking enough fluids as being dehydrated could cause bladder irritation. For this he was treated with the mineral zinc, which they believed would help him to control his bladder.

It was in Dublin, Ireland, in 1869 that John first contracted venereal disease. John was then sent in 1870 to Lucknow, India, where in 1871 he was diagnosed with French scabies (syphilis) and gonorrhoea. In 1872, he also became one of many in Lucknow that suffered from the dengue fever epidemic.

In 1882, after returning to Plymouth, Devon, England, John was diagnosed with Prussia syphilis.

The End of Military Service

John’s military service spanned over 23 years and 34 days and ended on 3^rd November 1885. The cause of his discharge was recorded as “In consequence of the completion of the second period of limited engagement”.

The Royal Hospital Chelsea Pensioner Admissions and Discharge Register record that John Smith was aged 37 (born 1846) when he was discharged as Bandsman 757 from Her Majesty’s 1st Battalion Leicestershire Regiment (formally from 17^th Foot).

It also recorded that he was now 5 foot 8 ½ inches tall. Many ex-servicemen were valued for their military discipline and physical bearing and were often employed by the prison service or mental hospitals. John’s intended place of residence was recorded as being Durham County Asylum, Sedgefield, Durham, England.

Working at Cane Hill Asylum

John’s next appearance was on 5^th April 1891 when the census was taken. John was enumerated as now being an attendant for the insane in the Cane Hill Asylum in Coulsdon, Surrey. The asylum was later renamed Cane Hill Mental Hospital in 1930, and the Cane Hill Hospital in 1959. Here it was recorded for the first time that John’s middle name was Victor, and that he had been born in Belgaum, East Indies. John informed the enumerator that he was aged 38 (born 1853).

Working at Buckinghamshire Asylum

John Victor Smith moved from Coulsdon to become an attendant in the Buckinghamshire County Asylum in Stone, Buckinghamshire. Here, in 1901, John was recorded as being a single 55-year-old man (born 1846), who had been born in South Ealing, Middlesex, which contradicts the 1891 record. As there are no other 1901 census records for a John Victor Smith, it could be that by now he was showing signs of mental illness and confusion.

From employee to patient

Having been living at 16 Peartree Street (Clerkenwell?), John was admitted to the Lambeth Infirmary, in the Lambeth Workhouse in the City of London, on 2^nd April 1902. On 9^th April 1902 he was discharged from there to Horton Asylum in Epsom, Surrey.

This was where he died on 16^th April 1902. His death certificate states that he was a 50-year-old “Musician and Lunatic Attendant of Lambeth Infirmary”. The postmortem showed that his cause of death was General Paralysis and Heart Disease.

John’s remains were buried in the Horton Estate Cemetery in grave 8 on 22^nd April 1902.