To be honest, all I know of otherwise is the place names. Which like \u2018Mafeking\u2019 (from the Boer War) and of course \u2018Waterloo\u2019 and \u2018Trafalgar\u2019 were later given to roads and pubs and railway stations and squares to celebrate victories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Oh, and headgear. The famous Crimean War places being Alma, Sebastopol\u2026 and Balaclava.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Crimean War saw France, Britain and the Ottoman Empire lined up against Russia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The siege of Sevastopol (Sebastopol) lasted from October 1854 until September 1855, and was all about the allies trying to capture a key naval base, home to the Russian Black Sea fleet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to various sources, both sides lost more than 250,000 soldiers (each). And a lot of those deaths were down to disease rather than military action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u2018He was shot in the neck and leg during the campaign, and obtained three medals.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nHe used to delight to tell his military experiences at Sebastopol and elsewhere, but latterly was somewhat reluctant about entering into any discussion on the memorable battle.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nWithout paying yet more subscriptions, I haven\u2019t got access to Crimean War records. We can only guess at Thomas Fenton\u2019s experience from general articles about the war, and from the obituary information. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Presumably he had the medals \u2013 and scars \u2013 to show people in the days when he \u2018delighted to tell his military experiences\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why he went from that to reluctance to talk about it is anyone\u2019s guess, and it would be unfair to speculate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thomas Fenton in peace<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The obituary continues:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u2018He was for thirty years a lead miner at Greenside Mines, Patterdale, and for many years walked to and from Patterdale to Penrith every weekend; it appeared no trouble to him when over three-score years to perform the journey of fifteen miles.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n\nLatterly Mr. Charles Flint, Grey Bull Hotel, Penrith found him a light occupation, and he passed away at the house of Mr. Flint’s mother, after a fortnight’s illness. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nThe old man’s bent form will be missed in the Townhead district, where he was much respected. He was unmarried. His remains were interred in the Churchyard at Newton Reigny on Thursday, the rector officiating.\u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nFindaGrave doesn\u2019t have a photo of any headstone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rewind<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What we can find on Thomas Fenton elsewhere is also somewhat limited. Even his age is in dispute, possibly because census returns were filled in by people he was lodging with who didn\u2019t know for sure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1897. December. At Pattinson\u2019s Court, Penrith, on the 3rd inst, Thomas Fenton, aged 68 years.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nWhich puts his birth at 1829. Later census records say he was born in Penrith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The only readily available records for the birth of a Thomas Fenton are an 1825 St Andrew\u2019s, Penrith baptism. Both January 14, but one \u2018mother Rachel Fenton\u2019; one \u2018mother Barbara Fenton\u2019. And both, well, 1825.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 1841 census has a Thomas Fenton, male servant, at Plumpton, aged 14. So born approximately 1827.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 1861, he is lodging in Patterdale, occupation labourer, aged 30. So born about 1830\/31.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 1871, he\u2019s boarding with Charles Flint\u2019s mother, Jane, at Pattinson\u2019s Court, Penrith. Listed as a Greenside Mines labourer, his age is given as 46. So born 1824\/25.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Still there ten years later, he is 55, so born 1825\/26.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 1891, on census night, he was back in Patterdale, at Patterdale Smelt Mill: Thos Fenton, 63 (sic), lead smelter, lodger with a family called Kirkup. So born 1827\/28.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What jumps out is that he doesn\u2019t show on the 1851 census. Which fits him being off with the Army somewhere overseas: even searches such as: \u2018Thomas\u2026 Artillery\u2019 don\u2019t find him in the UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The only other news stories that fit Thomas Fenton date from 1859, three years after the Crimean War ended when he had left the Army and sufficiently recovered from his wounds to work as a miner at Patterdale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sadly, it\u2019s the story of how he and a fellow workman called James McGarr stole a half sovereign (10 shillings) and three shillings from a mantlepiece in someone\u2019s home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
They\u2019d been invited into the house by workmate John Rigg. It was his mother and stepfather\u2019s house (John and Jane Brumbwell). Money had been brought by the postman the day before, from a sick club at Penrith, and placed on the mantelpiece by Mrs Brumbwell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thomas Fenton and James McGarr, both pleaded not guilty, but were convicted and sentenced to four months in prison, with hard labour. Again, it would be wrong to speculate about the full facts of the theft. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
All we can say is Thomas went back to Patterdale after serving his time, and was lodging at the Smelt Mill, part of the Greenside Lead Mines. Not only were the Brumbwell family still living in Patterdale, but John Rigg, his stepfather and two stepbrothers were working in the lead mines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- I\u2019ll revisit Charles Flint and his mother in a later post.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Thomas Fenton. Death of a Penrith Crimean War veteran Penrith Observer, May 11, 1897: \u2018We have to record the death of Mr. Thomas Fenton, Scotland Road, Penrith, at the age of 68 years. Deceased, when in the Artillery, went through the Crimean War in 1856\u2026\u2019 The Crimean War \u2018The Crimean War (1853-56) is mostly remembered […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3111,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3110","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n
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