WATERLOO: The Times, Thurs June 22nd 1815

[thewideeyedowl]

News of the victory at Waterloo was published in The Times, no 9554, on Thursday 22nd June 1815, four days after the battle.. There is a short report on the front page (bottom right) and a partial list of officer casualties on the back page (left-hand side). This morning I chanced upon these two fragile pages in a glazed frame at a local auction view. This is a lot that could be of interest to someone who is a descendant of an officer who fought in the battle, or collector of newspapers or of militaria

The paper reports that celebrations were being put in hand: Preparations are being made in all parts for a great display of illumination to take place to-morrow evening, in consequence of the glorious victory gained over the whole of the French army.


http://www.british-genealogy.com/forums/extensions/uploads/07e99b87-0a08-4308-abbc-a35ff76c96fe.jpg


Potburys Fine Art & Antique Auction, Lot 289.

The auction is in Sidmouth, Devon, on Tuesday 29th October 2013. I believe that bids can be accepted online or by telephone.
If you do a search like this: ("Potburys of Sidmouth") AND ("Fine Art & Antique Auction" AND "Catalogue") you will probably be able to find it.

Apart from the report, these two fragile sheets make fascinating reading. There are announcements and advertisements that bring the era to life. Anyone want to rent a well-built brick house in London for £42 per annum? And what about this for a personal job-wanted ad: A Respectable Young person wants a SITUATION as BARMAID in a respectable concern. She has lived in that capacity for nine years and can provide an undeniable character from her employer......

The Wideeyed Owl

[thewideeyedowl]

The framed copy of this newspaper failed to sell at the Fine Arts & Antiques Sale a fortnight ago. It was entered again in today's General Sale and I have been able to buy it. To my delight, I have found that the frame is glazed on the back as well as on the front, so you can read all four pages of the newspaper. (Only two pages had been visible when it was hanging on the wall of the saleroom.)

There is a provisional list of officer casualties (36 dead and c73 injured). When time allows, I hope to transcribe and post just their surnames - you never know but one of them might be 'one of yours'.

It makes me feel so small and insignificant when I think of how many people have held this paper, read the news in this paper, and shed tears over what they have read. This is History itself.

Wideeyed Owl

[gasser]

Well done you !

[maesglas/ssclub]

Hi Wideeyed Owl

what a find, I had a distant cousin who fought in that Battle, one SAMUEL PURNELL, I wound be very interested if his name was mentioned, he did not die there and continued his military career for many a year after, but he also met his French wife there.

Robert

[thewideeyedowl]

Hi Robert

I have now read carefully through the dispatch and the names on the casualty list. Sorry to disappoint you, but Samuel Purnell's name is not there (luckily for him!).

I am hoping to post the long list of surnames tomorrow.

Wideeyed Owl

[thewideeyedowl]

The Dispatch and Casualty Lists were written on Monday 19 June 1815, when the battle was finally over, and sent to London, together with two captured Eagles [standards], in the charge of Major H Percy. The information was received very late on the evening of Wednesday 21 June 1815 and published the following morning, in the London Gazette, No 17028, and The Times, No 9554.

Mentioned in the Dispatch
Adam, Alten, Alvos
Barnes, Byng
Clinton, Cooke
Delancy/De Lancey, di Borgio, Dornberg
Gordon, Grant
Halket/Halbet, Hill, Home
Kemp, Kruse
Lambert
Macdonel, Maitland, Muffling
Ompteda
Pack, Percy, Picton, Ponsonby
Somerset, Smyth
Trip
Vandeleur, Vanhope, Vincent, Vivian

Killed
Bain, Bolton, Brown, Duke of Brunswick
Cairnes, Cameron, Canning, Chambers (x2), Crawford, Crofton, Currie, Curzon
du Plat
Ellis [[Eles - LG]
Gordon, Grohen [Goeben - LG], Grove, Gumming [Gunning - LG]
Halgeonian [Holycowan - LG], Hay, Howard
Kennedy
Lister
Macara, Manners, Marshall, Morrice
Ompheta
Picton, Ponsonby
Ramsey, Robertson, Rosewiel
Shauman [Schauman - LG]

Wounded
Abercrombie, Adam, Adams, Alten
Ball, Barnes (x2), Beckwith, Berkeley, Bloomfield, Bowster [Bowater - LG], Bruton, Burche [Busch - LG]
Cameron, Carments [Carmers - LG], Cock [Cork - LG], Crawford, Crome
Dance, Darney, Dashwood, Dangten [Dangton - LG], de Lancey, Donald, Dornbey [Dornberg - LG], Dumaresque
Emem [Einem - LG], Erskine
Fitzmaurice, Forbes
Gardiner (x2)
Halkitt/Halket, Hamilton (x3), Harris, Hay, Heise, Hill (x2), Homerg [Hormey - LG]
Jessop, Johnson, Johnstone [Johnston - LG]
Kempt
Lindsay, ?Lock
Mackdonnell, Maclean, Maltrey [Moltry - LG], Miller (x2)
Napier, Norcott
Prince of Orange
Parker, Parkinson, Pringle
Quinton
Robe
Schrieder [Schreider - LG], Shenley, Somerset, Smith (x2), Strangeway
Taylor [Tyler - LG]
Earl of Uxbridge
Vigouresu [Vigoureau - LG]
Watson, Webber, Whynatter [Whynnates - LG]

The London Gazette also carries the names Elley, Simmons and Wright, which I cannot find on the newspaper page.

I was struck by the number of Scottish names. (One of the Super Mods is going to be overjoyed!)

The original documents would have been handwritten, hurriedly and under pressure so that the news could be sent to London. I do not know whether the Duke of Wellington wrote his own dispatch or dictated it. The discrepancies in the spellings that were published could have come about for all the usual reasons: illegible handwriting, mishearing of a name, or unfamiliarity with a name - a lot of these men served in the King's German Legion; plus, the compositor may have set the type incorrectly as he worked in haste - they twice had to stop the presses to get this news in.

I have also checked the London Gazette, which has typeset some of the names slightly differently, as indicated above. You can see LG pp1213-1216 http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/17028/pages/1213
And then further checking Cooke/Cock/Cork between the information in the dispatch, the list, and on FWR I feel certain that they are the same person. (LG and FWR have him as Major-General, The Times as Lieutenant-General.) This chap was potentially one of mine - you should have heard the whoops of joy! - but in fact isn't, because at this stage mine were all ag-labbing on IoW.

So if you think any of these names could be one of yours, you will need to do lots more research to verify it all - this info is simply 'your starter for 10', as it were. Hoping it helps someone out there.

Wideeyed Owl