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William Leicester retired from the Bengal Army with the rank of major.  He is listed in Local Directories as living at Pear Tree Cottage in Rill Lane in 1878, 1883 and 1889 (1) and can also be found at the same address in the 1881 census with his wife Louisa, however he was a widower by the time of the 1891 census.

According to his census entry, William was born at Seymour Place in London but he appears to have been christened in the Old Church, St. Pancras in Aug 1831.  He applied for a cadetship in the East India Company Army in 1847 and was appointed as an ensign in the 30th Native Infantry of the Bengal Army in December 1847 and was rapidly in action during the Second Sikh War of 1848-9.  He took part in two major engagements in that campaign, being present at the Battle of Chillianwala and at the Passage of the Chenab in January and February of 1849 respectively (2). 

Chillianwala was one of the few military disasters for the British in India.  It took place on 13th January about 85 miles north-west of Lahore and the British side had 2,357 killed or wounded, of whom 1,000 were British(3).  This defeat changed the Indian perceptions of British military superiority and was probably a contributory factor to the Indian Mutiny of 1857 (4).  The battle near the Chenab river on 21st February was, on the contrary a great success, with 24,000 British and native troops overcoming a Sikh army of 60,000 with losses of “only” 796 killed or wounded.  This battle is also significant as it was the first time anaesthetics were used on the battlefield during field surgery (3).  During the campaign in 1849 William was severely wounded.

William Leicester was promoted lieutenant on the 15th November 1853 and was attached to the 3rd Sikh Infantry; he was the regimental adjutant when they were stationed in the Gorruckpore District of North India.  At some stage he passed an examination in field engineering.  He was promoted to captain on 18th February 1861 and was attached to the 3rd Sikh Irregular cavalry during 1861, commanding a squadron until the regiment was disbanded on the 6th July at Seegowlee which is close to the Nepalese border.  William then appears to have returned to his old regiment (30th native infantry); he went on permanent half pay on 24th May 1866, by which time he had been promoted to major. 

When he returned to England is not clear.  He doesn’t appear to be in the 1871 census.  He was probably in Budleigh Salterton from at least 1877 but left at some point between 1891 and 1901 because by 1901 he was living in Christchurch (Bournemouth) and had remarried to Mary Lilian Young in the summer of 1894 at St. George’s Hanover Square.  She was forty years his junior and provided him with two sons born in 1895 and 1896.  William died in 1906 (5).

Compiled and Researched by Roger Lendon © 2009

(1)Fairlynch Museum

(2)“War services of officers of the Bengal army” Capt. T C Anderson 1863. 

(3)“Queen Victoria’s Little Wars” Byron Farwell 1973  Allen Lane London

(4)Major Agha Humayun Amin : Article contributed  to  www.info-sikh.com/index   

(5)www.FreeBMD

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