My gg grandfather Henry James Humphrey Swendell was a colour sergeant in the 1st battalion of the Rifle Brigade. As far as I can tell from his service record, attached, he resigned from his rank of colour sergeant to sergeant on the 1st of July 1866. At the time the 1st battalion was stationed in Quebec City in what was British North America which became Canada in 1867.
Can anyone help with what resigned might mean? Is it the same as demoted or if he resigned does this mean he asked to be demoted? What sort of event may have triggered this?
On a flight of a fancy could his resignation be linked to Timothy O'Hea -
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_O%27Hea being awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions on the 9th of June 1866? Newspaper reports at the time record a sergeant undecided on what to do -
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/23204/page/22. Is it possible that this sergeant was Henry and because of his inaction he resigned?