lookup request-Henry Howse crimean war veteran

[wetstone]

This is my first post on this forum so apologies in advance if this is not correct place or request inappropriate.

I have a cutting from an old scrapbook created by my gt grandmother which shows my gt, gt uncle Henry Howse (Howes) in uniform and wearing medals which I believe to be of crimean war vintage. The photo appears to have been taken later in his life possibly in the USA - there is frustrating little left of the context.  Anyway, I have been unable to identify the uniform or the medals he is wearing and am hoping someone here can help.  Image attached.

Henry Howse (often spelled Howes) was born in Latton, Wiltshire in about 1833.  He shows on the 1851 census as a farmer's labourer and on the '61 as an Officer's Servant.  I am guessing that in the interim he joined the army and served in the Crimea. 

If anyone can identify the uniform or find him on the Crimean Medal Rolls I would be most grateful.

Wetstone

[neil1821]

The medals are indeed the Crimea Medal with 4 clasps (Alma, Balaklava, Inkermann, Sebastopol) and presumably the Turkish Crimea Medal alongside it.

He's infantry, the diced band on the Kilmarnock style cap would suggest a Scottish regiment and it does look to me like the buttons on his tunic are in groups of 3 (possibly). Hence I'm going to plump for the Scots Fusilier Guards (later simply the Scots Guards). 

If in 1861 he's listed as an officer's servant, is he actually listed with the officer? The officer's identity may help if so.

If you give me a mo, I'll check the rolls for you.

[neil1821]

Crimea medal roll confirms a Pte Henry Howes, 1st Scots Fusilier Guards and appears to confirm 4 clasps. 
I can't make out his number though I'm afraid.

Also in the same battalion was a Pte Joseph Howes died 8 Feb 1855 and a Pte Charles Howes died of wounds 8 Nov 1854. Any connection to Henry?

[wetstone]

Outstanding!  Henry did indeed have brothers named Joseph and Charles but only Joseph b. 1832 would have been old enough to have fought in the Crimea.  I need to do a lttle more checking but it looks like Joseph is absent from post '51 censae so this is likely Henry's slightly elder sibling.
Is there any more information on either Joseph or Charles in the medal roll?

Do you know where or how I might access records of soldiers who served in the Scots Fusilier Guards?

There is no clue in the '61 census which would help identify the officer who Henry served.  Henry later married Elizabeth Emma Hibberd (Dec 1864) at Eton, Bucks so it's possible that was here the officer lived.  After that I have found no further record of Henry and so assume that he may have emigrated.  The Howse's were an adventurous lot - Henry's uncle Joseph (b. 1774) was a writer and fur factor for the Hudson's Bay Company and was the first Hudsons Bay man to cross the Rockies.

[neil1821]

I'll double check the rolls tonight, see if I can glean any other info about Joseph and/or Charles.

Do you know where or how I might access records of soldiers who served in the Scots Fusilier Guards?

The Guards regiments still hold their own archives and personnel records, so you'll need to contact the Scots Guards. Contact details here

http://www.theguardsmuseum.com/family.htm

[neil1821]

2727 Pte Charles Howes. died of wounds at sea 8 Nov 1854
I can see him listed on the Balaklava part of the roll, but the rest is hard to read. He was wounded at Inkermann according to the casualty lists.

4498 Pte Joseph Howes, died 8 Feb 1855
Doesn't seem to have been at Alma or Inkermann.

?469 Pte Henry Howes
The first digit of his number is still a mystery 
But this is scraping the barrel from the roll I'm afraid. It's a notoriously difficult roll to read. However the casualty lists show that he was severely wounded at Inkermann (5 Nov) as was Charles, so that's a bonus.

[neil1821]

Another casualty list for Inkermann has Charles as severely wounded and Henry as slightly wounded. Seeing as Charles later died of wounds, this seems to be the right way round.

Charles Howes - severe gunshot wound across the back
Henry Howes - contusion left arm
 

http://www.britishbattles.com/crimean-war/inkerman.htm

[wetstone]

I will make contact with the Guards Museum and see if they have more information about these three Howses as I am almost certain that both Henry and Joseph are my 2x gt grand uncles.  Am hoping to discover where they were recruited as am surprised to find two Wiltshire farm hands serving with a Scots Guards Regiment.

Very many thanks for your research and this information.

[steves girl]

Hi, I am new to rootschat, I just looked up my great great grandmother Elizabeth Emma Hibberd and found your messages. She did indeed marry a Henry Howse, but he was a farm labourer, born in 1844 in Chalvey, Bucks, not Wiltshire in 1833. I have a photo of him aged 89 taken in 1932. He died in 1933. His parents were Henry Howse (yet another...!) and Mary Younge.