William James Thompson

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Photo submitted by Ian Beach - from Family Tree Magazine

James Thompson (Yoxall 1829 - Walsall 5 December 1891) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

1 Details
2 Further information
3 The medal
4 References
5 See also
6 External links

[edit] Details

He was about 27 years old, and a private in the 1st Battalion, 60th Rifles (King's Royal Rifle Corps) (Royal Green Jackets), (The Rifles from 2007), British Army during the Indian Mutiny when the following deed took place.

On 9 July 1857 at Lucknow, India, Private Thompson saved the life of his commanding officer, Captain Wilton, by dashing forward to his relief when that officer was surrounded by a number of the enemy. The private killed two of the assailants before further assistance arrived.

Private Thompson was also commended for conspicuous gallantry throughout the siege and he was elected by the regiment to be awarded the Victoria Cross.

[edit] Further information

Staffordshire's First VC

By Anthony Hunt

(Extracted from Family Tree Magazine November 2000)

Who could have realised that when Doug Roberts' son, James, chose to do his junior school history project on "War", it would cause so much excitement and lead to hours of research, with all its joys and frustrations?

Doug Roberts had married into the Thompson family and stories had abounded in the family of a Private James Thompson who had gained military honours while fighting in the Indian Mutiny. But precisely who he was, where he had lived and what he actually did to gain his citation were distant, half-forgotten memories. The story, now revealed, adds flesh to these bones of family mythology.

James Thompson was born at Hadley, near Yoxall, in Staffordshire in the December of 1829. As was the practice in his parish of many small villages, the vicar only performed christenings on certain days of the year. Edward and Lydia Thompson had the good fortune to have their son christened at St Peter's Church, Yoxall, on 25 December, a good omen for the future, they thought.

James' father Edward, a farm labourer, was also born in Yoxall in 1805 as was his grand father Richard (1756), great grandfather James (1735) and great great grandfather Richard. Family history relates that the Thompsons may have moved to the Midlands from Scotland, possibly as a result of the depopulation of the Highlands, a deliberate policy of the new Scottish landlords when creating their vast private estates.

James, living with his parents in Woodmill, Yoxall, in 1841, was an 18 year-old cowboy at the time of the 1851 census and living at and working on Edward Mercer's farm between Newchurch and Hoar Cross. But he was never really satisfied with agriculteral life and determined to join the army. Such was his ambition that in the winter of 1851/52 he walked to Derby (some 15 miles) to enlist. Family stories have it that he lied about his age so that he could enlist as a young regular. He succeeded and on 30 January 1852 he was enrolled into the 1st Battalion, 60th Rifles, later the King's Royal Rifle Corps and The Royal Green Jackets, due to becone the The Rifles in 2007.

By April 1857, he was serving with his regiment in India. That month, Indian troopers, under the command of British officers, were arrested for refusing to use the bullets issued to them. Among other complaints, stories had been spread that the bullets were smeared with cow grease and in biting off the protective covering you had to swallow some of the grease of the sacred animal.

The situation worsened and, on 10 May, British Officers were shot at Meerut; the Mutiny had begun. The Indian rebels marched to Delhi where the aged Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah XI, was declared the new ruler of India. As there were no British troops at Delhi, a relief force had to be quickly dispatched to recapture the city. Private James Thompson was in the regiment which marched on Delhi, together with regiments of the 2nd Gurkhas and their guides.

On 9 June, Major Charles Reid of the Sirmoor Battalion of Gurkhas occupied the Ridge, northwest of the city. For the next three months he was based in the main piquet at Hindoo Rao's House. There, and in four other piquets, his three regiments withstood 25 separate attacks on the Ridge. Under constant enemy artillery fire, his troops sustained more casualties than any other regiment involved in the siege and capture of Delhi.

It was one of those enemy assaults which led to Private Thompson being awarded his Victoria Cross (a total of seven being awarded to members of the 60th Rifles).

On the morning of 9 July, at about 9 am, the enemy attacked Hindoo Rao's House. Lieutenant Norman, who was commanding the Mound Battery piquet, tried to rally his troops, but not before the enemy had broken through. In a letter to his wife he described the action.

The Carbineer piquet was taken by surprise and for the most part fled, the two horse artillery guns were unprepared and ridden clean through, and the enemy's horse rode through the lines of Olphert's troop and that of the Native Horse Artillery - it appearing as if their principal object was to carry off the latter

He continues by describing the brave actions of some of the defenders.

Young Hills of Tombs' troop commanded the gun on the piquet and was knocked over and on the point of being killed when Tombs, running up from camp, shot his assailant with a revolver. Hills and Tombs then went to another fellow and the former was severely cut over the head, but Tombs killed the man.

Hills, having ordered the guns to unlimber alone, charged the leading rebels so as to give his men time.

He and Tombs, Thompson and Turner won the VC.

During that assault and its eventual defeat, Private Thompson had saved the life of his officer, Captain Wilton, who had been surrounded by the enemy, Ghazees. Without thought for personal safety he had rushed on the enemy alone, rescued the officer and had killed two of them before reinforcements had arrived. For that action, and continued bravery during the Siege of Delhi Ridge, he was elected by the privates of his regiment to be awarded the Victoria Cross.

In the early days of the medal, and 1857 was only its second year, it would seem that it was awarded by recommendation of the troops, almost like a ballot. Thus, the officers "elected" officers and privates "elected" privates. That method was most likely stopped just before the end of the century.

Unfortunately for James Thompson, his bravery was to cost him dearly - his left arm had to be amputated. In August 1858, he was officially invalided out of the Army at a ceremony at Chatham Dock when his regiment arrived back from duty. His medal was officially awarded on 20 January 1860, being recorded in the London Gazette. On 9 November 1860, he had the honour of being decorated with the Victoria Cross by Her Majesty, Queen Victoria, at a parade in Home Park, Windsor.

Disabled, Private Thompson might have found life very difficult in "civvy street", but fortune was smiling on him. Deeply grateful for his life, Captain Wilton took the injured private back to Scotland with him to work on his family's estate as a gamekeeper. Returning to Staffordshire James married Dianna "Hannah" Gilbert on 28 January 1859, at the Registry Office, Burton-on-Trent. James was blessed with children - Edward born in Tatenhill in 1860, James in 1869 in Yoxall and John, George, John A and Minnie in Rugeley in 1873, 1877, 1879 and 1883 respectively.

The census of 1871 records him as a Chelsea Pensioner living in Wood Lane, Yoxall.

The census of 1881 records him as James Thomson (not Thompson) living at Sheep Wash, Slitting Mill, Rugeley in Staffordshire, barely 10 miles from his birthplace. His occupation was then described as a colliery watchman.

His move to Rugeley was almost certainly inspired by the opening up of the coalfields on Cannock Chase, the first pits being sunk in the 1860s. It is more than likely that he was employed by the newly formed Fair Oak Mining Company, which had begun to sink mine shafts less than a mile from Slitting Mill.

However, later in the 1880's James Thompson had moved to Walsall with his family and was living in Dudley Street. Probably, the job of colliery watchman was not paying enough for the upkeep of a growing family. The 1891 Census records him as an army pensioner living at 51 Marlow Street, Walsall.

After his family had grown up and left home, a combination of events - unemployment due to his physical handicap and an obstinate refusal to ask his family for help - forced him to sell his medal in 1890. Tragically, he was to die the following year and was buried in an unmarked grave in Queen Street Cemetery, Walsall.

But Private James Thompson's story does not end there. Having at last tracked down the final resting place of their ancestor, the family was determined to honour the memory of the man who was the first Staffordshire soldier to win the Victoria Cross. Walsall Council was contacted and, after much negotiation, made more difficult because the cemetery already had a dedication to the famous local nursing heroine, Sister Dora, it was agreed that a plaque should be placed on one of the cemetery walls.

Success at last, you may think but, as is often the case, the research has raised other questions. After the death of his wife, Hannah, James married Hannah Delagrade Thorp at Walsall Register Office on 4 December 1890, but as yet the family know little of their relatives from the second marriage.

Then there is the question of the history of James' Victoria Cross. A son of James wrote to the War Office to report the death of his father on 5 December 1891 and enquired as to whether he could claim his father's VC and the other medals which his father had sold, and whether he would have to pay for them. There can be no doubt of the reply the War Office gave to him, even though this does not seem to be on record. The VC now rests in the Royal Green Jackets Museum in Winchester, but how did it arrive there? After Private Thompson sold it, it disappeared for almost 50 years, turning up at an exhibition at Marlborough House. At some time, it was owned by one Alexander Duncan Esq, of Penarth, but what other journeys had it made?

It would seem that the exploits of Private James Thompson and his descendants are far from over.

Sources:

1. Yoxalll Parish Registers 2. England's 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891 Censuses 3. The Royal Green Jackets' Museum, which supplied details from the book The Register of the Victoria Cross.