Birth: July-September 1859 Barford, Headley, Hampshire, UK
Father: John Croucher (Crowcher) 1834-1905
Mother: Elizabeth Baker 1835-1909
Christening: 10 July 1859 St Mary the Virgin, Frensham, Surrey, UK
Death: 1882/3 Egypt
Marriage: Believed not married
None known
Birth of William Croucher in FreeBMD in July-September 1859 in Farnham (2A 89). The birth in 1859 is also in my father's records who stated it was at Barford Lower Mill.
The christening of an unnamed Croucher is in the IGI on 10 July 1859 in Frensham, Surrey, parents John Croucher and Eliza.
Entry in Ancestry All Surrey, England, Church of England Baptisms, 1813-1917 for Crorsher on 10 July 1859 at Frensham, St Mary, parents John and Eliza Crorsher (sic). "Page 44 Baptisms solemnised in the Parish of Frensham in the County of Surrey in the Year 1859 [...] 1859 July 10th No. 347 [blank - the christian names of the previous and next entry which are on the same day and by the same Curate are also blank] [parents] John [a] Dealer & Eliza Croucher [of] Churt.
In the 1861 census as William Croucher aged 1, born in Headley, Hampshire, and living with his parents (John and Elizabeth), brother (James) and (half)sister (Maria) in Barford, Headley - according to my father it was Barford Lower Mill but this entry is three before Barford Mill - entries are from Simmond Stone to Whitmoor which is going upstream which implies it is the Upper Mill.
His brother was born on 11 October 1870 at Keepers/Pond Cottage, registered in October-December 1870 in Farnham and baptised on 20 November 1870 at St John the Evangelist, Churt they were living in Churt with surname Crowcher.
In the 1871 census as William Croucher aged 12, born in Chute (sic - in index, Churt in original), employed as a farm labourer, and living with his parents (John and Charlotte (sic - should be Elizabeth), two brothers (Charles and James), three sisters (Ann Caroline and Esther) and (half)sister (Maria) at Frensham Pond Tail End (this implies it was near the hotel, but according to my father it was Keepers Cottage or Pond Cottage near the head of the pond on the A287), Frensham, Surrey.
His sister was born on 30 April 1874 at Keepers/Pond Cottage, registered in April-June 1874 in Farnham, and baptised on 14 June 1874 at Churt, St John the Evangelist when they were living in Churt.
His brother was born on 17 January 1877 at Keepers/Pond Cottage, registered in January-March 1877 in Farnham, and baptised on 11 March 1877 at St John the Baptist, Churt when they were living in Churt.
My father's records state that he enlisted with his brother James at Devonport in the 75th Foot, part of the 38th Brigade. After a year or so at Aldershot, they proceeded to Chatham and then on to Malta. Whilst there, the re-organisation of the army took place - the Carder system of 1881. The 75th were linked with the 92nd and became the 1st Battalion Gordon Highlanders. In 1882 the Egyptian Army rebelled against the Khedive and after the bombardment of Alexandria, a strong British force were landed and met the Egyptians at Tel-el-kebir at dawn on September 13th, routing them in hand-to-hand combat. Some months after this William died of enteric fever which carried off many men.
My father's records give both 1882 and 1883 as the year of death.
Two entries in Ancestry UK, Military Campaign Medal and Award Rolls, 1793-1949 for Private 1797 W Croucher 1st Battalion Gordon Highlanders Second Egyptian War in 1882 accepted for Clasp for Tel-al Kebit, dead AB List 126 Issd 25.6.83 in one and E/90222?9 in the other. His brother J(ames) is listed as Pvt 1796 in both documents.
There is a lot of information on the Battle of Tel-el-kebir - for example this picture by Lady Elizabeth S Butler engraved by Richard Jobey Plate.
This site provides the following information (unfortunately this site chas been re-organised since and I can no longer locate the source of this information):
In 1881 the Egyptian army mutinied from the Khedive of Egypt, and forced him to appoint Said Ahmed Arabi as Minister of War. In March 1882 Arabi was made a Pasha and from this time on acted as a dictator. Impassioned demands of Arabi that the foreigner be driven out of Egypt and massacres of Christians prompted an armed British response, first in the form of a naval bombardment of Alexandria, and then as an expeditionary force under Lieutenant-General Wolseley. Sir Garnet Wolseley's campaign, completed in just four and a half weeks, was an almost 'textbook' operation, carefully planned and executed with masterly competence.
Minor skirmishes between British and Egyptian forces took place at Zagazig and Kassassin, but it was the battle at Tel-el-Kebir (strategically placed between Alexandria, the Suez Canal and Cairo) that proved decisive. Here, the Egyptian army had prepared defences consisting of a number of deep ditches and embankments constructed out of the desert sand. The desert around Tel-el-Kebir was extremely flat, so any approach by the British would easily be spotted. As a result, the British decided to march across the desert by night and attack the Egyptian positions at dawn.
This is a diagram of the Egyption defences
and the British positions
William Topaz McGonagall, poet and tragedian of Dundee, has been widely hailed as the writer of the worst poetry in the English language.
The Battle of Tel-el-Kebir
Ye sons of Great Britain, come join with me,
And sing in praise of Sir Garnet Wolseley;
Sound drums and trumpets cheerfully,
For he has acted most heroically.
Therefore loudly his praises sing
Until the hills their echoes back doth ring;
For he is a noble hero bold,
And an honour to his Queen and country, be it told.
He has gained for himself fame and renown,
Which to posterity will be handed down;
Because he has defeated Arabi by land and by sea,
And from the battle of Tel-el-Kebir he made him to flee.
With an army about fourteen thousand strong,
Through Egypt he did fearlessly march along,
With the gallant and brave Highland brigade,
To whom honour is due, be it said.
Arabi's army was about seventy thousand in all,
And, virtually speaking, it wasn't very small;
But if they had been as numerous again,
The Irish and Highland brigades would have beaten them, it is plain.
'Twas on the 13th day of September, in the year of 1882,
Which Arabi and his rebel horde long will rue;
Because Sir Garnet Wolseley and his brave little band
Fought and conquered them on Kebir land.
He marched upon the enemy with his gallant band
O'er the wild and lonely desert sand,
And attacked them before daylight,
And in twenty minutes he put them to flight.
The first shock of the attack was borne by the Second Brigade,
Who behaved most manfully, it is said,
Under the command of brave General Grahame,
And have gained a lasting honour to their name.
But Major Hart and the 18th Royal Irish, conjoint,
Carried the trenches at the bayonet point;
Then the Marines chased them about four miles away,
At the charge of the bayonet, without dismay!
General Sir Archibald Alison led on the Highland Brigade,
Who never were the least afraid.
And such has been the case in this Egyptian war,
For at the charge of the bayonet they ran from them afar!
With their bagpipes playing, and one ringing cheer,
And the 42nd soon did the trenches clear;
Then hand to hand they did engage,
And fought like tigers in a cage.
Oh! it must have been a glorious sight
To see Sir Garnet Wolseley in the thickest of the fight!
In the midst of shot and shell, and the cannons roar,
Whilst the dead and the dying lay weltering in their gore
Then the Egyptians were forced to yield,
And the British were left masters of the field;
Then Arabi he did fret and frown
To see his army thus cut down.
Then Arabi the rebel took to flight,
And spurred his Arab steed with all his might:
With his heart full of despair and woe,
And never halted till he reached Cairo.
Now since the Egyptian war is at an end,
Let us thank God! Who did send
Sir Garnet Wolseley to crush and kill
Arabi and his rebel army at Kebir hill.
There are forty one entries in Ancestry Family Trees for William Croucher.
Entry in Geneanet Community Trees Index for William Croucher.
William Croucher was my granduncle.
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