Farrier Quartermaster Serjeant Albert Russell
5th (Royal Irish) Lancers, 1088/3906/12511
Died in Military Service
Date of Birth: 1853
Place of Birth: East Haddon near Ravensthorpe, Northamptonshire
Date of Death: 14 February 1915 aged 55
Buried: Teignmouth Cemetery, Devon. WW1 Seafront Memorial; St. James Church Memorial Window, Teignmouth
Albert was born in East Haddon near Ravensthorpe, Northamptonshire in December quarter of 1853 registered in the parish of Brixworth. His father, James, was a blacksmith and the 1861 shows him living with his father and mother, Hannah, plus 6 siblings. Two of his brothers were blacksmiths and the 1871 census shows him living with his brother who is a blacksmith/farrier and Albert is registered as an apprentice blacksmith.
He enlisted in 6th Dragoon Guards,(service no. 1088), this later became 5th Royal Irish Lancers, service no. 3906, on 30 April 1873at Westminster for a period of 12 years, attesting at Bow Street police station in London on 1 May 1873, aged 19 years and 4 months. From there he was sent to Aldershot. Starting as a private, the shoeing smith, he finally reached the rank of Farrier Quarter Master Sergeant.
On 5 April 1877 he married Jessie Doyle of Teignmouth at Fulford Church, York. His first child was born at the end of 1877; he went on to have seven more children, five of whom were born in India.
Cap Badge of the 5th (Royal Irish) Lancers Regiment. Courtesey of C.R. Coutman
Albert served in India from 29/12/1877 to 28/12/1879, then from 29/12/1879 to 26/08/1880 he was in Afghanistan in the Afghan Campaign, he was awarded the Afghan War Medal 1878/79/80.
From 27/08/1880 he was based in India until 9/12/1884 when he re-engaged in the regiment, remaining in India until 1897.
Albert Russell sailed home to the UK in April 1897 on the SS Shanghai, where he was discharged the service on 31 May 1897.
1901 census shows him with his wife and his four youngest children living at 5 Saxe Street, West Teignmouth in Devon, he is working as a blacksmith. 1911 census shows him at the same address and working as a blacksmith for the local gas company. His son William John is working as a telegraph messenger for the GPO aged 17.
At the outbreak of war, Albert volunteered to return to the army and was sent to Bulford Camp in Wiltshire to work with the Army Veterinary Corps, service no. 12511, based there. He was taken ill with bronchitis in December 1914 after learning the news of his sons’ death and imprisonment; he was sent home to Teignmouth where he died on 14 February 1915.
A military funeral was held for him on 18 February at Teignmouth with the Reverend B.B. Liptrott, vicar of St James Church, officiating. He was buried in Teignmouth cemetery. (Reverend Liptrott had lost his only son the previous November when he died from wounds at Boulogne.)
Memorials - WW1 Seafront Memorial; St. James Church Memorial Window, Teignmouth
A wounded cavalry horse having a foot bath at WW1 Veterinary Hospital © IWM (Q 10300)
