Grave of Trooper Thomas Warr

Gravestone
"In remembrance of
Thomas Warr
Trooper 11th Hussars
'One of the
Glorious Six Hundred'
Died June 15th 1916
Aged 87 Years"
Remembrance plaque on Cemetery gateway
"Near this place lie the Mortal
Remains of Trooper
Thomas Warr
11th Hussars, who charged with
the Glorious Six Hundred
at the charge of the Light Brigade
at Balaclava on October 25th 1854.
Born at Grove Buildings, Dorchester
he was the first patient admitted
to the Dorset County Hospital
in Princess Street in 1848 and
died at Dagmar Road
on June 15th 1916. Aged 87 years."

Thomas Warr (28/08/1830- 15/06/1916) enlisted in the 11th Hussars in June 1850 after seeing recruiting sergeants in their crimson overalls which he appeared to admire. The regiment was based in Dublin at the outbreak of the Crimean War and embarked form Kingston for Crimea. He served with the regiment throughout the war and participated in the Charge of the Light Brigade after which his horse had to be shot but he was unscathed. He was awarded the Crimea Medal with four clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman and Sevastopol. Tom left the army in 1862 and returned to Dorchester where his life was hard, He appears to have 'lost' his medal in 1863 and had menial jobs for the rest of the century. By 1901 he had been admitted to a workhouse. In 1911 he received a small pension enabling him to move out of the workhouse and was presented with a duplicate medal raised through subscription of a local newspaper.
After his death on 15th June 1916, Tom was given a military funeral with a trumpeter, six senior N.C.O.'s as p all bearers, from his old regiment and a contingent from the Dorsetshire Regiment. The Union Jack draped coffin was parade through Dorchester to Fordington Cemetery with many lining the route. A firing party provided three volleys whilst the last post was played. Despite the military funeral, he was a pauper and therefore buried in an unmarked grave.
It was only through efforts of local historians that a gravestone was donated in 2006 and laid in the cemetery after a ceremonial parade through the town. In 2007 a further plaque was added to the gateway of the cemetery.

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Source

• Text: Sharky Ward/Memorial
• Photos: Anthony (Sharky) Ward (1, 2, 3), Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (4)