Thomas Whiles was born at Scottlethorpe, near Bourne, on 8th November 1838, one of a large family that depended for its income on the Grimsthorpe estate where the men, and often the women, worked and which provided their cottage home.

His father was estate worker Robert Whiles (1811-1884) who had married Sarah Goodson (1810-1884) and they had eleven children, Thomas being the eldest of six boys. As a young man, he worked as an estate labourer, joining the Royal South Lincoln Militia, forerunner of the Territorial Army, for part time military training but after a spell decided to enlist for regular service. Life for the rural poor was hard at that time and as there were no opportunities for advancement, a military life with regular pay, clothing, food and accommodation and the chance to travel to foreign parts must have seemed an attractive prospect.

He therefore joined up when he was 19, enlisting at Grantham on the 25th March 1859 for service with the 2nd Battalion of the 22nd Regiment of Foot (the Cheshire Regiment) as No 1304 Private Thomas Whiles, joining the regiment at Aldershot camp in Hampshire the following month. His subsequent movements are recorded in notes which he left and provide a detailed history of his ten years with the colours.

Left Aldershot on the 11th of May 1859 and proceeded by train to Portsmouth and there embarked on board steam troop ship named Etna. Left Portsmouth on the 12th May and arrived in harbour at Malta on the 20th May. We had one man fall overboard and was drowned.

We disembarked the same day and went into Fort Manoel Barracks [in Valletta]. Left Fort Manoel Barracks on the 25th November the same year and proceeded to Floriana Barracks. Left there on the 25th of March 1861 and proceeded to Verdaia Barracks. Left there on the 19th September 1863 and proceeded to Saint Elmo Barracks. Left there on the 4th of February 1865 and proceeded to Pembrake Camp. Left there on the 6th July 1865 and embarked on board Her Majesty's steam troop ship Orontes** and left Malta the same day. Arrived at Gibraltar on the 10th July disembarked on the 12th and went under canvas on the north front.

Embarked on board a hired sailing ship named Devonport on the 1st August and set sail on the 3rd. We had one death and one birth during the voyage. We were caught in a squa1l on the night of the 17th of August and lost our fore and main topmasts and jib boom. We sighted land once and arrived in harbour at Mauritius [in the Indian Ocean] on the 1st October 1865 disembarked on the 2nd and went into Line Barracks Port Louis.

Left there on the 12th July 1866 and proceeded by train to Mahebourg. Left there on the 15th January 1867 and proceeded to F1acq. Left there 7th June same year and returned to Line Barracks. Left Mauritius on the 9th July 1867 and embarked on board Her Majesty's steam troop ship Orontes, steamed out of harbour on the 10th. We encountered a severe gale off the Cape of Good Hope on the 18th, 19th and 20th we lost 3 boats and had the bulwarks carried away. We had five deaths 2 men and 3 children. Called at Simon’s Bay, Cape of Good Hope, St Vincent, Maderia and Queenstown.

We arrived at Liverpool on the 31st August 1867 disembarked same day and proceeded by train to Newcastle on Tyne. Left there 25th September 1867 and proceeded by train to Leeds. Left there 10th December same year and proceeded by train to Tynemouth. Left there on the 16th December and went on furlough [leave]. Returned to Tynemouth 13th January 1868. Left Tynemouth 18th May and proceeded by train to Newcastle. Left there on the 1st November and went on furlough returned back on the 29th same month.

Left Newcastle on the 24th March and proceeded by train to Sheffield. Discharged at Sheffield on the 31st March 1869 after serving ten years and seven days.

Thomas became unwell during his final months in the army and appeared before a medical board at Newcastle on 8th March 1869 which decided that he was unfit for further service due to varicocile or varicose veins in the left testicle, a painful illness that results in infertility and one that precluded further army service. The board, however, ruled that although the infirmity had developed during his time in the army, it was unlikely to have much effect on his ability to earn a living in civilian life and he was therefore refused a disability pension and discharged from service.

He was then aged 29 and described in military records as being 5 feet 8 inches tall, fresh complexion, hazel eyes, dark brown hair. His military service abroad totalled eight years 172 days and consisted of six years and 55 days in Malta, 26 days in Gibraltar and two years 32 days in Mauritius. His character was described as “very good”, having been awarded two good conduct badges, although his name had appeared once in the regimental defaulters’ book but he had never been tried by court martial and had never been in action.

He returned to the family home at Scottlethorpe and resumed his work as a labourer on the Grimsthorpe estate, dying there on 1st March 1888, at the early age of 49.

In later years, his nephew William, son of his younger brother George (1852-1914), emigrated to Australia where he also joined the army and distinguished himself in action during the Great War when he was awarded the Military Medal.

NOTES:

* The Second Battalion, the Cheshire Regiment, was formed in 1814 and disbanded on declaration of peace in the same year but was re-raised in 1858. Troops were being signed on throughout England during this time and Thomas Whiles most likely joined after attending a local recruiting meeting.

** The 4,857 ton Orontes was an iron screw driven troopship, built by Laird in 1862 and carrying three four-pounder guns. The ship was lengthened in 1876 to 5,600 tons and saw service carrying troops around the world to Corfu, Canada, Gibraltar and Jamaica. In general, she carried military units around the outposts of the Empire as various regiments were rotated for overseas service until being sold in 1893 to be broken up for scrap at a riverside dockyard on the Thames.

See also William Whiles