PRIVATE R.L. LEE, 1ST BATTALION 4TH (THE KING’S OWN) REGIMENT (THE POST 1880 1ST BATTALION THE KING’S OWN ROYAL LANCASTER REGIMENT). Three: Crimea Medal, 3 clasps; Alma, Inkerman, Sepastopol; Indian Mutiny Medal, no clasp (renamed); Turkish Crime Medal

PRIVATE R.L. LEE, 1ST BATTALION 4TH (THE KING’S OWN) REGIMENT (THE POST 1880 1ST BATTALION THE KING’S OWN ROYAL LANCASTER REGIMENT). Three: Crimea Medal, 3 clasps; Alma, Inkerman, Sepastopol (officially named, impressed in plain block capitals: R.L. LEE. 4th REGt.); Indian Mutiny Medal, no clasp (renamed, contemporary re-engraved naming in serifed block capitals: R. LEE.); Turkish Crimea Medal, Sardinian flag to the fore (unnamed, as issued). Turkish Crimea Medal pierced to take original ring and jump ring suspender, but with contemporary replacement ornate, silver straight bar wire suspender, Crimea Medal with scattered contact marks and rim nicks, otherwise generally Very Fine to Good Very Fine.

Group accompanied by biographical details, copied baptism certificate, extract 1841 and 1871 census returns, copied marriage banns and extract Deaths Index, along with 4 pages copied discharge papers which confirm entitlement to Crimea Medal with 3 clasps and the Indian Mutiny Medal and copied extracts Indian Mutiny Medal roll (2) original and published, additionally confirming Lee was entitled to a no-clasp Indian Mutiny Medal and that during the Mutiny Lee was “present at the attack on the fort at Beyt, 2 April/58”.

Robert Lewis Lee was born in the parish of St Chad’s, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, on 01/11/1834 (baptised 26/7/1835). He is recorded in the 1841 census return as the 5 year old son of Lewis Lee, a 56 year old labourer resident in Dawley Magna, Shropshire, with his wife Ann and their five children, Robert Lewis being the youngest child. Lee enlisted into the 4th Foot at Wellington, Shropshire on 9/11/1853. At the time of enlistment he confirmed that he had been born in the parish of St Chads, Shrewsbury, stated that he was 19 years of age and gave his trade as that of servant. Lee never rose above the rank of Private and was discharged on 26/5/1864 after 10 years and 163 days with the colours. At the time of discharge, Lee gave his initial intended place of residence as Shrewsbury. Discharge papers bear Royal Hospital Chelsea hand stamp for 23/4/1892. Lee married, 8/3/1868, Maria Jones-Mooney, a 38 year old widow, at Bordesley, Warwickshire. He and his wife are recorded in the 1871 census as being resident in the parish of Salteley, Aston, Warwickshire, with their three sons (Lee’s name mis-transcribed in census return as Rob Louis Lea). Lee died in Birmingham in June 1901, aged 67.

Unfortunately, the Crimea Medal Roll for the 4th Foot is badly damaged, and as a result of heavy water staining and fading, large parts of it are unreadable, including the sections that relate to the award of the Alma, Inkermann and Sebastopol clasps to Lee. The only section of the roll relating to Lee that is legible is a brief “nominal return” of some men from the regiment entitled to the Crimea Medal, which lists Robert L. Lee among those entitled (a copy of this extract also accompanies this group).

NOTE: there is an error in the online Ancestry profile for Robert Lewis Lee, which records him, in error, as having been born in the parish of St Chads, Hampshire. This error is based on a mis-reading of the 1871 census return. In that return, Lee’s county of birth, “Shropshire”, has had a line struck through it census enumerator was tabulating his returns. As a result this can be mis-read as “Hampshire”, but close inspection reveals that county of birth is actually Shropshire (the parish of birth, St Chads, is clearly visible). Birth certificate and discharge papers both confirm that Lee was born in the parish of St Chads, Shrewsbury.