Sweeney, Charles Wiliam

Age: 40
Date of birth: September 1878

Parents: Michael and Sarah Sweeney
Wife: Mrs C W Sweeney
Address: 33 Commercial Buildings, Saltisford

Occupation: Labourer

Charles was baptised at All Saints church, Emscote, Warwick on 13th September 1878. The register says his parents were living at 5 Pickard Street and his father was a private in the 6th Regiment. In the 1881 census Michael and Sarah Sweeney were living with their son Charles (2) and daughter Catherine (1) at the Budbrooke Barracks.

At the time of the 1891 census, Michael and Sarah Sweeney were living with Charles and daughter Catherine, aged 16 months, at 28 Parkes Street. Michael is now an army pensioner; Charles is at school.

On the 5th March 1893, aged 14 years and 5 months, Charles joined the Royal Warwickshire Regiment. His enlistmet papers describe him as 4’ 8 ¾” with a fresh complexion, grey eyes and brown hair. He was taken on as a ‘boy’ but 18 months later he signed up for a full 12 year period.
Michael Sweeney died on 31st March 1897 at 22 Friars Street. Sarah married another soldier, John Charles Staine, on 28th March 1898 at St Paul’s, Warwick and the register shows they were living at 22 Friars Street.

In the 1901 census, Sarah Staine is living at 1 Bridge End with William, now working as a farm labourer, Kate, now aged 11, and two children by her second marriage, John (2) and Maud (1).

Military Service

Rank & Number: Private, 1644
Regiment/Service: Royal Warwickshire Regiment
Brigade/Division:
Date of death: Sunday, February 04, 1917
Cause of death/Battle: Died in Warwick Infirmary
Commemorated/Buried: Warwick Cemetery - CWGC section - 84 18
Awards: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal
Commemorated locally at:

Charles initially served in the militia between 1893/4 before enlisting for a 12 year term and transferring to the Royal Warwickshire Regiment. His regimental number was 4360. He served in Ceylon from October 1894 to March 1896. He turned 18 in service and was appointed a drummer on 25th February 1898 although he reverted to Private on 30th March 1899. He was diagnosed with syphilis in October 1898 and received treatment (mercury injections and iodide of potash) but was discharged as medically unfit in October 1899 as the disease was not responding to treatment and he was described as ‘debilitated’ by the disease.
However, there are also notes on his military record that say he was tried by the DCM on 5th July 1904 for making a false answer on his attestation and discharged on July 11th 1904, which suggests that he tried to rejoin the army then.

Contributors

Unlocking Warwick Research Group

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