Fred's Story.
A small brass plaque on a wooden board on the wall of St Thomas the Apostle's Church, Seaview Road, Liscard, Wirral commemorates Fred Crighton. The inscription reads:
IN MEMORY OF PRIVATE FRED CRIGHTON, 14TH KING'S HUSSARS, OF THIS PARISH WHO DIED ON SERVICE AT LADYSMITH, S.A. ON MAY 12TH 1901. ERECTED BY HIS COMRADES
Plaque issued by the 14th Hussars Regiment
What do we know about Fred?
He enlisted into the 14th Hussars on 3rd November 1899 under the name of Frederick Williams, but the record of Deceased Soldiers' Effects shows that his real name was Frederick Crighton, son of Robert Crighton.
The commemorative plaque at St Thomas the Apostle Church provided by the Hussars Regiment to his later home town of Liscard, near Wallasey, uses his correct surname, but the newspaper report of his death refers to him as Private Williams.
Frederick Crighton was born Jan or Feb 1881, at 4 Wheatland Lane, Seacombe. He was baptised at St Paul's Church on 8th May, the son of Robert Crighton and Sarah nee Wilson, and brother to nine siblings. The censuses show the family addresses were 92 Ashville Road, Seacombe (1891), 30 Fairview Avenue, Liscard, Cheshire (1901), and 26 Fairview Avenue (1911). Fred's father was a brickmaker.
Fred enlisted into the 3rd Cheshire Regiment on 14th July 1899, at Chester. His attestation papers show that he was aged 18 years and six months (ie born in December 1880 or January 1881), that he was 5 foot 6 inches in height, with red hair and blue eyes. He weighed 112 lbs / 51 kg. His occupation was labourer for a Mr Bellis of Seacombe.
However, within a week, he had discharged himself upon payment of £1. The receipt gives his address as 92 Ashville Road, Seacombe.
His Chester documents also show that he had spent two days with the Hussars before joining the Cheshire Regiment.
Did he repeatedly apply to join the army with different regiments? A Fred Crighton of the King's Royal Rifle Corps (regimental number 2142) deserted on 1st October 1899, and this might be the same person.
We know that on 3rd November 1899, Fred re-enlisted under the false name Fred Williams into the 14th Hussars, giving his date of birth as 1882, and place of birth as Manchester.
His new regiment was deployed to South Africa in December 1899, arriving at Cape Town in January 1900, aboard two ships. A and C squadrons sailed on the Victorian, arrived at the Cape on 1st January 1900, and were sent on to Durban. B squadron sailed on the Cestrian, and landed in Cape Colony on 10th January 1900.
The SS Cestrian left Southampton on the afternoon of 21 December 1899, carrying 28 officers, two warrant officers, 764 men, and 479 horses. This included 165 men and 161 horses of the 14th King's Hussars.
The two Natal squadrons (A and C) were brigaded with the 1st Royal Dragoons and 13th Hussars. They took part in the battle of Tugela Heights (14 - 27 February 1900) leading to the relief of Ladysmith. Afterwards they rejoined B squadron and in April 1900 the regiment was put into the 4th Cavalry Brigade, with the 7th Dragoon Guards and 8th Hussars.
Death by typhoid ...
Private Fred "Williams" of the 14th Hussars died of typhoid (enteric fever) in May 1901 in the Stationary Hospital, Ladysmith. He was 20 years old. He was buried in Ladysmith Cemetery, uThukela District Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. (The exact date of his death is uncertain - his burial record states 5th May, but the newspaper reports and the plaque on the church in Liscard indicate 12th May.)
He is remembered on the Wallasey Boer War Memorial in Central Park, Liscard Road, Wallasey as Fred Crighton.
The commemorative plaque at St Thomas the Apostle Church provided by the Hussars Regiment to his later home town of Liscard, near Wallasey, uses his correct surname, but the newspaper report of his death refers to him as Private Williams.
Frederick Crighton was born Jan or Feb 1881, at 4 Wheatland Lane, Seacombe. He was baptised at St Paul's Church on 8th May, the son of Robert Crighton and Sarah nee Wilson, and brother to nine siblings. The censuses show the family addresses were 92 Ashville Road, Seacombe (1891), 30 Fairview Avenue, Liscard, Cheshire (1901), and 26 Fairview Avenue (1911). Fred's father was a brickmaker.
Fred enlisted into the 3rd Cheshire Regiment on 14th July 1899, at Chester. His attestation papers show that he was aged 18 years and six months (ie born in December 1880 or January 1881), that he was 5 foot 6 inches in height, with red hair and blue eyes. He weighed 112 lbs / 51 kg. His occupation was labourer for a Mr Bellis of Seacombe.
However, within a week, he had discharged himself upon payment of £1. The receipt gives his address as 92 Ashville Road, Seacombe.
His Chester documents also show that he had spent two days with the Hussars before joining the Cheshire Regiment.
Did he repeatedly apply to join the army with different regiments? A Fred Crighton of the King's Royal Rifle Corps (regimental number 2142) deserted on 1st October 1899, and this might be the same person.
We know that on 3rd November 1899, Fred re-enlisted under the false name Fred Williams into the 14th Hussars, giving his date of birth as 1882, and place of birth as Manchester.
His new regiment was deployed to South Africa in December 1899, arriving at Cape Town in January 1900, aboard two ships. A and C squadrons sailed on the Victorian, arrived at the Cape on 1st January 1900, and were sent on to Durban. B squadron sailed on the Cestrian, and landed in Cape Colony on 10th January 1900.
The SS Cestrian left Southampton on the afternoon of 21 December 1899, carrying 28 officers, two warrant officers, 764 men, and 479 horses. This included 165 men and 161 horses of the 14th King's Hussars.
The two Natal squadrons (A and C) were brigaded with the 1st Royal Dragoons and 13th Hussars. They took part in the battle of Tugela Heights (14 - 27 February 1900) leading to the relief of Ladysmith. Afterwards they rejoined B squadron and in April 1900 the regiment was put into the 4th Cavalry Brigade, with the 7th Dragoon Guards and 8th Hussars.
Death by typhoid ...
Private Fred "Williams" of the 14th Hussars died of typhoid (enteric fever) in May 1901 in the Stationary Hospital, Ladysmith. He was 20 years old. He was buried in Ladysmith Cemetery, uThukela District Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. (The exact date of his death is uncertain - his burial record states 5th May, but the newspaper reports and the plaque on the church in Liscard indicate 12th May.)
He is remembered on the Wallasey Boer War Memorial in Central Park, Liscard Road, Wallasey as Fred Crighton.
Researched by S Lewington 2025