The Battle of Waterloo took place on 18 June 1815.
Maybe the paternal and maternal grandfathers of Robert Arthur Perrin (1861) did indeed take part in the Battle of Waterloo. The story became public in the Abingdon newspaper that reported the funeral service for William Perrin, who died on the loss of HMHS Rohilla in 1914. Though increasingly this seems unlikely, I should like to think so; to uncover the evidence.
Robert Arthur’s Grandparents were John Perrin (1778-1847) and Edward Bishop (1792-1858). Edward Bishop would have been about 23 years old in 1815, which seems plausible; John Perrin would have been about 37 years old, which does not.
The Waterloo Medal Roll records the names of all soldiers who received the Waterloo Medal that it was issued to all who took part in the historic battle as well as to those in preceding actions at Ligny and Quatre Bras. It was given to approximately 39,009 men and effectively forms a roll call of Wellington’s army. John Perrin and Edward Bishop should be listed here but, sadly, are not.
That doesn’t prove that they were not there of course.
The same newspaper account says that one was with the Army the other with the Marines. The 52nd (Oxfordshire) Regiment of Foot, a light infantry regiment, had the largest British battalion at Waterloo where they formed part of the final charge against Napoleon’s Imperial Guard. Of the 1,130 men and officers present, 168 were wounded, and 38 killed (Source: Wikipedia). Most of the men were from Oxfordshire and this would be the obvious regiment for Rousham men to join. From recollection of research some time ago (which should be checked) the nearest the Marines came to the field of Waterloo was defending Brussels.
A case of ‘more research needed’?