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The following is from John Mayhall’s 'Annals of Yorkshire':-September 11 1872. “Wm. Varley, who was engaged in the battle of Waterloo, died at Pudsey, aged 79. He was born there in August, 1793, and when sixteen years of age joined the 2nd West York Militia, and continued in that regiment until the 4th of May, 1812, when he volunteered into the renowned 33rd Foot, well known in Yorkshire by the name of the “Havercake lads,” receiving the sum of £10 as bounty. The first engagement in which he took part was at Marksome, in Holland, under General Gibbs, on the 2nd of January, 1813. He was at the siege of Antwerp, on the 13th of February, in the same year; and on the 9th and 10th of March, 1814, he was at the storming of Bergenop-Zoom, in Holland, under General Sir Thos. Graham. On the 16th, 17th, and 18th of June, 1815, he was present at Waterloo, where he received a slight wound upon the left knee, and on the 24th of June, 1816, while stationed at Manchester, he received the sum of £2 11s. 3d. as “Waterloo prize money.”. Afterwards he also received a Waterloo medal and a pension”.In related news, on September 16th 1873 it is reported in the Annals that a James Wray, aged 88, was buried at Aberford. He was said to be one of the few remaining veterans who fought under The Iron Duke.Hopefully the Waterloo medal awarded to William Varley is still around and even better if it is being kept by a relative of him.

Leodian wrote: The following is from John Mayhall’s 'Annals of Yorkshire':-September 11 1872. “Wm. Varley, who was engaged in the battle of Waterloo, died at Pudsey, aged 79. He was born there in August, 1793, and when sixteen years of age joined the 2nd West York Militia, and continued in that regiment until the 4th of May, 1812, when he volunteered into the renowned 33rd Foot, well known in Yorkshire by the name of the “Havercake lads,” receiving the sum of £10 as bounty. The first engagement in which he took part was at Marksome, in Holland, under General Gibbs, on the 2nd of January, 1813. He was at the siege of Antwerp, on the 13th of February, in the same year; and on the 9th and 10th of March, 1814, he was at the storming of Bergenop-Zoom, in Holland, under General Sir Thos. Graham. On the 16th, 17th, and 18th of June, 1815, he was present at Waterloo, where he received a slight wound upon the left knee, and on the 24th of June, 1816, while stationed at Manchester, he received the sum of £2 11s. 3d. as “Waterloo prize money.”. Afterwards he also received a Waterloo medal and a pension”.In related news, on September 16th 1873 it is reported in the Annals that a James Wray, aged 88, was buried at Aberford. He was said to be one of the few remaining veterans who fought under The Iron Duke.Hopefully the Waterloo medal awarded to William Varley is still around and even better if it is being kept by a relative of him. It brings what we consider distant history so much closer when reading of the death of someone who actually took part in the Battle of Waterloo in 1872. I'm not sure how true it is but I was told Cavalrymen who were in the Charge of the Light Brigade are buried in Beckett Street cemetary. Can anyone confirm?

Hi Johnny39. That's interesting about the Cavalrymen. I don't know and it will be interesting to find out.