THE LATE WM. BOSWORTH.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 116, 14 June 1909, Page 4

THE LATE WM. BOSWORTH.

THE ITXHLUU The funeral afternoon of the late William lloswurth was largely attended, des'pite t'lio lowering weather. The otanjiiic* were ut' an apposing military dhanirter. the Taranaki Kilii's ami Taranaki (Ju.irds parading in foive. Both companies .provided a tiring party of fifteen, in charge of Co.ovHergeant Lister, and t'liey marched with awns r'everi&ed iiv front of the Taranaki tiarrison HanU. playing the "Dead i larch in Saul." Then followed the collin, covered with an Union' Jack, and borne on a gun carriage. The bearers were six soil*' of the deceased's- comrades in the old ~>7th .Regiment, namely. JKwvs .11. V. T. Furloug, J. Elliott, L. IlouliVlian. JaincK Hill and J. Dullin. The mourners were followed by the 'troops ami veterans, and there way a large body of the public who followed to liis rest a mailt who has earned universal respect amongst his fellows, in pe;i*Lv and Mvar, A long detour was made via Eliot and Lemon streets, owing to the difficulty of negotiating xi steep pieu' of llobsOn street. At the graveside the service was most : impressively mwl by Chaplain-Major Kvans who made a brief but touching reference 'to the life of the deceased, referring to him a.s a man who was not afraiil of bivuging his religion into his private life, with what Kiu-cess ih'y all knew. At it eon/.usion three volleys were fired over the grave, and Bug 1! ;r Okey sounded •'The Last Post.'' The (Jarrison Band played most sympathetically the hymn "Lead. Kindly Light." and the friends dispersed. The hand ! nfterwards played the military back to • the Drill Ila 11. to the strains of an in- ' spiriting inarch.

A MKMOIH. (By AAV.) ! Tliwo need .little 'be said a,bout the early years of the late ex-Scrgicant Bos'worlh tlieyotid (he fact that he "was iborn at Northaiunptdm oii'(ii.h December, IX2-1. ami after leaving Aihool took up his fa I Iter's t raiile—.the tstaiple industry of 'the tuwii' —rhat of .boot-making. He a'lwaty- had a ihankerin-g for t.1.1' life of a soldier, ami il h;i>ppen'cil 'that during a <luil time in the trade he happened to • .be at Coventry in IS4I. .at the time of the La-dy (.lodi'va' celebratioas, wlve-n his opportmiOty came. His friends ;wcre averse .to his -enlisting, and placed every ■obstacle in his :\vay, ibu't 'fate -was on his -.side, and eventually lie took the (.Hieeii's s'ltiHiug on Monday, Ut,h .Tune, even the rei'nutiug sergeant considering that the ww m-rmit would not pass the doctor: bnt he did. and became a "soldiier of the Queen." and a sterling .soldier, too. He was iat once fscnt wi'i'h others to the recruiting depot at Chatham and drafted into the 47th fiegrmei'i't, beiu-g |ra;-sed by the comiinandant. Su u-'eful was he found in the work of 'hvs trade that his time "was more api'iipied w'ith t.hit than with drill. Jlis next move wis to Ca'iilerhury, tlienee to Dover. London, Winchester (where Hi.s company had to endure the dc.pri'Vat'ioii of .bedding for fourteen days). On 3(Hh Kovembi'ir he first made aequainta'aoc with I'ortsnioutli. where he embarked on 1 five Sophia if or China (i voyage that wcupied in thofic days six months and three days landing , there on lO't-h August. 1843. Th'e more i mention of the China War brings home ' •moVt 'foreibly the fact that there can remain but a very few of the veterans who took -part in that campaign, lie .was present at t'ii'e -occupation of Ohu* ('ban, being engaged in that vicinity for six month's. It iw.as there that the late Mr. Bosworth had the -misfortune to be attacked wi'th the agiK 1 , the elFects of which he iicvim' shook off during the long life w.Wch followed. When first attached with this terrible complaint, so common was it amongst the soldiers tlwt 'they were not relieved from aentry du'ty, lieing merely permitted to sit down when seized with the shivering while on duty. After leaving Chuehan . th'e regiment touched at Hong Kong, saiJinig thence for Cnli'iitta, Soon after thi-s. and w.liile whiting to be "broken up," orders were received to proceed IJome. These were so promptly obeyed by Colonel BartJott that,the regiment (which mas over .strength) was some , days at sea when the hreaking-np order-, arri.vcd, so home the "vva.vriors camo.

The Ion;* s'pcl'ii on board ship, .however, considerably affected the marchingpower of thi' men-, sore feet Wing the rule when fifty arrived at Chatham. so that 'the journey on foot to Canterbury was a ,painful experience. From there to ]jo;a! the foot >ore soTdivr* were conveyed (at their own expense) in wag- : Jfon-. It was at Deal that Mr. 3 Jos- 1 worth, first saw i<lio "Iroii Duke," the fa'imciH F)nke of Wellington. Shortly after (he regiment embmrked at I,'orl.s--numUi for Ireland, where the late veteran spent part of bis time in assisting to guard Kitnuuuha<in gaol. w'liere Smith. O'Rrien. and other were Interne:!. Severn! spen'i In Ireland ;it<m;r-t the povertystricken. ifaini-hed peasants Lite chief employment bein,7 eseorl duty. Early m 15,12. wiliile al Tcmplenioyio, order.® were vxeived for -the regiment to proceed to tli<> Cape,, but Instead of e-m----kirkimr al Cork as expected the- order was countermanded. the trouble at the Cape having lieen settled. Ju>t about this time, however, volunteers •were called for the .171 h llegiment (wSiidi was gazetted 'for t>emccj. mid Air. Hosworlh. together with his brother-in-law, volunileercd and were transferred to niafc regiment, whi>:!h- ibey joined at Kilkenny. It wo* ; thiH that the late veteran became one oif Hie famon.s "J)ie ll:ir.d>." Aftur :a slioi'l Mpcl'l of garrison duly in Ireland (Cork), the reginieii't embarked on t'lir Anna Maria o.n 7th of la 1 1' 'Corporal Kn«\\v)rlh fou'ml that ItCs n'ew \\;K rrliiwiivg his old 47th. I >:ity a'l Corfu, ami V'ido was very and 'he -was raised to the rank of pioneer. On- 22ml Sepl-emlM'r. IS.I-I. the regiment saib-U for Constantinople io ta;!<e piirt in Ihe Crimean War, find Corporal liosiworlh only missed bcinr* pre,sen! at Alnifi", Omt for the vessel beinu tielayed for provision's. As it was, he only a roved in time (o assist in Imrying tlie dead. Hut in the re*t of

the, caniipiiign, Willi ils cra'cl hardships ami blunders, he took a .prominent part, saintos tl><* IMlii«uM>rtl Conduct luedal. and fairly caa-aiUfr the much-

eo,verted \ 'I lie ill'lcrest iuj; recollection'- of this caiiipaii;ii nvill'.serve (lie sir!ijci'i of anolli, (11l 'leaving

the Criniea the iv._riinc.iil. proceeded to Malt.i. slarhij; there twcl.vc moii'ths and acting: as <|ii;i.i-tci-ni;istlit. Kriim Malta, to Aden «a-' the nex.l ,niov;.' and here he fell .irk. for a wWlc 10.-in.'r the |iunw in hi- left hand, liitl a .month hi hospital act him riirhil. and <.n-i.|it,-,1 .him to iirocccd >lo IlomJiay anil ilieiice to

I'oou-.ih. taking part iii (lie I'.vpedit.ious a-.'ainrt the notorious rclicl Tantc. Tope, mat iu tint, way -a|« a: good denl of lii'ilia. While in I'oimah orders were rct-clviil .1,,, emlia.r.k for N'ew Zealand, and .1.1 oil' -Mil .| m ie, mm, Umt the l.ite Mr. JiiMrnrlh Innded at Yew Ply. '"out li. where, aifleii- the war wis over, Ml teconiins- gaoler, and subsequently retiring into tlie -ivellearneil quietude of private life, beloved by .all who kitcw him and l-esjwclcd liv every one.