THE LAST SURVIVOR OF WATERLOO

KILDARE OBSERVER 26 December 1891 

THE LAST SURVIVOR OF WATERLOO

The following letter appears in the Standard: SIR- The question has recently been raised as to whether there was a single British survivor of the Battle of Waterloo whose existence could be traced, and it may therefore interest many of your readers to know that the last of the Waterloo veterans belonging to the rank and file passed at Caterham on Tuesday last. His name was Samuel Gibson, and had been under my medical care here for some years past. He died at the advanced age of one hundred and one, and until a few days of his death he enjoyed good spirits, and was always delighted to chat on the events connected with the memorial battle.

It will be, I fear, but poor consolation to the opponents of tobacco to learn that this centenarian had been from his youth to within a day or two of his decease an inveterate smoker, and keenly enjoyed his pipe. Samuel Gibson enlisted about 1803, at Tandragee, County Armagh, as a boy, in the 27th Foot, his father being at that time a private in the Monaghan Militia. Young Gibson accompanied his regiment to the Peninsula, and was afterwards present with it at Waterloo. He was discharged from the Army in 1815, after twelve years service, on a pension of a shilling a day, which he subsequently commuted. I am glad to be able to add, that my neighbor Major Craufurd, the Commandant of the Guards’ Depot, has kindly acceded to my request to give the poor old veteran the final honour of a military funeral- I am, Sir, your obedient servant.

G. STANLEY ELLIOT.

Metropolitan District Asylum, Caterham,

Surrey, December 19.

Re-typed by Lynn Potts