My latest book ‘Bully’s Acre, A history of Birr’s forgotten graveyard’ looks at the history of a long forgotten cemetery in the town of Birr. Intended to act as a new burial ground for the town, it soon fell into neglect. Today the cemetery contains 33 memorials, arguably one of the most impressive headstones in the cemetery, is the headstone to Colour Sergeant Peter Clayton, a soldier who served in the army for 33 years. Equally as impressive as his long service is the fact, that his comrade Sergeants who erected the memorial, went to the trouble of having all the battles he was present at inscribed on the memorial. Considering the inscription takes up most of the memorial it is likely this cost a substantial amount of money for the time.
The inscription of the memorial is transcribed below.
Sacred to the memory of Peter
Clayton late color Sergeant of the
90th Light Infantry who depd, this
life on the 4 day of June 1842
Leaving a widow and children to
lament his loss after having served
his country in various parts of the
globe for a period of 33 years he
was for several years in the Rifle
Brigade and was present with the
Corps in the following engagements
1814, Bayonne the 9th 10th and 11th of Dec
1813, Battle of the Nive, 24 of February
1814 Battle of Orthes 27 of Febry 1814
Battle of Torbes 20 March 1814 Battle of
Toulouse 10th April 1814 Engaged in front
of New Orleans 25-28 Dec, 1814 and the 1st
And 3 of January 1815. This Stone is Erecd, by
his Comrade Sergeants as a tribute of respect
to the memory of a tender husband and
Father a gallant Soldier a faithful friend
and one whose loss is deeply deplored in the
Corps to which he was so long an Ornament
A brief biography of Peter can be summarised as the following. Born in Nottingham, England. He enlisted in the Rifle Brigade on 4 May 1812 and served with the regiment until 17 November 1818. During this period he was heavily engaged in the Peninsular War and the War of 1812. Peter enlisted in the 90th Light Infantry on 9 October 1819, at the age of 27 years.
Upon his enlistment he was recorded as being 5 foot and 6 ½ inches tall. He had grey coloured eyes and brown hair. During his time with the 90th Light Infantry, they served in Malta, Ionian Islands and Ceylon (modern day Sri Lanka).
Colour Sergeant Clayton is recorded on the 1841 army index as stationed in Tralee, County Kerry. His death the following year was noted in the Kerry Evening Post on 6 July 1842. ‘At Birr Barracks, Mr. Peter Clayton, Quarter-Master-Sergeant, of the 90th Light Infantry, aged 50 years, leaving a widow and family to lament his loss, after having served his country for a period of 33 years in various parts of the globe.’
Colour Sergeant Clayton was interred in Bully’s Acre on 6 June 1842, the service was performed by Reverend William McCausland.
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