Photograph of Waterloo Veterans, 1880

They are from left to right: Naish Hanney of the 7th (Queen’s Own) Hussars, aged 88; John M’Kay of the 42nd (Royal Highland) Regiment of Foot, aged 95; Benjamin Bumstead of the 73rd (Perthshire) Regiment of Foot, aged 82, Robert Norton of the 34th (the Cumberland) Regiment of Foot, aged 90; and Sampson Webb of the 3rd Regiment of Foot Guards, aged 82. In fact, Norton was not at Waterloo though he did see action in Germany, Holland and France. Of the other four, M’Kay was reported to have been wounded in the battle, whilst the other three are listed simply as having been present. The photograph was taken just before Waterloo day, 1880. It was published by the London Stereoscopic Company.

The company was well aware of the interest that the dwindling number of veterans would arouse. Each 18 June the provincial press was in the habit of informing its readers as to how local veterans had kept the famous anniversary – most often by meeting in a local public house. By 1880 their number was dwindling. Only fourteen men who had been officers in 1815 were listed as still being alive. That number had reduced to seven by 1885. The last to die was Lieutenant-Colonel William Hewett of the 14th Foot. He passed away in Southampton in October 1891, aged 96. Some Waterloo rank and file certainly lived longer and were older, though there is no agreement about Britain’s last surviving Waterloo veteran. There are uncorroborated claims for John Hopwood. He died at Whitchurch in Shropshire in December 1900, aged 101.