Waterloo Deacon
August 2, 2017 - The Chairman in News & Blog Posts, Chairman's Blog
A couple of months ago a piece in Charles Moore’s column in the Spectator raised the issue of battle names used as christian names. Alma was certainly one and is still in use, Inkerman was used too but apparently Balaclava not so. But Charles Moore mentions the story of Waterloo Deacon.
The heavily pregnant Martha Deacon was the wife of Ensign Thomas Deacon of the 73rd Foot. She was present at Quatre Bras with their children but got separated from her husband and believing he was dead and hoping he was alive walked 32 kms to Brussels to find him, fortunately safe. She named the child, born on 19th June, Waterloo.
Gareth Glover, in his excellent book Waterloo, Myth and Reality, covers this and other interesting stories. See https://www.amazon.co.uk/Waterloo-Myth-Reality-Gareth-Glover/dp/1781593566
