ABSTRACT
Nell Butler (1830–1909) was married to Private Michael Butler, a soldier in the 95th (Derbyshire) Regiment of Foot. As with the Kerwin and Evans interviews, her account highlights how fortuitous work opportunities were for wives in the Crimea, and the extreme privations they suffered. The 95th Regiment arrived in the East in spring 1854 and fought in the battles of the autumn, suffering very heavy casualties. By the Battle of Inkerman in November, the regiment had only 443 officers and men left, and suffered the loss of another 144 killed or wounded in this last battle. The regiment nevertheless continued to perform trench duty and to take part in the siege of Sevastopol. Butler was only one of three wives (out of the twenty who accompanied the regiment to the East), who managed to get to Sevastopol. Once again, the account describes the vital work wives performed during this war―nursing in this instance―and the niggardly treatment to which they were subjected with respect to pensions afterward. While Butler may have campaigned long and hard for pension rights, no testimony is recorded from her in the select committee report of 1896, contrary to the reporter’s claim. A witness, Agnes Weston, did say that Mrs. Butler had to rely on poor relief, but that seems to be the only reference to her. Unfortunately, the whereabouts of the notebooks described in the article below are unknown to archivists and museum staff in Portsea, Nell Butler’s home.
