Thomas James (soldier)

Summary

Private Thomas James was a British soldier who served in the Napoleonic Wars. Born in Montserrat, James eventually made his way to England and began working as a domestic servant in Surrey. In 1809, he enlisted in the British Army's 18th Hussars as a bandsman and served in the Peninsular War. James subsequently served in the 1815 Waterloo campaign, and though missing the Battle of Waterloo he was injured defending the baggage of his regiment's officers from Hanoverian Army deserters.