The Sandbag Times - Issue No: 55

AFVBC
The Crimean Veteran ‘Fiddler Brown’
service in the Crimean campaign, he was
regarded as a hero when wounded, being
tended by Florence Nightingale at Scutari in
1855. Upon returning home to a thatched
cottage on Long Row Oakham, in his closing
years ‘Fiddler Brown’ and his faithful Yorkshire
Terrier would frequent the local Pubs
where he would play his violin whenever
asked, earning a few welcome drinks from the
appreciative locals.
A
story about ‘Fiddler Brown’ was
shared by his Great Great Grandson
recently, Oakham Veteran Breakfast
Club member Ron Culpin.
Ron who had known of this great Oakham
character from stories told to him as a lad and
pictures handed down by the family is highly
proud of the connection. Ron being a Veteran
himself, there being a common understanding
in the military about comradeship.
‘Fiddler Brown’, christened William Royce
Brown, was born in 1828, served with the
44th Foot (East Essex) Regiment with active
At his death, aged 82, in 1910 there was the
greatest turnout the town had ever witnessed,
to a full military funeral which was paid for
by Lord Ranksborough, General Brocklehurst.
With six black horses pulling the gun
carriage, followed by the band of the 5th Battalion
Leicestershire Regiment, and a Firing
Party from the Oakham Territorial Company
firing Three Volleys with two buglers sounding
the ‘Last Post’.
Ron’s quest was to just find the grave of
William ‘Fiddler’ Brown so he could pay
his respects, and with the help of Rutland
County Council this was achieved pretty
quickly, the headstone being difficult to read,
the Oakham Armed Forces Veterans Breakfast
Club stepped in, again with the permission of
Rutland County Council and with the understanding
only the correct headstone cleaning
products were used, these were donated by
Travis Perkins Builders Merchant. So with
Ron not only present but getting hands on,
we set about the job of cleaning off over 100
years of dirt and lichen to enable again for the
words to be readable.
Ron would like to thank everyone for helping
him find his Great Great Grandfather and
then to clean the headstone,
also at a recent event Ron
was presented with a set of
replica medals by the Lord
Lieutenant of Rutland, Dr
Sarah Furness, that ‘Fiddler
Brown’ earned during
his service in the Crimean
Campaign.
The message is clear though,
over 100 years on, the people
of Oakham stepped up and
together recognise and
remember a great character,
so it is thanks to William
‘Fiddler’ Brown and also to
Ron Culpin for sharing this
great piece of history with us and allowing us
all to be part of it.
Ron would like to thank everyone for helping
him find his Great -Great Grandfather and
helping to clean the headstone. At a recent
event Ron was presented with a set of replica
medals by the Lord Lieutenant of Rutland, Dr
Sarah Furness, that ‘Fiddler Brown’ earned
during his service in the Crimean Campaign.
The message is clear though, over 100 years
on, the people of Oakham stepped up and
together recognise and remember a great
character, so it is thanks to William ‘Fiddler’
Brown and also to Ron Culpin for sharing
this great piece of history with SBT and
allowing us all to be part of it.
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