Lieutenant Charles Henry Luard

A carte-de-visite portrait of Charles Henry Luard (1838-1905), who served in the Bengal Engineers and later in the Royal Engineers.

Born at Baker Street in London on 6 January 1837, he was the fourth son of Lieutenant-Colonel John Luard (1790-1875).

He appears on the 1861 census, a Lieutenant in the Bengal Engineers, living with his family at Clewer in Berkshire. Unusually, the census also records him as having spent the night at his barracks in Croydon.

He died, aged 68, on 10 July 1905 at 20 Elm Tree Road, St John's Wood [London]. According to the announcement of his death in the Army and Navy Gazette (15 July 1905): 'He joined the Army June 8, 1855; became Captain June 30, 1866: Major July 5, 1872; Lieutenant-Colonel May 11, 1881; and retired with the rank of Colonel March 11, 1885.'

From an album compiled by Elizabeth Van de Weyer, wife of Jean Sylvain Van de Weyer, Belgian ambassador to the Court of St James.

Photographed on 29 October 1861 by Camille Silvy of London.