Born at Leighton Buzzard.
He was born on the 19th of June 1830, and baptised at Leighton Buzzard Methodist Church on the 18th of January 1832, the son of Daniel Davis, a butcher (from Heath, a hamlet of Leighton Buzzard parish) and his wife, Jane.
Enlisted at Westminster on the 5th of December 1848.
Age: 18.
Height: 5' 7".
Trade: Boot-maker.
At Scutari from the 4th of April — 11th of May 1855.
From Private to Corporal: 17th of April 1855.
Discharged, "time expired", from Dublin on the 5th of December 1860.
Conduct: "good".
In possession of two Good Conduct badges.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Inkerman, and Sebastopol.
Extract from the Northampton Daily Chronicle for the 25th of August 1894:
Death of a Crimean Hero in a Kettering Workhouse.
Few townsfolk been aware that the walls of Kettering Workhouse for the past month has given shelter to one of the famous Light Brigade immortalised by our late Poet Laureate. A few weeks ago, the deceased, whose name was John Davis, had applied for admission to the Workhouse. He was then ill and in a very advanced state of consumption. He was removed to the hospital where he remained until his death, which occurred yesterday (Thursday) morning.
By the papers that the deceased carried and through the enquiries that have been made of the military authorities during his illness there is no doubt that Davis was one of the famous Six Hundred. He was a Private of the 4th Light Dragoons and went right through the Crimean campaign and the Balaclava Charge. He was 62 years of age, and came from Tunbridge Wells. Steps are being taken to arrange for a military funeral and subscriptions are being collected.
The Revd. J.W. Figgis, Mr. T. Seddon, Mr. A. Bamford or Mr. A. Sattin (the Master) will be glad to receive any contributions. The funeral takes place tomorrow at three o'clock.
From an unknown newspaper:
One of the heroes of the Light Brigade died on Thursday in the Kettering Workhouse. His name was John Davis and he came from Tunbridge Wells in Kent. He was one of the 4th Light Dragoons and served throughout the Crimean campaign. He had been at Kettering only about a month and when admitted to the workhouse was dying of consumption. A local fund has been started to prevent the man being buried at the expense of the parish...
See also report of his funeral (possibly from the Northampton Daily Chronicle) in the 4th Hussar file.
Considerable confusion arises now about his presumed death and burial, vide copy in the 4th Hussar file of an article taken from an unknown, undated, newspaper which queries the true identity of the man said to have been buried in the grave allocated to Davis. (See record of 1528 James Edwin Dray, 4th Light Dragoons).
The cutting was originally accompanied by an enlarged picture of a gravestone in Kettering General Cemetery under which were the words: "The gravestone which marks the spot where John Davis, alias James Edwin Dray, lies in Kettering Cemetery... " The article implies that they were one and the same man.
Several points arise from the newspaper report of his death, however. What papers did he carry to prove his real identity and what enquiries were made of the military authorities which could have established his as a bona-fide participant? Surely these would have shown his real name as James E. Dray?
A photocopy of the "Deaths" register for the Workhouse obtained from the County Record Office for the half-year ending Michaelmas 1894 shows — 23rd August. DAVIS, John, aged 62 years. Buried by friends... However, over his name is written, "Properly DRAY, James Edwin."
The "Deaths" records at St. Catherine's House show a "John Davis" as dying at Kettering, aged 62 years, during the July-September quarter of 1894, but there is no entry for anyone named Dray during the same period.
Unfortunately, all the other Workhouse records for the period are now missing. The cemetery records at Kettering show the following:
Name, John Davis.
Description, Late Private in the 4th Dragoons.
Aged 62 years.
Place of death, Union Workhouse, Kettering.
Date of burial, 25th of August 1894.
A note in the margin states that "He was a Balaclava Hero and was accorded a military funeral."
The records do not give any explanation for the difference in name from that on the stone. The grave is numbered C.G. 1 in the consecrated portion of the cemetery. (See photograph of the gravestone in the 4th Hussar file.)
(See copies of correspondence which appeared in the local press at a later date in the record of 1528 James Edwin Dray of the 4th Light Dragoons).