Service
Transferred to the 17th Lancers on the 7th of May 1845.
From Private to Corporal: 4th of March 1850.
Corporal to Sergeant: 27th of February 1852.
Appointed to Troop Sergeant Major on the 2nd of May 1856.
Promoted to Quarter-Master Sergeant, 10th of March 1857.
Embarked for India from Cork aboard the S.S. "Great Britain", 8th of October 1857.
The musters for July — September of 1858 show no particular service movement during the whole of this period.
In action against the rebels at Zeerapore, 29th of December 1858, and at Baroda, 1st of January 1859.
Regimental prisoner from the 4th of January 1860. Tried by a Regimental Court-martial on the 18th of January 1860 and reduced to Private, but was restored to the rank of Sergeant the same day.
Marriage
The India Office records show him as having married Margaret Fitzgerald, a widow, at Secunderabad on the 16th of August 1863. His age was then given as 35 years and hers as 29. His father was named as Lawrence Farrell and hers as Michael Collins. The officiating priest was the Revd, George Murphy and the witnesses were William Sergeant and Elizabeth Morgan.
A daughter Julia Ann, was born at Secunderbad on the 24th of June 1864 and baptised on the 3rd of July by the Revd. B. Fatteo.
Volunteered into the 18th Hussars on the 30th of November 1864.
He does not appear to have ever served with the 18th Hussars, but as Quarter-Master Sergeant (Effective Supernumerary) in the 2nd Light Cavalry. His only entry in the 18th Hussar muster rolls is in 1865 where he is shown as having died while serving in the former regiment. No date is given, but a reference from another source states that he died at Secunderbad on the 3rd of August 1865.
Medals
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman, Sebastopol, and the Turkish medal.
Awarded the Victoria Cross (London Gazette, 30th of November 1857). The citation states:
"Quarter-Master Sergeant John Farrell (his rank at that date) [brackets in original?] for having remained with Captain Webb, who was severely wounded, and whom he and Sergeant Major Berryman had carried as far as the pain of his wounds would allow until a stretcher was procured, when he assisted the Sergeant Major and a Private of the 13th Light Dragoons (Joseph Malone) to carry the officer of the field. This took place on the 25th of October 1854, after the Charge at the battle of Balaclava, in which Farrell's horse was shot..."
[Player's cigarette card — add info.]
[PB: Add other relevant images e.g. in entries for 1440 Joseph Malone, 13th Light Dragoons and Captain Webb, 17th Lancers.]
(Click on image to enlarge)
It is not known just when or where he was presented with the Victoria Cross, but it was almost certainly in India.
Mutiny medal without clasp.
Further medal information archived.
Death & burial
Died at Secunderabad, India on 3rd of August 1865.
The India Office records show him as having died from an "Abscess of the Liver" at Secunderbad on the 3rd of August 1865, aged 37 years. He was buried on the 4th of August by the Revd. J.M. Bakiro, Chaplain, in the Secunderabad Cemetery in an unmarked grave. He was then shown as being the Quarter-Master Sergeant of the 2nd Light Cavalry.
[Does this diagnosis imply an autopsy, or was there another way to determine such a cause of death? Were autopsies usual? Does "abscess of the liver" imply e.g. JF was alcoholic?]
Further information
Letter relating to men of the regiment sent to the Military College, Sandhurst:
"Horse Guards,
9th January 1857.
"Sir, — By the desire of the General Commanding-in-Chief I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 26th ultimo and to acquaint you that His Royal Highness has been pleased to select the men named in the margin for the Riding Troop about to be formed at the Military College, at Sandhurst and to request you that you will hold them in readiness to proceed to Sandhurst early in the ensuing weeks according to the route which you will receive from the Quarter-Masters Department.
I am, etc,. etc.
G..A. Weatherall,
DAG."
Similar letters were sent to the Officers Commanding the 4th Light Dragoons, 8th Hussars, 11th Hussars and the 13th Light Dragoons, listing the names of the men selected. The only additional mention was that for the 17th Lancers, this being N.B. "Sergeant Farrell's testimony returned herewith". It could equally be that this was his brother 634 Lawrence Farrell, at that time a Sergeant, whereas 795 John Farrell was a Troop Sergeant Major.
