Born in Wexford, Ireland, on the 19th of February 1834, the son of George Powell Houghton, Esq., of Kilmarnock House, Wexford, and his wife, Anne, daughter of John Green, Esq, D.L. for Co. Wexford, of Greenville, Co. Kilkenny
1851 Census
Sandhurst, Berkshire, Students of the Royal Military College.
George P Houghton, 17, Gentleman Cadet, unmarried, born Wexford, Ireland.
Cornet in the 11th Hussars: 11th of March 1853.
Lieutenant: 20th of September 1854.
Wounded in action at Balaclava, struck in the head by a shell bursting overhead.
He was seen riding slowly back up the valley by several men of the 8th Hussars, and since he resembled Lord Cardigan in stature, was also wearing the same type of uniform and riding a similar horse, they may have assumed it was the latter, and the story then arose that he (Lord Cardigan) had never reached the Russian guns.
He died "from the effects of his wounds" at Scutari General Hospital on the 22nd of November 1854 and was buried in the left-hand portion of the burial ground there (looking from the sea) among a number of Russian officers.
Pieces of wood, still standing on the 15th of July 1856, designated the person who was interred there, and were presumably for the purpose of marking the spot in expectation of a more permanent memorial being erected there at a later date. That for him simply bore the words "Lieut. G. Houghton. 11H."
Letter sent from: Horse Guards, 15th November 1854:
"Sir, — By direction of the General Commanding-in-Chief I have the honour to inform you that you will facilitate the object which the bearer of this note, Mr. G. P. Houghton, has in view, understood by his Lordship to accompany his son, Lt. Houghton, 11th Hussars, severely wounded in the recent action at Balaclava to England, and should accommodation be requested and Lt. Houghton is sufficiently recovered, you will be good enough to bring this officer before a Medical Board in order that he may obtain the necessary leave to return home.
I have the honour, etc, etc, .
G. A. Weatherall, The Officer Commanding, H.M. Troops, DAG.
Scutari.
Extract from the Naval and Military Gazette, 6th of January 1855, which had reprinted a letter of condolence that Colonel Douglas had written to his father:
"Before Sebastopol, November 29th, 1854.
My dear Sir, It is with a feeling of the deepest regret that I have to announce to you, according to the information that I have this day received from Scutari, of the death of your son from the wounds he received in the action of the 25th of October.
I was in great hopes, from the favourable accounts I had previously received, that he would shortly return to the Regiment. The immediate cause of the fatal termination of his wound I an unacquainted with, and it has come quite unexpectedly on us all.
I trust it will be a great consolation to yourself and Mrs. Houghton on this trying occasion, to know that he gallantly conducted himself on all occasions before the enemy, and at the time he was wounded he was by my side, leading on his troop in the execution of the most arduous of attacks that Cavalry has ever been called upon to make.
I can assure you that I deeply sympathise with you on the loss of your son; who, from his quiet and unassuming manner was so much liked by us all — and with every kind wish to yourself and Mrs, Houghton,
Believe me, yours most truly,
John Douglas, Lieut. Col. 11th Hussars."
Lieutenant Houghton served the Eastern campaign of 1854, including the battles of the Alma, Balaclava (wounded) and the Siege of Sebastopol. (Medal and Clasps and the Turkish medal.) Medals & commemorations
Extract from the diary of Mrs. Jane Colclough Stronge, wife of Captain Maxwell Du Pre Stronge of the 52nd Foot, and sister of George Houghton. The diary was written at Amballa in India, where the 52nd Foot were stationed:
8th Jan. 1855 — The mail just in. George has been severely wounded...
13th Jan. 1855 — Letter from George (written on board ship, off Scutari). A shell struck him on the head when charging the Russian guns at the head of his troop...
31st Jan. 1855 — Letter from home. George is no more, poor fellow. He died from his wounds, on Nov. 22nd, at Scutari. He was attended with unremitting attention and devotion by John Forster, 11th Hussars, his servant, who was with him when he breathed his last."
701 John Foster, 11th Hussars [servant]
[PB: Why does he not appear in EJB's lists? Crider refers p.250: Sent £2.10.0 to Maria Foster (21.3.1854). At Varna 3.5.54. Sick at Scutari all 3 musters [PB:?]. Not on Medal Rolls, though embarked, app. never arrived in Crimea. Mentions Loy Smith meeting him at Scutari. ]
His "devoted servant" was No. 701 John Foster, 11th Hussars. Born at Beverley, Yorkshire, he had enlisted into the 11th on the 7th of July 1831. He had been sent to Scutari on the 13th of September 1854, consequent upon an accident in which his horse fell on him during a march from Devna to Varna.
Invalided to England in December 1854, he was discharged from Newbridge Barracks on the 21st of October 1855, being: "No longer fit for active service in consequence of large varicose veins of the left leg and inguminal hernia of the left groin."
He had served 24 years 145 days, of which 2 years and 8 months had been in India and 7 months 17 days in Turkey.
Extract from the memoirs of R.S.M. George Loy Smith, published in 1987 under the title of A Victorian R.S.M.:
"When on a visit to Scutari in late November of 1854 to buy stores — During the day, on passing through one of the corridors of the hospital, I met with Private Foster, Cornet Houghton's servant. He told me his master was dying so I went with him to the room he was in, alone.
Poor young fellow, he was lying on his back with death depicted on his face. He recognised me and asked what I had come to Scutari for. I told him. Foster lifted up a piece of lint on his forehead, disclosing a hole about the size of a shilling where a piece of shell had struck him.
He died shortly afterwards. I at once took an inventory of his effects, which I took back to the regiment and sold by auction."
In an auction held in 1998 a pocket-sized Book of Common Prayer, bound in red leather and with brass edges and locket, the front cover gold blocked "G.P. Houghton. 11th P.O.A. Hussars." and inscribed in ink inside "G.P. Houghton, 11th Hussars.", was offered.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava and Sebastopol.
Wounded in action at Balaclava, struck in the head by a shell bursting overhead, and died "from the effects of his wounds" at Scutari General Hospital on the 22nd of November 1854. He was buried in the left-hand portion of the burial ground there (looking from the sea) among a number of Russian officers.
Pieces of wood, still standing on the 15th of July 1856, designated the person who was interred there, and were presumably for the purpose of marking the spot in expectation of a more permanent memorial being erected there at a later date. That for him simply bore the words "Lieut. G. Houghton. 11H."
Census information for 1851 kindly provided by Chris Poole.
Glenn Fisher, "A Case of Mistaken Identity — George Powell Houghton at Balaklava", Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research, 2011, Volume Eighty Nine (p.273) [Articles and Communications]: Search.