Born at Dalkeith, Midlothian.
Enlisted at Edinburgh on the 21st of February 1850.
Age: 18.
Height: 5' 8".
Trade: Baker.
Features: Fresh complexion. Grey eyes. Brown hair.
Invalided to England from the Crimea on the 15th of May 1855.
Discharged from Cahir on the 15th of February 1856, upon:
"Reduction of the Army and being totally unfit for further service. Labours under a tendency to Pulmonary Phthisis and is a man much in hospital. He has lately suffered also from Fistula-in-Ano and cannot be considered effective as a dragoon. He will always be delicate. I do not consider that his military service has been injurious to him. Is able to contribute towards his own livelihood."
Served 5 years 359 days. In Turkey and the Crimea, 2 years. [sic] Conduct and character: "good." In possession of two Good Conduct badges.
Was awarded a pension of 7d. per day "conditional" for one year.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman, Sebastopol and the Turkish medal.
A supplementary roll (undated) signed by Major Henry Holden shows him as being issued with the Crimean medal (with clasps for Alma, Balaclava and Inkerman) on the 7th of October 1855.
To live in Dalkeith after discharge.
Died in Edinburgh on the 7th of April 1858.
Died in the Royal Infirmary at Edinburgh of "Pyeomia, following an operation for Stricture of the Rectum," aged 27 years. He was buried in the Old Churchyard at Dalkeith, but no stone cam be found for him. This would almost certainly have been in the grounds of St. Nicholas's Church, which by 1987 was in a ruinous state.
Further Information
The Census Returns of 1851 show his father as Francis Herron, aged 47, a labourer in an iron foundry, and his wife Ann, aged 45, and living at No. 83 High Street, Dalkeith, with their three sons, George, a black-smith's apprentice, aged 17, and two other sons, Francis, aged 12, Richard, aged 9, and a daughter Mary Ann, aged 5, and all "scholars." His father was born in Mussellborough, Scotland, and his mother, nee Brophie, is merely shown as "Born in England."
The authorities have since stated that the No. 83 High Street, was not the actual house number, but the census number, and that "Campbell's Land", as it was known, was a tenement of various storey's within the High Street.
In 1871 Census his father, then aged 68, was living with his un-married daughter at No. 51 Plummer's Close, Dalkieth.
Editor's note: Census information kindly provided by Mr. P. Street.