Born at Killinan, Ireland.
Enlisted at Belfast on the 17th of March 1847.
Age: 18 years 1 month.
Height: 5' 8".
Trade: Tailor.
Sent to Scutari (no date recorded) and sent to England on the 29th of March 1855.
Embarked for India from Cork aboard the S. S. "Great Britain " on the 8th of October 1857.
The muster rolls for the July-September 1858 period show him as "On Field Service" from September.
Served in action against the rebels at Zeerapore on the 29th of December 1859 and at Baroda on the 1st of February 1859.
Was sick at Ramadrog and Poonamallee, India, from March of 1861 to February of 1862.
In possession of two Good Conduct badges.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman, Sebastopol, and the Turkish medal.
Mutiny medal without clasp.
[EJB: There is an entry in red ink on the muster rolls to the effect that a Crimean medal with 4 clasps and a Turkish medal had been received. There was no mention of the Mutiny medal.]
The Returned Medal book states "Crimean and Turkish medals returned to the Mint. No trace of issue."
Died at Colchester on the 6th of August 1865. [EJB: Lummis and Wynn record him as having been "discharged" on this day.]
Next of kin: Mother, Catharine Hughes. Living in Belfast, Co. Down.
He left no will, his credits being 18/7d.
Extract from the "Essex County Standard" for the 11th of August 1865: "Interments at Colchester Cemetery... James Hughes, 17th Lancers. Aged 35 years."
He was buried in Grave No. A-13-54, in the General Cemetery at Colchester, Essex. This was an un-purchased plot, and no headstone was erected. One other interment was made in the same grave-space, save that of a child, aged 5 months, in June of 1891.