Born in Manchester.
Enlisted at Manchester on the 14th of December 1854.
Age: 19.
Height: 5' 5".
Trade: Groom.
Joined the regiment in the Crimea on the 20th of June 1855.
Transferred to the 17th Lancers on the 1st of September 1857. Regimental No. 65.
Embarked for India from Cork aboard the S.S. "Great Britain" on the 8th of October 1857.
From Private to Saddler (as Sergeant). on the 21st of November 1866.
Discharged, "invalided," from Shorncliffe on the 6th of August 1867.
He was granted a pension of 6d. per day for two years, but this was made "permanent" on the 27th of August 1869.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasp for Sebastopol.
Mutiny medal without clasp.
Served at Rajghur with Captain William Gordon.
Not recorded by Lummis and Wynn.
The 1881 Census shows a man of this name as living in No 14, (the home of Benjamin Stone) when he was described as being a Lodger, a Packer (FL) aged 46, born at Altrincham, Cheshire. A Matilda Higgins, Married, aged 47, and born at Wivenhoe, Essex, (and presumably his wife) was also shown,
A three clasp Crimean medal with the clasps for Balaclava, Inkerman and Sebastopol and named to "R. Higgins. 4th Light Dragoons." was known to be in a Canadian collection in 1994. It is said to have recently changed owners following its having been in another Canadian collection from the 1950's.