Born in Manchester c.1807.
Enlisted at Salford on the 17th of December 1831.
Age: 24.
Height: 5' 6".
Trade: Saddler.
Fair complexion. Grey eyes. Brown hair.
From Private to Sergeant (as Saddler-Sergeant): 1st of January 1833.
In Civil Prison for "debt" from the 31st of January — 10th of March 1833. This must have been for a civil debt, as he rejoined the regiment, still as a Sergeant, on the 11th of March 1833.
Embarked for the Crimea aboard the H.T. "Shooting Star" on the 13th of May 1854.
In Scutari General Hospital from the 1st of March 1855 and invalided from Scutari to England on the 23rd of June.
Discharged from Newbridge on the 26th of February 1856, as:
"Unfit for further service. An old soldier of 24 years' service. His constitution is completely undermined from chronic pains of the loins which first attacked him about a year ago in Bulgaria, whilst on service. Result of exposure to the vicissitudes of the service."
Served 24 years 67 days, (of which 2 months were disallowed, no reason being shown.)
In Turkey and the Crimea: 1 year 2 months.
Aged 48 years on discharge. Granted a pension of 2/- per day.
Conduct: "very good". Never tried by Court-martial.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman and Sebastopol.
Further detailed medal information archived.
His documents confirm the award of the Crimea medal with four clasps, but make no mention of the Mutiny (he is not named on the medal roll) and Long Service medals and while he could have been entitled to the latter he was discharged long before the Indian Mutiny campaign.
[PB: I'm not sure what this means. Did Thomas Hardy go to India — which seems unlikely, given his ill-health, though not impossible. And if not, why did EJB mention it?]
To live in Nottingham after discharge and he was still there in 1875.
No information.