Born not in Gloucester, as recorded in muster rolls, but in Kensington, London, on the 7th of December 1835, the son of Sergeant Hefferon of the 8th Hussars.
Brother of 1152, Thomas Hefferon — 8th Hussars, who was killed-in-action at Balaklava.
He entered theRoyal Military Asylum, Chelseaon the 7th of February 1844 at the age of 8 years 2 months, when he was shown as the son of Sergeant Luke Hefferon of the 8th Hussars and his wife Elizabeth. Both parents were shown as being "Still alive" at this time.
On the 4th of December 1849, at the age of 14, he was "Returned to his father", then residing at Odiham, Hampshire.
St Catherine's House records show his name as "Heffron", born in 1836 at Kensington, London. They also show his sister, Mary, born in Dublin in 1830, and his elder brother, Thomas Hefferon, at Trowbridge in 1833. The place of birth as shown differs from that shown in the muster rolls.
1851 Census
The 1851 Census for Preston Barracks, Brighton, confirm James Hefferon was born at Kensington, London, and his brother, Thomas, was born at Gloucester. They were aged 15 and 17 years respectively at this time.
165, Sergeant Luke Hefferon — 8th Hussars [father]
Sergeant Luke Hefferon, Regimental No. 165, enlisted into the 8th Hussars on the 25th of August 1823.
He was born at Crossmoline, Ireland, and had enlisted into the 8th Hussars at Dublin on the 25th of August 1825 at the age of 23 years. He was 5' 8" in height, with a fair complexion, grey eyes, and brown hair. His trade was that of a Labourer.
Promoted to Corporal in June of 1826, but reduced to Private by a Regimental Court-martial on the 30th of June 1830.
Promoted again to Corporal in March of 1837 and to Sergeant in December of 1844.
He was discharged from Cahir Barracks on the 8th of July 1847 after serving 24 years 9 months. According to the medical report, he was:
"Unfit for further service. — Sergeant Luke Hefferon is 49 and with 24 years' service is unfit for further duty from chronic rheumatism and a varicose state of the legs. Both afflictions caused in and by the service and not aggravated by the result of neglect, design, or intemperance."
Conduct and character "good": "Has received a distinguishing mark for good conduct on the 17th of January 1837 [sic]".
He was granted a pension of 1/9d. per day.
He lived in London after discharge, but later at Gloucester and Portsmouth.
He was again living in London in 1875.
Enlisted at Westminster on the 12th of November 1850.
Age 14 years 11 months.
Height: 4' 9".
Trade: None.
Attained the age of 15 years and on to "Man's pay" on the 15th of December 1850.
Embarked for the Crimea aboard the H.T "Medora" on the 27th of April 1854.
He acted as servant to Lord Fitzgibbon in the Crimea, where his elder brother,1152 Thomas Hefferon, who had enlisted on the same day, was killed in the Charge.
From Private to Trumpeter: 11th of April 1856.
Reverted to Trumpeter on the 11th of November 1856.
From Private to Corporal: 17th of September 1857.
Embarked for India from Cork aboard the S.S. "Great Britain" on the 8th of October 1857.
Corporal to Sergeant: 26th of June 1859.
Appointed to Troop Sergeant Major on the 8th of June 1860.
Troop Sergeant Major of the Governor General's Escort from the 1st of January — 28th of February 1862.
On the 2nd of August 1862, while in India, he re-enlisted for a further term of service.
He is shown on the "Married roll" of the regiment from the 6th of December 1864. There were no children in the family up to the end of March 1870.
From Squadron Quarter-Master (as T.S.M.) to Regimental Quartermaster on the 24th of November 1877.
Promoted Honorary Captain in 1887.
Retired on the 9th of December 1890 with a pension of £200 per annum. He was also granted a further pension of £40 per annum by Queen Victoria for being a "Distinguished and Meritorious Officer".
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman and Sebastopol.
Mutiny medal with clasp for Central India.
Served at Kotah and Gwalior.
Afghan medal for the campaign of 1879-80, without clasp.
He was awarded the Long Service & Good Conduct medal on the 11th of June 1872, with a gratuity of £5.
Extract from the Army and Navy Gazette for the 6th of July 1872:
"Quarter-Master Sergeant J. Hefferon has just been presented with a silver medal and a gratuity of £5 for long service and good conduct.
This non-commissioned officer has served in the 8th King's Royal Irish with an exemplary character for nearly 22 years (including Boy's service) and is now one of the remaining few who rode with the regiment in the memorable charge of the Light Brigade at Balaclava.
Colonel Puget, in making the presentation at a full-dress parade on the 27th of May last, highly commended the career of the Quartermaster to all young soldiers as one well worthy of imitation."
He was the only ex-ranker of the regiment to have served during the Crimean, Mutiny, and Afghan campaigns.
Member of the Balaclava Commemoration Society in both 1877 and 1879.
After leaving the Army he settled down at Ringwood, Hampshire, where he called his house in Christchurch Road, "Balaclava". He took a keen interest in local affairs and became a sidesman in the local church.
In 1907, when Kaiser Willhelm of Germany, then on a visit to Castle [?], was driving through Ringwood, Hefferon, for some now unknown reason, strode alongside the carriage, hurling abuse at the occupant.
He died on Sunday the 1st of March 1909, at his home in Ringwood, and was buried with full military honours in Ringwood Cemetery, the coffin being carried on a gun-carriage drawn by horses of the Royal Horse Artillery. A Quarter-Master Sergeant and Sergeants of the 8th Hussars marched on either side of the cortege. The procession was headed by the band of the 7th Hampshire Territorials and a company of the same battalion was also present.
In the 8th Hussar file, there are copies of the obituary notice and also of the funeral reports, taken from the "Salisbury and Winchester Journal", and also two copies of photographs of his grave, in which his wife, Charlotte, was also buried (January 1924).
The inscription on the erected gravestone reads:
"In loving memory of James Andrew Hefferon, late Captain of the King's Royal Irish 8th Hussars, who passed peacefully away, 1st of March 1909, aged 73 years.
'I have fought the good fight.'
Balaclava (One of the Light Brigade), Laswaree, Hindoostan, Central India, Alma, Inkerman, Sebastopol, Afghanistan.
'He giveth his beloved sleep.'
Also of Charlotte Temple Hefferon, the beloved wife of the above, who departed this life, 31st of January 1924, aged 79 years.
'And our hearts, like thy waters, are mingled in sleep.'"
There are photographs of him in uniform and also one taken from an unknown newspaper, of his funeral procession, in the 8th Hussar files.
James Hefferon was a member of the Balaclava Commemoration Society in both 1877 and 1879, and was widely accepted as a Charger.
However, in a copy of the list of membership of the Balaclava Commemoration Society in 1879, which originally belonged to 1353 William Pearson of the 4th Hussars, the word "Query" is written by the side of his name.
Sometime later, a correspondence developed in the Army and Navy Gazette.
Extract from the Army and Navy Gazette, December 1890:
"Captain and Quartermaster James A. Hefferon retired in December. He joined the Regiment in 1850 from the Duke of York's School, going into the Band as acting-trumpeter and remaining so until the band was broken up at Exeter in 1854. He then served in the ranks, taking part in the Charge at Balaclava and the battles of the Alma, Inkerman, the Tchernya and Sebastopol (Medal with four clasps and the Turkish Medal). Central India Campaign, 1858-59 (Medal with clasp). Afghan War, 1879-80 (Medal). (He was commissioned on the 24th of November 1877.)"
[PB: Check text against original. It is likely that the parentheses are EJB's.]
Following this report, a letter was published from a "Private, 8th Hussars" that Hefferon was not only present but he had actually sounded the Charge:
"I am writing to remind you that Captain Hefferon, who has just left the regiment after 40 years' service was a trumpeter at, and sounded the "Charge" at, the battle of Balaclava and mounted step by step to his honoured and well-won position." [PB: date?]
However, shortly afterwards, on the 3rd of January 1891, a further letter to the Editor appeared in the "Gazette", signed by "One of the Survivors" [EJB:1131, John Doyle, 8th Hussars], emphatically contradicted this:
Sir, — I observed in a copy of the Army and Navy Gazette, dated the 20th of December last, that James Hefferon, late of the 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars, was a trumpeter, and sounded the "Charge" of the Light Brigade at Balaclava on the 25th October 1854.
This is wrong.
Captain Hefferon joined the 8th Hussars at Brighton in 1850, coming from the Duke of York's School and going into the Band, in which he remained as acting-trumpeter, until the regiment all met together at Exeter in 1854, when the Band was broken up.
James Hefferon went as a duty soldier, remaining as such during the Crimean War. We were at Bidea when we took Prince Woronzoff's cellars and a large amount of stores.
We were then despatched 20 miles out from Bidea to capture a spy, whom we secured, and going around by a zig-zag road he broke away from the escort. I jumped out of the saddle, fired at him and struck him in the thigh. J. Hefferon was with the rear-guard.
On our arrival back at Bidea, Hefferon, on entering the lines, dismounted, laying his carbine against the picket-ropes, and when in the act of lifting it off again it went off, and the bullet went through his hand.
His brother, Thomas, was shot on my right during the Charge; a shell met him and exploded and blew his body into the air.
James Hefferon came to me that night from the hospital outside Balaclava, asked me what had become of his brother, Tommy, and I told him. He was not a trumpeter in the Crimea on the day of the Charge at Balaclava and was not in the Charge at all, he being in the Balaclava Hospital.
I write this simply to correct an error."
Finally, on the 26th of February 1891, a letter was published in the "Gazette" from Colonel St. Quintin, then commanding the 8th Hussars at Norwich:
"Referring to a statement of a corespondent on January 3rd that Quartermaster and Hon. Captain J.A. Hefferon, late of the 8th Hussars, was in hospital at Balaclava Harbour on the 25th of October 1854 and did not take part in the charge of the Light Brigade on that date, I beg to state that I have conclusive evidence that this officer was present, and rode in the ranks of the 8th Hussars as a private soldier."
There was no more correspondence printed on the matter, and Hefferon, who may not even have been aware of it, made no comment in print.