Born in Warwick.
Enlisted at Manchester on the 2nd of March 1853.
Age: 18.
Height: 5' 7".
Trade: Servant.
Appearance: Fresh complexion. Grey eyes. Brown hair.
"Confined" from the 30th of November 1854 and tried by a District Court-martial on the 7th of December 1854 for "disgraceful conduct and habitual drunkenness."
Given 50 lashes and awarded stoppage of pay.
Discharged from Chatham Invalid Depot on the 30th of December 1856.
"Reduction of the Army and being unfit for further service. Suffers from a rupture of the left side. May have been caused in the Crimea."
Conduct: "bad." Not in possession of any Good Conduct badges.
Served 3 years 343 days.
In Turkey and the Crimea: 1 year 10 months.
Aged 21 years 6 months on discharge.
Granted a pension of 6d. per day for a period of six months.
To live in Halifax after discharge.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Inkerman and Sebastopol.
A pair of medals, the Crimean medal with four clasps, and impressed naming to "J. Whitehead. 4th Lt. Drgns." and with the Turkish medal unnamed, fitted with contemporary riband brooches, appeared in a Sotheby's auction on the 25th of June 1975.
A footnote added:
"Lummis and Wynn list two recipients of this surname, only one of whom rode in the Charge and received the clasp for Balaclava. Since the Balaclava bar on the above medal is fixed by later rivets, it is probably the altered medal of the recipient who did not participate in either the battle or the 'Charge'."
See also the record of1289 John Whitehead, 4th Light Dragoons.