Born at Croydon, Surrey.
Enlisted at London on the 29th of August 1846.
Age: 18 years 8 months.
Height: 5' 6".
Trade: Farrier.
Deserted on the 27th of July 1848 and rejoined the regiment on the 9th of May 1849.
Tried by a Regimental Court-martial and imprisoned from the 11th of May to the 4th of August 1849. Also to forfeit previous service of 1 year 320 days, but this was restored by War Office Authority, dated Dublin, the 9th of October 1856.
Next of kin (at that time): Father, Robert Barber. Living in Cripplegate, London.
At Scutari from the 4th of April — 14th of June 1855.
Appointed Farrier-Sergeant under a Royal Warrant dated the 4th of February 1860.
>Discharged from Dublin on the 10th of October 1861 as "Free, at own request to deferred pension of 6d. per day upon reaching the age of 50 years." Authority of the Adjt. General's Office, Dublin.
Served 14 years 22 days.
Conduct and character: "very good." Once tried by Court-martial.
In Turkey and the Crimea: 2 years.
To live in Mayfair, London, after discharge.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman, Sebastopol. and the Turkish medal.
His name was on the 1877 list of members of the Balaclava Commemoration Society in 1877 but not on the 1879 revised list.
There is a copy in the 11th Hussar file of a photograph taken of the 1st Life Guards at Windsor in 1870. Three men appear in this wearing medals and he could well have been one of them. The central figure (wearing a farrier's "horse-shoe") in the photograph of the group of three (of whom 1308 Robert Ashton is the identified figure on the right) could possibly be him. (There is a copy of this in the 11th Hussar file.)
Is shown on the Regimental "Married roll" from the 25th of April 1860, his wife's name being Harriet. There were three children in the family up to December of 1869.
No trace on census.
He re-enlisted into the 1st Life Guards at London on the 18th of March 1862. Regimental No. 217.
Age: 34.
Height: 5' 7".
Trade: Farrier.
Appearance: Fair complexion. Black eyes. Brown hair.
Appointed Farrier on the 28th of June 1862.
Former service in the 11th Hussars allowed to reckon towards service and pension rights, per War Office Authority, dated the 5th of December 1862. Discharged from Hyde Park Cavalry Barracks on the 17th of March 1874:
"Claimed, on termination of second period of limited engagement and to pension after 24 years service."
Served 26 years 24 days.
In Turkey and the Crimea: 2 years.
Conduct: "very good".
In possession of three Good Conduct badges
Once entered in the Regimental Defaulters' book. "Never tried by a Court-martial in this Regiment (during his service in the Life Guards) but upon reference to his record of service in the 11th Hussars he was tried by Court-martial in May of 1849, but there is no copy of the charge or the findings of the Court, and his forfeited service was restored on the 22nd of May 1856."
Aged 46 years on discharge.
Documents confirm the award of the Crimean medal with four clasps, and the Turkish medal, "which was issued at Brighton in 1857."
To live at No. 7 Clarence Gardens, Kentish Town.