Born at Leeds, Yorkshire c.1816.
From the Manchester Evening News, 11th of October 1881:
"Death of One of the Six Hundred - One of the Six Hundred who so distinguished themselves in the Balaclava Charge died a few days ago at Hunslet Carr and was buried on Sunday last in Hunslet Cemetery. His name was James Barrass, a native of Holbeck. He enlisted at Leeds into the 11th Light Dragoons in 1833, afterwards joining the 11th Hussars. Of the twenty-five years he served in the Army, five were spent abroad.
He was in the Crimea, and obtained two medals, one with the clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman and Sebastopol. Barrass escaped unhurt from the charge, and was indeed, never injured in any engagement.
At his own request he obtained his discharge on the 11th of June 1859, being at this time in possession of two Good Conduct badges, and was an Out-Pensioner of Chelsea Royal Hospital for 22 years. The deceased leaves a widow, but no children."
The Leeds Mercury of the same date, published an almost word for word similar account, but differed only in that it commenced:
"Death in Leeds of another of the Six Hundred. It may be interesting to learn that one of the Six Hundred in the Balaclava Charge died on the 7th inst. at Hunslet Carr and was interred last Sunday in the Cemetery at Hunslet."
Information received from Mrs. Sylvia Barnard of the Friends of Beckett Street Cemetery, Leeds, shows that he was interred in Grave No. 12358 in Hunslet Cemetery on the 9th of October 1881 as James Thompson Barrass, aged 66 years, of Hardwick Place, Hunslet, a Labourer by occupation. There was no trace of any memorial stone to him in the grave-area.
There is a photograph of his grave area (approximately in the centre of the picture) in the 11th Hussar file.