Born at Market Weighton (EJB: another source says Malton), Yorkshire, c.1824.
[PB: 1861 Census says Sheffield.]
Enlisted at York on the 15th of May 1842.
Age: 18.
Height: 6' 0".
Trade: Farmer.
Appearance: Fresh complexion. Grey eyes. Black hair.
1851 Census
Cavalry Barracks, Pockthorpe, Norwich.
Richard Brown, 25, Private, unmarried, born Malton, Yorks.
From Private to Corporal, 15th of December 1860.
1861 Census
Hulme Cavalry Barracks Chorlton.
R. Brown, 35, soldier, unmarried, born Sheffield [sic].
Corporal to Sergeant, 1st of June 1863.
Discharged from Dublin on the 2nd of June 1864:
"Unfit for further service from rupture of the right side from falling from his horse whilst on duty in camp in 1863. An enquiry was held on Sergeant Brown regarding the nature of his injuries as he has continued to perform all the duties required of him until January of 1864, three months after the accident."
Served 21 years 5 days. In Bulgaria, Turkey and the Crimea, 2 years.
Conduct and character: "very good". In possession of four Good Conduct badges.
Aged 39 years 2 months on discharge.
Brown was the servant of Lieutenant-Colonel John Douglas, and was later the favourite orderly of Lord Cardigan. He was described by1631 William Pennington, 11th Hussars, in his book, Sea, Camp, and Stage, as "handsome, and honest. A model soldier."
On the 16th of May 1886, Brown wrote to Pennington giving him the sword worn during the Charge by Colonel John Douglas which had been given to him on Douglas's return from the Crimea and subsequent promotion to Inspector-General of Cavalry.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman and Sebastopol, and the Turkish medal.
Awarded the Long Service & Good Conduct medal on the 14th of July 1864, and granted a pension of 1/3d per day.
His Crimea medal, Turkish Medal and Long Service and Good Conduct medals are still in the possession of the descendant family, along with his 1879 Balaklava Commemoration Society booklet and various original leaflets and pamphlets relating to various local veterans.
In this collection is also an original Daguerrotype of Brown taken in uniform wearing his medals, and a larger colour oil painting of him in uniform. (These would both appear to date around his discharge from the Army.) Also an ebony pen and ink bottle case said to have been taken from the baggage of Prince Menschikoff during the Mackenzie's Farm affair.
Attended the first Balaclava Banquet in 1875.
An article, "The Story of a Balaclava Man", was published about him at this time in the Derby Mercury (3rd November 1875).
Member of the Balaclava Commemoration Society in 1877 and 1879.
Signed the Loyal Address to the Queen in 1887.
His intended place of residence after discharge was Trafalgar Square in York, but he later moved to Manchester.
On leaving the Army he worked on the Ship Canal as a labourer and in later life suffered much from rheumatism, could not work, and went into the Workhouse. He was unsuccessful in getting a job as a messenger at the War Office because of his age and being unable to adjust himself to that kind of work in view of the fact that he could not read or write.
[PB, March, 2014: In its "virtual memorial" to Richard Brown, The Yorkshire Indexers website (citing Dutton, Forgotten Heroes, p.141) states: "Discharge to pension (severe rupture) at Newbridge Barracks, Ireland 5 July 1864. Intended residence was stated as Trafalgar Square, York, but eventually settled in Manchester. Various jobs: horse dealer, riding master at Owens College, tube works, Manchester ship canal, etc." (accessed 6.3.2014).]
In 1890 he was living in lodgings at 87, Renshaw Street, Hulme, but on the 16th of August 1890 he was admitted to the Union Workhouse at Withington, Manchester, where he died four days later (20th of August 1890).
Died on the 20th of August 1890.
Death registered
Richard Brown, aged 68 years, September Quarter 1890, Chorlton.
Richard Brown was buried in Grave No. L941 C.E. in Philips Park Cemetery, Manchester. The grave has a headstone bearing the inscription:
"In memory of Sergt. Richard Brown (Late of the 11th Hussars) who died August 20th 1890. Aged 68 years. One of the Six Hundred who made the memorable Charge at the Battle of Balaclava."
There are photographs of his gravestones in the 11th Hussar file. It would appear that two tombstones were erected (the inscription on the first being now very weather-worn and almost impossible to decipher) but who erected the second one, or when, is not known.
1968: The memorial over his grave was threatened with destruction in 1968 by Manchester City Council during a landscaping exercise, but it is not known if this has been done.
1988: Due to a number of people trying to stop its removal on the grounds of historical interest, the stones were still there in at least 1988.
Extract from the Manchester Evening News, 30th of August 1890:
Death of a Balaclava hero in Whittington Workhouse.
Mr. Lawrence Flood, of the Crosby Hotel, writes to announce the death at Whittington Union Hospital, last evening, of Sergeant Brown, one of the Balaclava heroes. The poor old veteran, who participated in the charge of the Light Brigade, had for some time been in declining health, as well as in impoverished circumstances. His case is a very sad one, but other survivors of the famous battle are in as sorry a plight, while the sum contributed by the public is as yet, unadministered for their relief. Mr. Flood is endeavouring to procure for Sergeant Brown's remains a proper military funeral, so that he may be honoured in death, if neglected whilst living."
From the Manchester City News, 30th of August 1890:
"Death of a Balaclava man from starvation"
"The weekly record of deaths at the Withington Workhouse, as submitted to the Chorlton Board of Guardians, yesterday, contained the following bare announcement of the departure of one of the Balaclava heroes — "Richard Brown, aged 68 years. Cause of death, 'Inanation, debility and exhaustion.' The Assistant Clerk (Mr. D.S. Blomfield) informed the Guardians that Brown had been a sergeant in the 11th Hussars and was one of the few remaining who had taken part in the famous charge at Balaclava. He was admitted into the Workhouse three days before his death. Inanation really meant that the man had died of starvation.
Mr. W. Deakin thought it was a serious reflection on someone that Brown had died of starvation. This might have been the cause of his death, but it was not through want of money. He had been in possession of fifteen pence and had ten shillings per week pension from the Hulme Committee for twenty-four weeks. He had been receiving something like eighteen or nineteen shillings a week and when taken into the workhouse three days before he died he left £3 in the charge of a man at Ancoats.
Brown's condition must have been caused through the neglect of the persons with whom he had been lodging or by his own carelessness. The Assistant Clerk said that when he had been admitted into the Workhouse he had a sovereign in his possession.
The Clerk (Mr W.N. Edghill) said that he did not think the matter had anything to do with the business of the Board. The man was taken into the Workhouse in the ordinary course of events because he was sick and unable to do anything for himself. Three days afterwards he had died. The Guardians had nothing to do with the Fund in Hulme, nor had they anything to do with the formation of the Fund in London for the Balaclava survivors, except in their individual capacities.
A man could not die of starvation in this Workhouse, as even if he wished, he would not be allowed to. Therefore the condition of Brown did not reflect any discredit upon the Guardians in the slightest degree. It was a pitiful thing that a man who had rendered such service to the country should be compelled to go into a Workhouse, even under the circumstances in which Brown did. Brown had a good pension as far as military pensions went, and it could be no fault of the Guardians if he had died of starvation.
In the Workhouse at present there was another of the Balaclava survivors. He had worn his Balaclava medals at the gate for a long time, but for some months now he had been suffering from sickness. He had got all the comforts that could be prescribed for him by experienced medical men. [EJB: This was 1567 John Richardson, also of the 11th Hussars, who did in the workhouse at Crumpsall.] Mr. Deakin said that no defence was required in regard to the Guardians, but he had attempted to explain Brown's position with regard to the Hulme Committee."
[RM: According to the Manchester Evening News he was one of the 17 survivors of the Charge who appeared at the Free Trade Hall there in an entertainment organised by the Hulme Committee to raise funds. This event took place on the 21st of May 1890.]
Notes from Rootsweb, November 2008:
"Richard Brown was born in 1825 in Ryton Kirby Misperton, Yorkshire. He was the son of William Brown (my Great X4 Grandad). In the 1851 Census I found him in 11th Hussars barracks in Norwich. I sent for his discharge papers to confirm I had the right man which came and confirmed this to be true. I found a web site that confirmed Private 1153 Richard Brown rode at the charge of the light brigade" (entry by "Boltonmets").
[Source: http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,291558.msg1762460.html (accessed 31.1.2013)]
Addition information about membership of the Balaclava Commemoration Society, death registration and Census information for 1851 and 1861 kindly provided by Chris Poole.
In a bitter passage about the poor treatment of "veteran warriors" in her From the Fleet in the Fifties: A History of the Crimean War (London, 1902), Mrs Tom Kelly refers specifically to Richard Brown as a "pauper-hero":
"It may be well to cite the case of Sergeant Richard Brown, which is vouched for by one who long knew him intimately. It is a significant fact that his death occurred years after the Light Brigade Fund had been subscribed. He belonged to the 11th Hussars, and served with the Light Brigade through the whole of the Crimean Campaign.
He had been the favourite orderly of Lord Cardigan, and was for some years the devoted and trusty henchman of Colonel John Douglas. Handsome and honest, he was truly a model soldier, for, in his long service of 21 years, he was never in the defaulter's book. It was known that if he had not been illiterate he would have borne Her Majesty's commission.
He certainly had a pension of the heroic sum of one shilling and threepence per diem, and for twelve years subsequent to his retirement from the service he worked (often ankle-deep in water) at a canal side in Manchester, but when age and rheumatism rendered him incapable, he was compelled to go to the workhouse.
A friend strongly urged the scandal of so good a soldier, and so honourable a man, being allowed to perish by the way, and obtained the promise of the post of messenger in the War Office for the veteran, but when papers, attesting the truth of all that had been stated, were furnished to the department, it was discovered that he was past the age which precedent and routine required he (a "hero" of Balaklava, God save the mark!) should be under for the appointment.
'We are too well acquainted with these answers.'
Sergeant Richard Brown, forgotten by his country, died in the workhouse, and yet it has often been said of him, that "no better man ever drew the breath of life." How often he must have regretted that he had not died with his comrades in the fatal North Valley, instead of having to look forward to filling the grave of a pauper-hero in his native land" (p208).
[Source: Mrs Tom Kelly, From the Fleet in the Fifties: A History of the Crimean War (London, 1902). Available online in various formats at http://archive.org/details/cu31924028533671 (accessed 29.6.2013).]