LIVES OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE
The E.J. Boys Archive

1231, Private Seranas Charles BROWN — 11th Hussars

Birth & early life

Born at Leeds, Yorkshire, on the 12th of May 1828.

Enlistment

Enlisted at Leeds on the 12th of March 1846.

Age: 17 years 10 months.

Height: 5' 7".

Trade: Warehouseman.

Appearance: Fair complexion. Grey eyes. Lt. brown hair.

Service [1]

Tried by a Regimental Court-martial and imprisoned from the 1st-17th of June 1848.

In custody of the "Civil Power" from the 1st-30th of May 1851.

Imprisoned by a Regimental Court-martial from the 30th of October — 1st of December 1852 and again by a District Court-martial from the 31st of January — 9th of February 1855.

The crime for which he was tried by a Regimental Court-martial on the 30th of October 1852 was for "Desertion — and escaping from the Guard-room." Awarded 112 days imprisonment with hard labour, of which 56 days were remitted.

Doubts exist as to his claim to have ridden in the Charge. The muster roll for October-December of 1854 shows him as "Sick, absent" for that taken on the 31st of October, and for that taken on the 30th of November as "In hospital." The dates from which he was paid by the regiment are from the 1-3 of October and not again until the 14th of December. Of this period 18 days are shown as "on board ship" and 3 days "ashore."

His account, etc, comes under Voucher No. 3, Report of men sent from the Crimea to Scutari Depot and Voucher No. 7, Report of men sent from the General Depot at Scutari to Balaclava Camp. There are no actual muster rolls for the Scutari Hospital until January of 1855, but the June-December rolls of the Scutari Depot cover men on duty, in hospital there — or on board a hospital ship. That for October and November shows him (recorded only as "Charles" Brown,) as "Hospital" and being sent to the regiment on the 14th of December 1854. This confirms the detail from the regimental musters.

Transferred to the 8th Hussars on the 31st of August 1857.

Embarked for India aboard the S.S. "Great Britain" on the 8th of October 1857.

Discharge & pension

Discharged from Canterbury on the 19th of August 1861 at "Own request, with right of registry for a deferred pension of 4d. per day upon reaching the age of 50 years."

Service [2]

He re-enlisted into the 1st Dragoons at Westminster on the 17th of October 1861, under the same Christian names, and with the Regimental No. of 536. His age was shown as 35 years 5 months and his trade that of a clerk. Former service in the 11th and 8th Hussars allowed to reckon towards pension by War Office Authority, dated the 26th of November 1862.

In Turkey and the Crimea. 2 years. East Indies, 3 years 3 months.

Conduct: "very good". Is in possession of two Good Conduct badges.

Twice tried by Regimental Court-martial and once by District Court-martial.

To live in Providence Yard, High Street, Leeds.

Discharge & pension [2]

Discharged, from Ballincollig, Ireland, on the 31st of January 1871 as, "Free, to pension after 24 years service."

Twenty-seven times entered in the Regimental Defaulters' book. Twice tried by Regimental Court-martial and once by District Court-martial.

To live in Manchester after discharge.

Placed on the list of In-Pensioners on the 10th of September 1902, and an increase of pension was "refused" on the 17th of September 1902.

Admitted to In-Pension at Chelsea Royal Hospital on the 1st of June 1903.

At this time he was 75 years of age, and had previously been living at No. 8 Coin Street, Stamford Street, London, S.E. He was in receipt of a military pension of 12d. per day at this time. He is shown as "Being unable to work." Also confirmed as being in his possession were his Crimean medal with two clasps (it is not specified which these were), the Turkish medal, and the Indian Mutiny medal, with clasp.

Medals

Entitled (according to the medal rolls) to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma and Sebastopol, and the Turkish medal.

Documents confirm the award of the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma and Sebastopol only. They also state, "Is entitled to, but has not yet received the Indian Mutiny medal with clasp for "Central India."

Mutiny medal with clasp for Central India.

Further detailed medal information archived.

Commemorations

Likenesses

His portrait appeared in the Balaclava Banquet commemorative issue of the Illustrated London News, 30th of October 1875.

Portrait of Brown in the Illustrated London News, 30th October 1875. He is incorrectly said to have been in the 8th Hussars.

(Click on image to enlarge)

He is pictured as "C. Brown. 8th Hussars." in the Illustrated London News for the 30th of October 1875. He is not however, shown on the list of those invited by the Committee to attend the Fete held at Alexandra Palace on the 25th of October 1875, although in common with a number of others, he could well have been present.

Brown, whose nickname was "Sambo," was accepted by Mr. T.H. Roberts as a survivor. His name was in the 1877 list but not in the 1879 revised list of members of the Balaclava Commemoration Society. He attended the Annual Dinners in 1894-95-97 and 1899. He was also present at the Fleet Street offices of T.H. Roberts in June of 1897 for the Jubilee celebrations. He then said in an interview that he had been an instructor at the Leeds Athletic Club for two years, after which he served for twenty-seven years in the Corps of Commissionaires, the first of which were at the Union Bank.

After getting too old and heavy to run about he was employed at the Strand Theatre. (He became a member of the Corps on the 7th of April 1874 and remained so until entry in the Royal Hospital Chelsea. He was known as "Charles" Brown in the Corps.) (He retired from the Corps of Commissionaires on the 30th of June 1894.)

On being asked his name he replied, "Sambo" Brown. Please put that down." This use of a nickname was possibly because of his unusual first name, which, up to now, according to Lummis and Wynn, was given as Samuel. He signed his name as "Sambo" Charles Brown" on the testimonial given to Mr. Roberts at this time. (See facsimile of this and also a photograph taken at the time in which he most probably appears. This interview report was taken from a souvenir issue of the weekly magazine, "Illustrated Bits", which was published around this time by Mr. T.H. Roberts, in the "Memoirs" file.)

Life after service

1891 Census

207, Compton Buildings, Clerkenwell.

Charles Brown, 61, Lodger, Messenger, born Leeds, Yorks.

1901 Census

Queens Head Street, Islington.

Charles Brown, 71, Army pensioner, Boarder, born Leeds.

Admitted to In-Pension at Chelsea Royal Hospital on the 1st of June 1903.

At this time he was 75 years of age, and had previously been living at No. 8 Coin Street, Stamford Street, London, S.E.

Death & burial

Died at the age of 75 in the Royal Hospital Chelsea on the 5th of February 1904. He was buried in Brookwood Cemetery. No headstone was erected.

His will shows him only as "Charles" Brown, and he left his personal estate of £385 to his brother, Frederick James Brown, a commercial traveller, on the 26th of September 1904.

(The Royal Chelsea Hospital Ground in Brookwood Cemetery covers roughly two acres. There is a large memorial bearing the words — on one side — "The original Burial Ground at Chelsea Hospital having been closed in 1854, a plot in the Brompton Cemetery was used between 1855 and 1893 when this Cemetery was acquired. "For though the British soldier has entered many countries as a conqueror, there are few that he has not quitted as a friend." This monument is erected in their honour by the Lords Commissioners and Governors of the Royal Hospital Chelsea. — and on the other — The ashes of In-Pensioners are interred here. Their names are in the "Book of Remembrance." No individual names are recorded on this and only a relatively few modern stones are in one corner of the plot, as well as a few individual stones to high-ranking officers of the Hospital who are interred on the border strip. (There is a photographs of the area and of the memorial itself, in the 4th Hussar file.)

References & acknowledgements

Census information for 1891 & 1901 kindly provided by Chris Poole.