Born in the parish of St. Marylebone, London c.1822.
Enlisted at Hounslow on the 25th of October 1843.
Age: 21.
Height: 5' 7".
Trade: Brick-layer.
Features: Fresh complexion. Hazel eyes. Black hair.
At Scutari, 22nd of November 1854 — 15th of January 1855.
From Private to Corporal: 9th of February 1856.
Corporal to Sergeant: 1st of March 1862.
Discharged from the Chatham Invalid Depot on the 27th of April 1862:
"Found unfit for further service. Labours under varicose ulcers of the left leg. Started whilst serving in the Crimea and is attributable to exposure and hardship whilst serving in that campaign. Not attributable nor caused by vice or mis-conduct. Disease will not materially affect his earning a living."
Served 18 years 146 days. In Turkey and the Crimea: 2 years.
Conduct and character, "very good". In possession of two Good Conduct badges when promoted.
Never entered in the Regtl. Defaulters' book. Never tried by Court-martial.
Aged 35 years 3 months on discharge.
Awarded a pension of 1/3d. per day.
Pension letters to the 20th of December 1879.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman and Sebastopol, and the Turkish medal.
Documents confirm the award of the Crimean and Turkish medals.
Attended the first Balaclava Banquet in 1875.
Member of the Balaclava Commemoration Society in 1877 and 1879.
Signed the Loyal Address to the Queen in 1887.
To live at Manchester after discharge, but he was living in the West London Pension District from the 1st of October 1862 and at Birmingham in 1875.
1871 Census
30, York Street, Nottingham.
Henry Brown, 48, Provision Dealer, born London.
Catherine Brown, 37, born Nottingham.
1881 Census
Sir Robert Clifton [Public House], 3 Denham Street, Radford, Nottingham.
Henry Brown, 58, Beer House Keeper, born St Marylebone, London.
Catherine Brown, 47, born Nottingham.
Martha Brown, 11, Scholar, born Nottingham.
Alice Lording, niece, 22, Hosiery Mender, born St Marylebone.
A Servant is also shown.
[CP: I have included daughter's name but unable to locate her in birth/marriage or death reliably.]
Died on the 23rd of May 1891.
Death registered
Henry Brown, aged 68 years, June Quarter 1891, Chorlton.
From Jackson's Woolwich Journal, 1st of June 1891:
"Death of a Balaclava Hero. Mr. S. Snelt, the deputy coroner of Manchester, held an inquest on Monday last relating to the death of Henry Brown, aged 68, who took part in the famous charge at Balaclava.
A short time ago the deceased came from Bleasby in Nottinghamshire, on a visit. He was staying in a house in City Road and retired to bed on Friday night in his usual health. About half-past-one the following morning (Saturday the 23rd of May) his wife heard him making a peculiar noise and found that he was in a dying condition. The jury returned a verdict of "Death through natural causes."
It was stated in the court that the deceased man had two horses shot under him at Balaclava, but passed unscathed through the action, being one of the survivors of the Light Brigade."
Additional information, including death registration and Census information for 1871 and 1881, kindly provided by Chris Poole.