Born in Nottingham, 27 December 1814, the son of William Brown of the 6th Inniskilling Dragoons and Alice Brown (nee Laiken).
(See Further Information, below, for his family background.)
Enlisted at Nottingham, 27 May 1836, "to go to the Band".
Age: 18.
Height: 5' 3".
Trade: Boot and shoe-maker.
Features: Fair complexion. Hazel eyes. Brown hair.
John Brown was married to Margaret Barrett (born 1823, died 1896) at Dublin in 1838, and had by her four children:
Alice, the eldest, who married a William Longbottom and became the great-grandmother of Miss Sally Adshead [see "Further information" below],
John Barrett — served in the 45th Foot and the Royal Dublin Fusiliers,
William — served in the 17th Lancers and also the Royal Engineers,
George — died young at Canterbury.
From Private to Trumpeter: 28 May 1839.
On the 31st of December 1855 he was recommended for the French Legion of Honour (see below).
Embarked for India from Cork aboard the S.S. Great Britain, 8th of October 1857.
The July-September 1858 muster rolls show him as being "On detachment at Shoolapoor" during this period.
Served in action against the rebels at Zeerapore, 29th of December 1858, and at Baroda, 1st of January 1859.
Embarked for England from India, 28th of March 1861.
Discharged from Chatham Invalid Depot, 6th of July 1861, as "Unfit and worn out — the result of long service in various climates."
Served 24 years 277 days. In Turkey and the Crimea: 2 years. India: 3 years 3 months.
Conduct: "good". In possession of four Good Conduct badges. Never tried by Court-martial.
Aged 43 years 6 months on discharge.
Awarded a pension of 1/- per day.
Next of kin: Wife, Margaret Brown.
His intended place of residence was Maidstone, but he was later appointed Trumpeter on the Permanent Staff of the Anglesey Troop of the Staffordshire Yeomanry, becoming Trumpet-Major. He retired from this appointment circa 1880.
He received assistance from the "Woodham" Fund, 14th January 1881.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman, and Sebastopol, the Turkish medal, and the Mutiny medal without clasp.
Awarded the French Legion of Honour (5th Class). (See copies of two newspaper interviews in one of which he describes how he came to be awarded this, in the 17th Lancer file. [To be transcribed.])
A Confidential Memo from the Horse Guards dated the 31st of December 1855, stated that:
"It is intended to distribute a certain number of Decorations of the French Legion of Honour to Non-Commissioned Officers and men of the Cavalry Regiments who have been proposed as the most deserving, of the Fifth Class."
The Memo ended with the request that seven further names of NCOs or Privates as considered most deserving be transmitted as soon as possible.
In answer the Commanding Officer of the regiment sent the following:
"17th Lancers, Ismid
December 28th 1855
Sir, — In compliance with the confidential letter dated 24th December 1855 directing me to send to the Brigadier General Comg the Cavalry the name of that person in this Regiment including all Ranks (with the exception of Lt Colonel prior to 25th of Octr. 1854) of the Officers. N.C. Officers and Privates whom I consider most entitled to distinction for distinguished prowess in conjunction with our Allies, I have the honour to bring to your notice Trumpeter John Brown — who personally distinguished himself in the Charge at Balaklava and was present in the various other engagements with the Enemy.
I have the honour to be, Sir,
Your most Obedient Humble Servant,
H.R Benson, Major Comg 17th Lancers."
In a newspaper interview in his later years he said that he was awarded the French Legion of Honour for rescuing three wounded comrades, one of whom was Captain William Gordon, 17th Lancers, although he qualifies this by saying that the last was in the act of pistolling a Russian officer who had the British officer at his mercy. So how the story first started that Brown is pictured is not known.
Awarded the Long Service & Good Conduct medal, 31 May 1858.
He was present at the Jubilee Celebrations held by T.H. Roberts in June 1897, and at 83 years of age was the oldest man there. When the veterans were assembled outside the building for the procession to pass and were greeted by the Queen he became so ill from excitement that, acting on the orders of a kindly doctor who voluntarily attended him, Mr Roberts was obliged to send him home at once to Lichfield, where he soon recovered his ordinary health. [PB: This reads like a quotation. If so, what is the source?]
He is said to have been pictured mounted and carrying a wounded comrade (the young trumpeter Billy Brittain) in Elizabeth Thompson, Lady Butler's "The Return from the Charge".
Lived at 40, Wade Street, Lichfield, on discharge.
1881 Census
Wade Street, Lichfield.
The 1881 Census shows him as an Army Pensioner, aged 64, born at Nottingham, with his wife Margaret, 56, born in Dublin.
Died at 40, Wade Street, Lichfield, 27 March 1898, aged 84 years. He was buried in St. Michael's churchyard at Lichfield with military honours.
Mourners included 1274 John Howes, 4th Light Dragoons, and 1481 John Edden, 4th Light Dragoons. It is not clear to me who the "Balaclava heroes" Private Kelly or Sergeant Major Sullivan might be. [PB, Feb 2014.]
There is a copy of his death certificate in the "Certificates" file. See also photograph in the 17th Lancer file of the area of the churchyard which shows the pathway constructed over the site of his presumed grave. Also a photograph of the house in Wade Street, Lichfield, in which he lived and died. This is the one with the newly painted window frame, next to the church. It was subsequently completely re-developed.[Photos to be uploaded.])
Extract from the Birmingham Evening Mail, 27 June 1977:
Search to clear up a grave doubt.
Modern Army mine-detecting equipment is being called in to try and pin-point the Midlands grave of a soldier who took part in the Charge of the Light Brigade. The grave of Bugler [sic] John Browne has been lost in St. Michael's churchyard at Lichfield and the Rector, Andrew Paine, hopes that it will be located with the aid of a metal-detector — because the old soldier was buried with his bugle.
"Visitors to a medieval-style fair to be held at the church next month will be able to have a go at searching for the grave with detection equipment borrowed from Whittington Barracks.
'Our church register records the death of Bugler Browne who served in the 17th Lancer's,' said Mr. Paine. 'It is said that he blew the bugle to signal the start of the Charge of the Light Brigade. His grave became obliterated when a new road-way was laid through the churchyard and now we want to locate it and put up a plaque where this soldier was buried. American tourists often ask about the grave during their visit to Lichfield.'
From the Daily Express, 22 August 1977:
The grave of John Browne — Charge of the Light Brigade trumpeter said to have been buried with his instrument... has now been re-discovered under a path-way in a Derby church-yard by the use of a metal detector.
A letter [to EJB] from the parish priest in June 1978 stated:
"Last summer we investigated the area and had a very positive reaction which could perhaps be the bugle. We also have eye-witness accounts of an old Lichfield citizen who remembers seeing the grave before it was covered over by the new church road-way.
Over this evidence we hope, with the assistance of the War Graves Commission, to erect a plaque saying that near this site is the grave of John Browne. You will be interested to learn that there are still relatives of John Browne living in the town of Lichfield, who are members of the congregation here."
This information being passed on to the then Regimental Secretary of the 17th/21st Lancers, contact was made between the Vicar and the Regiment, who have tentatively promised to send the Trumpet-Major to sound some suitable calls over the site when the ceremony can be arranged. (Up to the present [1981] nothing further seems to have come of this.)
It is now known (1984) that a stone memorial slab was finally placed in St. Michael's churchyard at Lichfield, on or near the spot where he is said to have been buried, but who did this, or when, it has not been possible to find out. See the photograph of this stone in the 17th Lancer file.
The inscription reads:
"Near here is the grave of Trumpeter John Brown (1815-1898) who sounded the trumpet for the 17th Lancers at the Charge of the Light Brigade, Balaclava, 25th October 1854."
Above the wording is the skull and cross-bones badge of the Regiment.
Two stories have come to light regarding the grave of John Browne being "lost". The first comes from the family that in 1976 a great-grandson visited the churchyard in an attempt to find the grave and met the old sexton there. This man told him that in 1964 an old elm tree by the side of the churchyard came crashing down on the area where John Brown was buried. When the tree had been cleared away it was discovered that it had broken all the gravestones in its path into little pieces and which could not be put together again — neither was it known who was buried where.
The sexton said that the then Vicar told him to throw all the pieces into a ditch that had just been made for some repair work. This he did, they were covered up, and presumably lie there until this day.
The sexton also said that his father, who had been sexton before him, had dug the original grave. Apparently Margaret Browne had been buried in the same grave when she died a couple of years before her husband.
The second comes from Christopher Poole, of Rugeley, who wrote:
"I have enquired about John Browne [sic] of an old Lichfield man who lives directly round the corner from Wade Street — indeed, he has lived there since 1919. He is well-versed in the legend of Browne, including the comment that he was buried with his silver bugle.
However, he then directed me to a man who was involved in 1977 with the publicity concerning the whereabouts of Browne's grave, a Mr. Arthur Barnes, some 75 years old. He is a very spritely man, who informed me that he knew exactly where Browne was buried and the reason he was so confident — that in 1924 there had been a straight cobbled pathway going up the hill from the main road to the church door, but in winter it became a very slippery road and as you can imagine, a big haul for the horses pulling the hearse and mourners up the hill. What brought matters to a head was that on one occasion when the road was icy a horse slipped and broke a leg — resulting in the beast being put down.
The then Vicar, the Reverend Howard, said that was enough, and engaged a gang of men (all volunteers) to prepare an alternative path-way through (rather than alongside the wall as before) the cemetery — which meant levelling many of the gravestones. The original cobbled pathway is still there. Mr Barnes was one of that gang, and well remembers all the headstones, etc. being broken up to form the basis for the new road. He remembers that Browne's grave did have a small marker stone and this, with others, was broken up. He well recalls that when he was by Browne's grave the Revd. Howard saying, 'If you want a bob or two there is some silver down there' (a reference to the bugle).
At the time of Browne's death, Mr. Barnes's father worked in the family undertaking business at Greenhill, Lichfield, with his father. It is probable, but Mr. Arthur Barnes cannot be sure, that his father/grandfather had buried Browne. Mr. Barnes went on to tell me that Browne was buried in full uniform, plus silver bugle — and his dog. He then took me to the cemetery and went straight to the spot where Browne lies — half on the green and half in the pathway.
In 1977 some American visitors asked where Browne's grave was, and the then Vicar, the Revd. A. Paine (or Payne), took a very active interest in the matter. He asked for information concerning the grave, and Mrs Barnes (a churchgoer and wife of the story-teller) advised him to contact her husband.
Mr Barnes first took them to the spot and in turn the military were involved, hence all the publicity. At the spot indicated the military took a reading with an electronic device — then they searched all around, but to no avail — then back to Mr. Barnes's indicated position where there was again a reading. The latter says there would be "zinc brass-plated handles on the coffin," which would not register.
The Lichfield Mercury and local history has it that he was buried with his bugle. Mr. Pain was trying to tidy up the cemetery and put all the military stones together. However, he met with some resistance and hence the plaque was placed next to the War memorial "near" the spot where Browne lies. A pity really, as it is only about six feet away from where the grave actually is.
Mr. Barnes believes the plaque was laid by the Reverend Pain, with the possible financial help of the local British Legion. The "new" pathway is due to be resurfaced by the Council and as he knows many of the men in the work-crews, if and when they arrive, he wants to process matters for he knows that just under the path surface lie the broken headstone pieces which will probably be dug up to relay the path. He took my address, and will let me know of any developments. He is very interested in the whole affair, for, as he readily admits, if he had not levelled John Browne's grave he would probably never have heard of him."
The following information came from a great-great-granddaughter, Miss S. Adshead of Earlsdon, whose mother is a direct descendant of John Browne's only daughter, Mrs. Longbottom.
Two sons apparently followed him into the Army. John, the eldest, retired from the service after 30 years as Bandmaster of the Dublin Fusiliers and at the time of his father's death was still in India as the Bandmaster of the Railway Volunteers at Jamilpur, India. Another son, William, after having served for 25 years in the band of the Royal Engineers, following previous service in the 17th Lancers, was, at this time, in a public position at Chatham. William died childless at Chatham, or possibly Gillingham, [now known to be not true, see below] and John later came to Preston, Lancashire. What family he had is not known, but it was probably from this family that some members went to America.
Miss Adshead also tells of the family story that her grand-mother told her of John Brown(e) refusing to sign his discharge documents because his name was not spelt with an "e", His documents in the P.R.O. bear out this story, the signature being "John Browne". There are some words by the side of this which are illegible. and a cross. The same hand appears to have been responsible for writing out most of the document details. The signature of the "John Browne" who signed the testimonial to T.H. Roberts in 1897 was by a different hand. (See copy of this, his obituary notice and report of his funeral, possibly from the Staffordshire Advertiser and copies of photographs of him in uniform and in civilian dress, in the 17th Lancer file.)
In October 1967, a Mr. Frank Browne, believing himself to be a relative, wrote to the then Regimental Secretary seeking further information of John Browne's background. He said that John Browne was back in Canterbury at the end of May 1859, when a young son, George, died. [He did not return until March 1861.] He also stated that a further connection with the Regiment was through John Browne's son William. His early service had been with the 17th Lancers, although later he had transferred to the Royal Engineers — possibly about 1875, but certainly not later: "I am not certain of just when he joined the regiment but he was born at the Depot at Brighton in 1845 and was in Edinburgh in 1859 when the regiment was there." [sic].
The writer may have been a descendant of John Browne, the eldest son, as William was said to have died childless. Efforts to contact Mr. F. Browne at the Chatham address given at the time of writing have so far failed. [See section below on William Brown for developments on this.]
A "William Brown" and a "George W. Brown" are to be found in the St. Catherine's House Army Chaplain's Registers as having been born into the 17th Lancers at Brighton in 1845 and Kilmainham in 1853 respectively. The latter was possibly the "son, George" noted by Mr. F. Browne to the then Regimental Secretary as dying at Canterbury in 1859.
A William Browne is shown as having entered the Royal Military Asylum at Chelsea on the 4 March 1855 at the age of 9 years and three months. He was described as being the son of Trumpeter John Brown of the 17th Lancers and his wife, Margaret. He was "Handed over to his mother" on 14 December 1859.
His eldest son, John, enlisted at Piershill Barracks, Edinburgh, on 9 September 1859. His age was given as 18 years and one month, 5' 8" tall, fair complexion, hazel eyes, light brown hair, and with a scar over his left eye. His trade was that of a schoolmaster. He was first attached to the 5th Depot Bn. as a Fourth Class Schoolmaster from the 10 September 1859 to the 31st of January 1860, and was then sent in a similar capacity to the Royal School at Dublin until the 11 July 1862.
Transferred (as a Private) to the 45th Foot on 12 July 1862, Regimental No. 210.
He became Band-Sergeant on 1 September 1864 and was re-engaged for 12 years' further service on 2 September 1876.
In "open arrest", 9th-27th March 1878, tried by a Court-martial for "drunkenness" and reduced to Private.
He was soon promoted again, however, becoming a Corporal on 24 April 1878, L/Sergeant on 21 May 1878, and Sergeant again on 1 September 1880.
He was then transferred to the Royal Dublin Fusiliers Regimental Band as Bandmaster (Warrant Officer rank) No. 824, on 4 January 1882, until being discharged in India on 18th December 1891.
He then became the Band-master of the Railway Volunteers, stationed at, India.
He had a total service of 31 years 84 days.
During his service he spent 10 years 315 days on "home service", 1 year 48 days in Gibraltar, and 357 days in Egypt, before his service of 18 years 111 days in India.
His conduct and character were rated as "Fair, habits not temperate."
He had married Elizabeth Helen White at Madras, India, on the 7 January 1869, and is said to have died in India in 1903.
William Brown was born in Preston Barracks, Brighton, on the 28 October 1845. He enlisted into the 17th Lancers at the Maidstone Cavalry Depot on the 20 September 1860 at 10.30 a.m., aged 14 years and 10 months, the Recruiting Sergeant being Sergeant Major Harder, of the Cavalry Depot. He signed his name as William Browne, although the musters are in the name of Brown. His period of enlistment was for 15 years 2 months. Hew as described as 4' 8" in height, with a fresh complexion, hazel eyes and brown hair, and had "no trade". His Regimental number was 762.
He attained the age of 18 years on the 27 October 1863, and was promoted to Trumpeter in September of 1865. He then transferred to the 45th Foot (to serve with elder brother) on the 1st of February 1869, his Regimental number being 1576.
Six months later, on the 1st of July 1869, he transferred to the Royal Engineers as a Sapper, and where his number was 10114. He became Lance Corporal in August of 1873, 2nd. Corporal in the November of 1876, Corporal in January of 1880 and Sergeant on the 27 April 1885. He had been re-engaged at Rochester on the 27 April 1876 "to complete 21 years service" and was discharged from Chatham on the 14 May 1885 with a total service to count of 21 years 200 days. "Discharged in consequence of having completed his second period of limited service. Conduct and character — very good, and temperate. He has received the Long Service & Good Conduct medal with a gratuity of £5."
To live at 7, Fox Terrace, Brompton, Kent.
On the 7th of May 1887 he had married (without leave) Sarah Maria Watts in the Medway District. (His wife is believed to have come from a farming family in Biddenden, Kent — of "Biddenden Maids" fame.)
William did not die childless as was at first thought, but had at least one son (when in his seventies) who was the Mr. Frank Browne who wrote to the then Regimental Secretary in 1967.
Following co-operation in research with Dr. Diana Trenchard (a family descendant of John Browne through his eldest son, John Barrett) considerable further information has come to light, much of it confirming what was already known, and a certain amount correcting other small details.
His father was not the "Sergeant Robert Browne of the 6th Dragoons", as at first thought possible (this assumption was based on the fact that family belief and obituary reports had made him out to be a Band-Sergeant in the Regiment and although the rank of band-sergeant was not specifically recorded at that period, other details of him made it a possibility).
His father was William Browne of the 6th Inniskilling Dragoons, born Tiverton, Devonshire, and baptised there on the 22nd of June 1784. A "farmer" by trade, he enlisted into the 6th Inniskilling Dragoons at the age of 10 years on the 5 April 1798 at Romford, Essex. He was 5' 5" in height (at the time of his discharge) with a fresh complexion, grey eyes and light brown hair. He was promoted to Trumpeter 18 March 1800.
He did not go to France for the Waterloo campaign, but was sent to the Depot at Ipswich from Nottingham on 24 April 1815. Here he was a trumpeter in Captain Thomas Chapman's troop. He rejoined the regiment at Exeter on its return from the Continent on the 25 January 1816. He resigned to Private on the 25 September 1820, promoted to Corporal on the 25 June 1824, but was reduced to Private on the 20 August 1826.
Two dates are given for his discharge from the Portobello Barracks, Dublin, the 7 August and the 8 September 1830. The first was probably his actual discharge date and the second the date to which his service counted for pension purposes, a certain time counting as "furlo" perhaps. Discharged, "at his own request, on a modified pension of 10d. per day." He had served 24 years 157 days, (22 years 271 actual and 1 year 233 days added on for soldiers enlisting before the 15 March 1831.) Conduct: "Has been that of a good and efficient soldier."
To live at Ipswich, Suffolk.
His Regimental number was 1.
William Browne had married Alice Laiken, a spinster, at Dundalk, Louth, on 3 September 1809. Six children were known to have been born into the family, the first four being shown in the baptismal registers of the 6th Inniskillings. At the time of the baptism of his second child he is shown — wrongly — as being a Sergeant, and this is where the story could have arisen about him being the Band-Sergeant of the Regiment. A "Robert" and a "John" Browne also served in the regiment at the same time as William, but no relationship can yet be established. 476 John Browne was the eldest son, born at Nottingham, 27 December 1814, and baptised there 8 January 1815.
The family story of an ancestor being born on the battlefield of Minden may have a certain element of truth in that a Trumpeter John Browne served in the 6th Dragoons during the relevant period. Born at Hesbroon, Paderboorn, Germany, a "farmer" by trade when he enlisted at the age of ten, he served in the army for 37 years, being discharged at the age of 46 years on 3 November 1806 with a pension of 1/6d per day, and to live in Edgware, London. He had served three years in Holland, (this would have been in 1793.)
According to the family he was born at Minden on 1 August 1759, and had married an Ann Kerslake at Tiverton on 14 April 1784, the H.Q. of the regiment being at Exeter at this time. According to the Regimental History the 6th Dragoons had embarked at Gravesend and landed at Emden on 23 July 1758. They were at Lingen on the 8th of August, Keesveld on the 17th, Hattern on the 30th of September and on 8 November 1758 "the army went into its winter quarters, the Inniskilling Dragoons and the rest of the cavalry round about the town of Paderborn."
John Barrett Brown was married twice, the first time being to Hannah Powell, whom he had met and married while in Portobello Barracks, Dublin, in 1863. She had been a personal maid to the Countess of Howeth. Going to India in 1865, she was accidentally drowned from the S.S "Cashmere" (a vessel of 810 tons and belonging to the British India Steam Navigation Company) on 18 May 1868. Her body was later washed ashore, and she was buried on the following day (May 19) in the European Cemetery at Calicut. This vessel may have been a troopship.
No children were born into this family in India, but eleven by his second marriage to Isabella Helen White in St. George's Cathedral, Madras. Several of his sons and grandsons served in the Army, notably in the Royal Dublin Fusiliers and the Gloucester Regiment.
When John Barrett Browne had attended a Kneller Hall Bandmaster's Course in 1881 he attained the Degree of L.R.A.M., and when his grandson, Robert Jervis (later Bandmaster of the Gloucester Regiment) attended a similar course at Kneller Hall he found that there was a picture of his grandfather hanging in the hall to acknowledge the fact that he was the first person (or so it is thought) to obtain the LRAM there. John Barrett Browne died at Nahun, India.
The family are in possession of an autobiography written by William Alfred (the second son of John Barrett), the "black sheep" of the family, who was in and out of regiments on repeated discharges, his "stripes" being on and off equally. In this, he wrote:
"My father, grandfather and great-grandfather were soldiers. In the latter part of the eighteenth century my great-grand-father was serving in the Heavy Dragoons. My grandfather served all through the Crimean War of 1854-55 and the Indian Mutiny of 1857-58."
The last child, George (who died at Canterbury in 1859), was born at 15, Suffolk Street, Bethnal Green, London, on 15 September 1854, and died at 124, Northgate Street, Canterbury, 28 May 1859, from " Maligna.". [PB: I have found nothing on "maligna" — was it short for "malignant fever"?] The death was registered by a "J. Brown" who had been present at the death. It may have been this name which led Mr. Frank Browne to think that John Browne of the 17th Lancers had been allowed to come from India, and the misreading of the words "Doctor in attendance" to be "Father". John Barrett Brown would have been about 17 or 18 years of age at this time, and as he did not join the army until September of 1859 was most probably living at home while his father was in India.
The following was found on the CWRS website in 2015 in the section on "OBITUARIES &c. from THE INVERNESS COURIER, researched and extracted by John Pearson."
"Death of the Balaclava Trumpeter," Inverness Courier, April 1, 1898, p. 3e.
John Browne, 84, 17th Lancers, one of few remaining survivors of Light Brigade charge, d. at Lichfield. Enlisted May 1836, in 17th Lancers, Ipswich, and served through the Crimea campaign, 1854-56, present at battles of Alma, Inkerman and Balaclava, and siege of Sebastopol. "On the memorable October 25, 1854, the day of the charge of the Light Brigade, he was regimental trumpeter, and sounded the charge for the 'Death or Glory Boys'. He escaped unhurt, but lost the heel of his boot and spur by a musket ball, and had his coat-tail cut off by a Cossack lance." Also served through the Indian Mutiny, present at capture and execution of rebel chief Tantia Topee. Browne had a Russian war medal with four clasps, the Cross of the Legion of Honour, the Turkish medal, the Indian Mutiny medal, and a good conduct medal. At death, was earning pension of 1s 1/2d per day.
[Source: http://cwrs.russianwar.co.uk/cwrs-R-Scots-obits.html (accessed 9.1.2015).]