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

IN PROGRESS — NOT FOR PUBLICATION

1775, Private John BARNES — 4th Light Dragoons

Birth & early life

Born at Manchester.

Enlistment

Enlisted at Manchester on the 13th of January 1855.

Age: 18.

Height: 5' 7".

Trade: Farrier.

Fair complexion. Blue eyes. Lt. brown hair.

Service

Joined the regiment in the Crimea on the 14th of June 1855.

Appointed to Shoeing-Smith on the 4th of February 1860.

Promoted to Farrier-Major on the 11th of July 1869.

Left the regiment in India (on route for England) on the 1st of January and embarked on the 6th of January 1866.

Discharge & pension

Discharged from the Royal Victoria Hospital, Netley, on the 1st of July 1876.

Reason for discharge: "Debility, from long service and exposure to the climate. Will be able to contribute towards his livelihood."

Served 21 years 5 months. (One month disqualified, but no reason given.)

In Turkey and the Crimea: 11 months

In India: 8 years 6 months.

Conduct and character: "very good".

In possession of five Good Conduct badges.

Awarded a pension of 24d. per day. Wished "to draw his pension at Stafford."

Medals & commemorations

Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasp for Sebastopol.

Not recorded by Lummis and Wynn.

Further information

His next of kin was his wife, Alice Barnes. She first appeared on the Regimental "Married roll" on the 4th of June 1863.

There were four children in the family at the time of his discharge, one being shown as "an infant." The three eldest were:

Sarah Jane, born 3rd of March 1864.

Charlotte, born 2nd of May 1872.

Marie, born 29th of April 1874.

According to the India Office records, other children had died in India: Martha, died at Meerut on the 13th of January 1868, aged 2 years 6 months; John Henry, at Meerut on the 15th of August 1870, and Alice at Meerut of "diarrhoea" on the 29th of May 1869, aged 1 year and 9 months.

All were buried in the Cantonment Cemetery at Meerut by the Revd. Joseph Jones, Chaplain.

Life after service

Death & burial


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