887, Private John BROWN — 8th Hussars

Birth & early life

Born in Antrim, Ireland.

Enlistment

Enlisted at Dublin on the 13th of March 1845.

Age: 18.

Height: 5' 8".

Trade: Servant.

Service

Embarked for the Crimea aboard the H.T. "Shooting Star" on the 25th of April 1854.

At Varna from June until the 15th of September 1854.

At Scutari Depot from the 22nd of September and sent to rejoin the regiment on the 3rd of October 1854.

Wounded in both hands during the Charge.

Sent to Scutari General Hospital on the 26th of October and shown as being there from the 9th of November.

Died "of his wounds," at Scutari on the 17th of December 1854.

From the Regimental History:

The Russians then attacked Lieutenant Phillips, whose horse had been shot, and also Private Brown, who had been disabled in both hands. Phillips kept them off with his revolver and after some time the Russians were called off by their officer and both made good their escape...

In one of his letters home, Lieutenant Phillips said that... after his horse had been shot and he being thrown to the ground he started to run as quickly as possible — "After going for some distance I found myself cut off by some Lancers who had got in my front. To some distance off from me was my old servant, Brown, who was badly wounded in the arm and a musket-ball in the back, One of the Lancers cut at him when he was on the ground and wounded him in the hand...."

[If quoting, check original for punctuation etc.]

Medals

Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava and Sebastopol.

A four-clasp Crimean medal, said to be with impressed naming to "J. Brown. 8th Hussars." was sold at a Glendining's auction on the 20th of December 1910.

A two-clasp, A. and B. Crimean medal was in the "Needes" collection sold at Glendining's on the 29th of November 1939 as part Lot 52 and a similar medal was sold from the "Gaitskill" (ex-Palmer) collections at a Glendining's auction on the 23rd of May 1911 and said to be a "Light Brigade medal". Again at a Glendining's auction on the 9th of June 1913, and a medal with clasps for Alma and Sebastopol only, named to "J. Brown. 8th Hussars." was in a Glendining's auction on the 20th of December 1954. Then said to be in an "extremely fine" state and with impressed naming.

A medal with four clasps has been sold on several occasions, the most recent being the 14th of March 1968. This medal was shown as having impressed naming and with a Turkish medal (English type.)

An impressed naming medal with clasps for S. I. and B. (in wrong order) was offered by James of Norwich at the O.M.R.S. Convention in September of 1986. This medal was named to "J. Brown. 8th Hussars."

A four-clasp impressed naming medal to "J. Brown. 8th Hussars." was sold at a Glendining's auction on the 14th of June 1987. There was no mention of a Turkish medal at this time.

A Crimean medal with the three clasps, Alma, Balaclava and Sebastopol, and said to be with officially impressed naming to "J. Brown. 8th Hussars.". was offered in a Sotheby's auction on the 12th of November 1997. The bidding price was £3,400-£3,800, but realised £3,600. The medal was described as "Sometime refurbished and suspension refixed." Extracts from "Honour the Light Brigade" were included in the "write-up" as well the statement that he was the "only J. Brown on the regimental muster rolls for the Crimea..."

It is, of course, quite possible that all these medals could be one and the same medal, the unifying fact being the impressed naming of each, but with the clasps being removed — or added — as the circumstances dictated.

A close check of the medal rolls shows some doubt as to his actual entitlement to the Alma clasp, as well as to the more obvious one of not being entitled to that for Inkerman.

In the case of the latter [i.e. Inkerman] it is known that he was sent to Scutari on the 26th of October (the day after the battle of Balaclava), his wounds being of such a degree to cause his later death at Scutari. He therefore could not have taken part in the battle of Inkerman and is not shown on the medal roll.

The musters show him as being at Varna from June until the 15th of September 1854 and being sent to rejoin the regiment in the Crimea proper on the 3rd of October 1854.

The battle of the Alma being on the 20th of September he would again appear not to have actually been present, but he is shown as such on the medal roll and must therefore be accepted. At least five other men of the same regiment whose dates of being at Varna and joining the regiment coincide with his, did not receive the Alma clasp — although most were entitled to Balaclava, but not necessarily confirmed as having taken part in the Charge.

Death & burial

Died "of his wounds," at Scutari on the 17th of December 1854.

Further information

2 June 2021: I would like to thank Tony Margrave for bringing a forthcoming DNW auction (23 June 2021) to our attention:

(Click on image to enlarge)

The Crimea Medal awarded to Private John Brown, 8th Hussars, who was severely wounded in the charge of the Light Brigade at Balaklava and subsequently died of his wounds.

Crimea 1854-56, 3 clasps, Alma, Balaklava, Sebastopol (J. Brown, 8th Hussars.) officially impressed naming, suspension claw neatly re-affixed, light edge bruising and field marks, otherwise good very fine £5,000-£7,000.

John Brown was born in Antrim, Ireland, and was a servant prior to enlistment into the 8th Hussars on 13 March 1845. He embarked for the East in the Hired Transport Shooting Star on 25 April 1854, and was at Varna from June to September 1854. He was severely wounded at Balaklava on 25 October 1854 (London Gazette 16 December 1854 refers) and died from his wounds at Scutari Hospital on 17 December 1854. Sold with copied medal roll extracts and relevant muster rolls.

[DNW: The Crimea Medal awarded to Private John Brown, 8th Hussars...]