Born in London.
Christened at St. Saviour's Church, Middlesex, London, on the 10th of February 1833, the son of Cornelius James and Sophia Carter.
His father, also Cornelius James, was christened in the same church on the 29th of March 1802, being also the son of a Cornelius James Carter, and his wife, Elizabeth.
[PB: A quick search in 2018 showed a number of more recent "Cornelius James Carters" from St Saviour's parish. Follow up?
Enlisted at Brighton on the 6th of January 1855.
Age: 22.
Height: 5' 11".
Trade: Heraldic painter.
Joined the regiment in the Crimea on the 25th of April 1855.
From Private to Corporal: 22nd of July 1855.
Invalided to England on the 7th of December 1855.
"Absent" from the 30th of June 1856. Confined from the 30th of August and tried by a Regimental Court-martial on the 9th of September. Reduced to Private and sentenced to 84 days imprisonment. To be discharged from Lewes Gaol.
Discharged on the "Reduction of the Regiment." from Brighton on the 24th of November 1856.
Served 1 year 239 days.
Conduct and character: "good". Not in possession of any Good Conduct badges.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasp for Sebastopol.
Not recorded by Lummis and Wynn.
From the "Regimental News" column of the United Services Gazette, 20th of January 1855:
4th Light Dragoons. — A young man, formerly of the 4th L.D., who had purchased his discharge about 5 years ago has again enlisted into the same regiment. He is a herald-painter, and in reply to a question put to him said he could earn a good living following his profession, but that he was anxious to "have a spat at the Russians..."
He had originally enlisted into the 4th Light Dragoons at Hampton Court on the 13th of October 1851, under the name of Cornelius James Carter and with the Regimental No. of 1511. Then 19 years and 1 month of age, he was 5' 9" in height, and a "Heraldry-painter" by trade.
He did not get off to a very good start, going absent from the 16th to the 20th of November, forfeiting his pay for this period and being "In cells" from the 21st to the 28th of November.
Absent again 14th — 28th of December, being "in "Military confinement" from the 29 — 31st of December and "In cells" 2nd — 26th of January.
He purchased his discharge with a payment of £30 when at Ipswich on the 14th of February 1852.