Added 3.12.2012. Minor edits 25.1.14. Photographs added 22.6.15.
IN PROGRESS — NOT FOR PUBLICATION
Born in the parish of St. Luke's, Chelsea.
Enlisted at Westminster on the 2nd of March 1850.
Age: 18.
Height: 5' 7".
Trade: Paper-stainer.
"Deserted" from Brighton on the 17th of July 1852 and rejoined on the 9th of August. Sentenced to "forfeit all past service".
At this time he was described as being of a fresh complexion, hazel eyes and brown hair.
Embarked for the Crimea aboard the H. T. "Echunga" on the 15th of May 1854.
At Scutari General Hospital from the 13th of September 1855 and sent to England on the 23rd of September.
Embarked for India from Cork aboard the S.S. "Great Britain" on the 8th of October 1857.
Served at Kotah and Gwalior.
Discharged, "time expired", from Calcutta, India, on the 8th of September 1863.
There is no indication when, or how, he returned to England.
Served 12 years 70 days, to count.
Conduct: "good".
In possession of one Good Conduct badge.
Entitled (according to the medal rolls) to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Inkerman and Sebastopol.
Although he was not shown as being entitled to the Balaclava clasp he was allowed to become a member of the Balaclava Commemoration Society in 1879, which would imply that he did indeed ride in the Charge.
Mutiny medal with clasp for Central India.
Two photographs showing him with his wife and children are known to exist, one taken in 1861 and the other circa 1890. [PB: Which are these?]
There is a "carte de visite" by Freeman & Co, circa 1880?, of Senior Sergeant Charles Dalton, wearing the "full dress" uniform of the New South Wales Police Governor's Escort (Orderlies).
[PB: date and source?]
In 2001 a picture of him, presumably in the uniform of the New South Wales Governor's escort, appeared in the Australian War Memorials Website. (There is a copy in the 8th Hussar files.) [PB: Locate and check.]
[PB: Is the studio photograph of Dalton in uniform, said to have been taken by Freeman & Co. in 1876, that appears on the N.S.W. Police Force page?]
[PB: date and source?]
Charles Dalton is said to have emigrated to Australia aboard the "Northern" [sic] circa 1863-64 and to have married Jessie FitzSimmons, born in Armagh, County Armagh, at Christ Church, St. Lawrence, Sydney, on the 6th of June 1865.
According to information kindly provided by Mrs. Margaret Berckelman of Mosman, N.S.W., Australia, no ship of this name can be found listed, but there was a ship called the "Northam" which made four voyages to Sydney in 1863 and the same number in 1864, but a Charles Dalton is not listed amongst the passengers.
Nine children were born into the family, the last seven being at Government House, where Charles Dalton was in charge of the Governor's escort. On his death he was buried in the Church of England Cemetery at Balgowlah, Manley, his wife dying in 1919.
Further information from Mrs Berckelman shows that a family tombstone exists in Manley Cemetery and has the following inscriptions on it:
"Charles Dalton, late of the 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars and for 25 years in charge of the Governor's Escort, N. S. Wales. Born London 24th Nov. 1832 — Died Balgowlah, 5th February 1891.
Served in the Crimea and Turkey at Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman and Sebastopol, and in India at the Siege of Kotah, Recapture of Chundaree, Kotah Ki Seria, Capture of Gwalior, Powrie, Sindwah and Koonory.
Also Jessie, beloved wife of the above — Died 17th December 1919, aged 81 years.
Also Emily Emma Sarah Jordan, who passed away 31st Aug. 1965, aged 84."
There is a photograph of his gravestone in the 8th Hussar file and also copies of his marriage and death certificates in the "Certificates" file.
In 1981 a businessman living in Bermuda, a Mr Stanley Sheppard, wrote to the then Regimental Secretary of the 17th/21st Lancers, saying that he had come into the possession of a silver [sic] Death's Head and Motto which was a present to his mother in 1936 from a Mr. Richard Dalton who ran a hotel in Bermuda.
In a letter which accompanied the gift at that time the writer had said that "it belonged to my grandfather, who was in the charge at Balaclava."
There was no one of the name of Dalton serving in the 17th at this time, but knowing of the friendship which existed between the 8th Hussars and the 17th Lancers — the old "25th" — it could well have been a souvenir belonging to Charles Dalton of the 8th Hussars.
PB, June 2015:
http://chargeofthelightbrigade.com/allmen/allmenD/allmenD_8H/dalton_c_1136_8H/dalton_c_1136_8H_story_of.htmlNote his presence at a celebration in Sydney in 1886 of the battle of the Alma, discussed in the record of 954 Hugh Steele, 8th Hussars.