Born at Bleepington, Co. Wicklow, Ireland, c.1830.
Enlisted at Dublin on the 18th of October 1848.
Age: 18.
Height: 5' 8".
Trade: Labourer.
[EJB: Lummis and Wynn state, "May have ridden in the Charge". There is an entry of "slightly wounded" by the side of his name on the muster roll for the Balaclava period. and is also shown as such on the official "Casualty List". From this he can almost certainly be considered as having taken part.]
Hospital Orderly in the Crimea during April-June of 1855.
Tried by a Regimental Court-martial on the 14th of August 1855 for "absence, and losing a Troop horse". Sentenced to 50 lashes, but this sentence was remitted.
Attached to the 6th Dragoon Guards from the 12th of November 1855 as one of a Letter Party to H.Q. Cavalry Division.
Attached to the 4th Bn. of the Military Train, 30th of June — 7th of September 1857.
Embarked for India from Cork aboard the S.S. "Great Britain" on the 8th of October 1857.
The musters for July-September of 1858 show him as being "On Field Service" during September of this period.
Died at Drinzapore, India, on the 2nd of December 1859.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Balaclava, Inkerman, Sebastopol, and the Turkish medal.
Can find no trace on the Mutiny medal roll.
Died at Drinzapore, India, on the 2nd of December 1859.
Next of kin: Brother, George Friend, serving with the 18th Foot.
A roll was published in the "Balaclava Centenary" number of the 17th/21st Lancers Regimental Journal in 1954, claiming to list all those of the 17th who rode in the Charge. A "J. Friend." was among these names.