Born at Upton-cum-Chalvey, near Windsor, Berkshire, c.1831, and baptised there on the 20th of February 1831. His father was James Grantham, who had firstly married Louise [maiden name unknown] about 1810 and had by her one son, and secondly to Rebecca (nee Rance) at Upton-cum-Chalvey on the 19th of October 1823. There were six other known children.
1841 Census
Chalvey, Upton cum Chalvey, Bucks.
John Grantham, 50, Sawyer.
Rebecca, 40.
Charles, 25, Sawyer.
Harry, 11, David, 10, James, 8, Ellen, 6, Edward, 5, and Eliza,2.
Enlisted at London on the 29th of August 1850.
Age: 19.
Height: 5'7".
Trade: Servant.
1851 Census
Pockthorpe Cavalry Barracks, Norwich, Norfolk.
David Grantham, 20, Private, born Windsor, Berkshire.
Wounded in action at Balaclava, and had his horse killed under him. Grantham, who was wounded in the leg and wrist, was not shown in the Casualty List published in the London Gazette.
Sick at Scutari, 4th of April — 16th of June 1855.
From Private to Corporal: 5th of March 1856.
Reduced to Private by a Regimental Court-martial on the 22nd of May 1858.
1861 Census
Fulwood Barracks, Preston.
David Grantham, 29, Private 11th Hussars, born Upton, Bucks.
Discharged, "by claim, time expired", from Cahir on the 9th of September 1862.
Conduct: "good". In possession of one Good Conduct badge.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman and Sebastopol, and the Turkish medal.
Attended the first Balaclava Banquet in 1875.
Signed the Loyal Address to the Queen in 1887.
Attended the Annual Dinners in 1895 and 1897.
In May 1897, he wrote from Sebastopol Cottage, Sandhurst, Berks, accepting the invitation from T.H. Roberts to attend the Jubilee celebrations:
"May 25th 1897,
Dear Sir,
Very many thanks to you for your kind invitation, of which I shall avail myself, and shall be very pleased to go. Awaiting your further directions.
Yours most gratefully,
David Grantham."
Present at the Jubilee celebrations held by T.H. Roberts in his Fleet Street offices in June 1897 and signed the testimonial given to Mr. Roberts on that occasion. (See copy of this and also a report of an interview given at the time, which were both published in the Balaclava Supplement of the Illustrated Bits in the "Memoirs" file. He also received financial help from the Roberts Fund to a total of £10/19/0.)
[PB: Along with a number of men, he was interviewed for an article that appeared in the London Daily News, 25th of June 1897 [and in Illustrated Bits?].]
DAVID GRANTHAM, OF THE WHITE SWAN.
The next man was David Grantham, late of the 11th Hussars. The others had told him that a journalist had some questions to put. He did not wait for them, but straightway poured these facts into my ear:"I was shot through the calf; my wrist was wounded, and my horse was shot under me. When the order was given to go forward — "
"What did you think of the show yesterday?"
"Why," he replied with emphasis, "there never was such a show, and that's the simple truth."
"And what have you been doing since you left the army?"
"I lived in London for eight years, and a since then I've lived at Sandhurst. I kept a public-house then, the White Swan (you might put that in the paper, will you?), but now I've got the dropsy, and I've given it up. I've got a little pension, you know," he added confidentially.
We had shaken hands, and he had almost reached the door when a sudden thought took him, and he hurried back, saying:
"Oh, I've something more to tell you. I was orderly to the Duke of Cambridge for six months."
Some complimentary remark on his fine military appearance drew forth further confidences.
"The soldiers of to-day aren't up to the old standard. They're too young, that's what's the I matter with them, and look here "- with a sudden access of emphasis — "they're too fond of feather beds. Oh, I know."
As he was in no hurry to go after all I broke new ground with sympathetic allusion to Balaclava heroes in reduced circumstances.
"Well, you see," said the former proprietor of the White Swan, "some men are careful. v and some aren't. Some goes the right way, and I some don't. It's their own fault, sir. I'm sorry ' to say it, but so it is. Why, I could have been a poor man myself if I'd sometimes had a beef steak when I could only afford a slice of bread," that was his confident criticism of his own philosophy — "that gives you the thing in one t word."
Then he went on, once more in confidential accents, "I've been careful and saving, and how do I stand? Why, I've a nice little house and an acre of land so when I go home, why there I am, in a manner of speaking. Ah! if only it wasn't for the dropsy! To see the weeds growing up, and me not able to clear them out! "
And so, with mingled emotions, he took his departure.
[Source: From THE BALACLAVA HEROES /THEIR IMPRESSIONS OF THE JUBILEE/ CHATS ABOUT THEIR CAREERS, London Daily News, 25 June 1897.
He is believed to have married at Wokingham, in Surrey, about 1852.
Lived in London for eight years before going to Camberley, Surrey. He also lived at Sandhurst, where he kept the "White Lion" public house.
There is a photograph of him in civilian clothes (and wearing his medals) in the 11th Hussar file.
1871 Census
White Swan Public House, Sandhurst.
David Grantham, 39, Inn Keeper, born Chalvey, Bucks.
Rebecca, 34 [sic], Wife, born Wokingham, Berkshire.
Also a lodger, Richard Ford, 49.
1881 Census
Newland, Sandhurst
David Grantham, 49, Formerly soldier, Upton cum Chalvey, Berks.
Rebecca, 52 [sic], Wokingham.
1891 Census
Sebastopol Cottage, Cambridge Road, Owlsmoor, Sandhurst.
David Grantham, 60, Market Gardener, Upton upon Chalvey, Bucks.
Rebbecca, 65 [sic], Wife, Laundress, Wokingham, Berks.
Also his brother, William, 67, Widower, Sawyer.
[PB: Attended the burial of James Webster at Camberley, date.]
Death Registered.
Rebecca Grantham, 81 [?], June Quarter 1900, Easthampstead.
At the time of his death on the 18th of May 1898 he was living in Owlsmoor, a hamlet to the south of Crowthorne, Berkshire.
Died at Sebastopol Cottage, Owlsmoor, Sandhurst. In his will (made on the 2nd of May 1898, and which he was classed as a Army Pensioner) he left his freehold and personal estate of £472 to his wife, Rebecca, with the proviso that nothing was to be sold or disposed until after her death, when everything was to go to his sister Eliza Grantham, a spinster, living at Tingrith Manor, Woburn, Bedford, where she was probably a servant, she also being the executor. Probate was granted to her on the 22nd of July 1898. His will being made such a short time before his death, suggests that he was ill at the time it was made. (There are copies of the will and probate certificate in the 11th Hussar file.)
See photographs in the 11th Hussar file of his gravestone and that of his wife, a view of the Crowthorne Parish Church (with his gravestone arrowed) and the public house (The White Swan) which he kept at Sandhurst.
He was buried in Crowthorne churchyard on the 21st of May and his gravestone bears the following inscription:
"In loving memory of David Grantham, who died 18th of May 1898, aged 67 years. "One of the Light Brigade." Also of Rebecca Grantham, the beloved wife of the above, who died 26th of April 1900, aged 81 years."
The following appeared in the Reading Mercury, 28th of May 1898:
"Funeral of a Balaclava Hero; Mr. David Grantham, a market gardener of Owlsmoor who died last week, was buried in Crowthorne churchyard on Saturday afternoon, with the Vicar (the Revd. G.F. Coleridge) officiating. Mr. Grantham was a trooper in the 11th Hussars during the Crimean War and took part in the "Charge of the Light Brigade" at Balaclava. His medals were borne to the graveside by an old comrade-in-arms, Mr. William Sheppard. Captain Bunting of the R.M. College attended with the Military College Band and many old soldiers and between 200 and 300 residents of the neighbourhood attended."
[PB: William Sheppard was buried in the same graveyard at Crowthorne two years later.]
From the Parish Magazine for June of 1898:
"Military Funeral. — David Grantham, one of the survivors of the Balaclava Charge of the Light Brigade, was buried in our churchyard on May 21st. The Band of the R.M.C. headed the procession, followed by details from ten or a dozen Cavalry Regiments. His medals were carried behind the coffin, which was, of course, covered by the Union Jack."
Registration of death, and Census information for 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891, kindly provided by Chris Poole.