LIVES OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE
The E.J. Boys Archive

IN PROGRESS — NOT FOR PUBLICATION

1425, Private Edward GRENNAN — 4th Light Dragoons

Also recorded as Gernan, Gennan, Gennon, Gorman, Grennan and Genham.

Birth & early life

Born at Maryborough, Co. Queen's, Ireland [now renamed Portlaoise, County Laois], c.1831.

[PB: There is a reference to Edward Grennan on a website (accessed 3.10.2014) devoted to the history of Portlaoise — Who Lived Where c.1850-2000. On discharge in 1861, Grennan gave Market Place (now called Market Square) as his intended place of residence. There is a photograph on this website of a public house built c. 1880 to replace an earlier house leased by a "Mrs Frances Grennan" in the 1850s and 1860s. The author remarks that "it is more than reasonable to assume that he was a relative — possibly the son", and that she may may have been the wife of John Grennan, a Provision Dealer in the town.]

Enlistment

Enlisted at Athlone on the 16th of October 1849.

Age: 18 years.

Height: 5' 6".

Trade: None.

Appearance: Fresh complexion. Grey eyes. Brown hair.

[PB: According to Wendy Leahy, "On enlistment received the cavalry equipment of Private Dickenson who died on 09 06 1849."]

Service

Rode in the Charge at Balaclava, 25th October 1854.

Sent to the General Hospital at Scutari on the 1st of October 1855, and was invalided to England on the 1st of November.

Tried by a Regimental Court-martial and imprisoned 1st-20th of April 1859 "for disobedience of orders."

Discharge & pension

Discharged from Cahir on the 5th of October 1861:

"Medically unfit for further service. Has varicose veins. The disease started about 18 months ago and may be attributed to pre-disposition and to some extent to his military service."

Conduct: "good".

In possession of two Good Conduct badges. [PB: Wendy Leahy's account says he had none.]

Thirty times entered in the Regimental Defaulter's book. Once tried by Court-martial.

Served 11 years 232 days.

In Turkey and the Crimea: 1 year 10 months.

Intended to live at "The Market Place," Maryborough, Co. Queen's, after his discharge.

Awarded a pension of 6d. per day for 18 months only, but on the 18th of January 1897 he was recommended for a "Special Pension" but this he never received.

PB: Wendy Leahy has transcribed his discharge proceedings:

Cahir 5th October 1861

Proceedings of a Regimental Board, held this day, in conformity to the Articles of War, for the purpose of verifying and recording the Services, Conduct, Character, and cause of Discharge of No. 1425 Private Edward Gennan of the Regiment above-mentioned [4LD].

President: Major Cornwallis Members: Captain Browne and Captain [Lindsay] The Board having examined and compared the Regimental Records, the Soldier's Book, and such other Documents as appeared to them to be necessary, report that No. 1425 Private Edward Gennan by Trade [none] was born in the Parish of Maryboro in or near the Town of Maryboro in the County of Queens County and was attested for the 4th Queens Own Regiment of Light Dragoons at Athlone in the County of Roscommon on the 16th October 1849 at the Age of 18 years that after making every Deduction required by Her Majesty's Regulations, the Service up to this day, which he is entitled to reckon, amounts to 11 years 231 days, as shewn by the detailed Statement on the 2nd page; during which period, he served Abroad 1 and 10/12 years viz:

With the Army in the East, Turkey and Crimea 1 and 10/12 years.

And further, that his Discharge is proposed in consequence of his being medically unfit for Her Majesty's Service.

No. 1425 Private Edward Gennan being asked to what date he has been paid, answered that his Account is balanced up to the latest period required by the Regulations; and being further asked whether he has any claim on the Regiment for Arrears of Pay, Allowances, or Clothing, answered, that he has received all just demands, from his entry into the Service up to the 5th October 1861 and in confirmation therefore, affixes his signature hereto. [Signed E Gennan]

Witnessed by W. D. Wentworth, Capt. Commanding the Company to which he belongs.

The Board have ascertained that No. 1425 Pt. Edward Gennan's Soldier's Book is correctly balanced, and signed by the Officer Commanding his Company, and they declare, that they have impartially enquired into, and faithfully reported upon all the matters brought before them, in accordance with the Regulations and Instructions issued by Her Majesty's Orders. Signed by Cornwallis, Major, 4th Hussars, President;

C.A.G. Browne, Capt. 4th Hussars, and ____ [Lindesay], Capt. 4H., Members.

Medals

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

His documents confirm the award of the Crimean and Turkish medals.

Named as Greenan on the medal rolls, but WO/25/52 (Pensions Book) shows him as "Gennan".

Commemorations

Life after service

The Pension Records show that he left the Kilkenny, Ireland, Pension District and went to New Zealand [sic? Or was it Melbourne?] on the 1st of November 1862. [According to Wendy Leahy, he was in the Melbourne Pension district in 1862 and 1865.] His pension expired on the 22nd of May 1864.

[PB: By 1896 he was living in reduced circumstances in the Melbourne Immigrants' Home. A number of articles about this appeared in a number of newspapers in Australia and New Zealand. (e.g. Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXX, Issue 252, 24 October 1896; Oamaru Mail, Volume XXI, Issue 6724, 26 October 1896; Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9552, 20 October 1896):






In 1896 Grennan's life in wretched circumstances in an Immigrants Hospital in Melbourne, Australia, was widely reported in Australia and New Zealand.

"a few days ago ... Edward Grennan was discovered lying bedridden in the hospital ward of the Melbourne Immigrants' Home, paralysed, without a friend and dependent on the charity of strangers. A sad end for one who apparently bore himself as doughtily in that heroic charge, forty-two years ago, as any of his companions."

He refers in this article to the death of Nolan, Lord Paget, and how Charles Parkes won his VC attempting to save the life of a severely injured Major Halkett.

[PB: Is it possible his account is coloured by others he has heard and read? Is it likely he would have heard Nolan's scream or met up with Parkes?]

(Click on image to enlarge)

Death & burial

His death is reported to have taken place on the 14th of December 1896, when he is believed to have died in an Immigrants' Home in Melbourne.

A Mr Creamer, of Brisbane, Australia, who wrote to T.H. Roberts in 1895 asking him to nominate a Light Brigade veteran to go to Australia, wrote again in 1897, after hearing of plans to invite the men who rode in the Charge to witness the Jubilee procession:

"An old Light Brigade man died in the Immigrants' Home at Melbourne a few months since. He wrote me a very nice letter before he died. He had been bed-ridden for some few years or he would have come and lived with me, but it was too late when I heard from him. His name was Edward Grennan of the 4th Q.O. Light Dragoons. He held certificates from Lord George Paget and other officers."

Died on the 14th of December 1896 and was buried in the Melbourne General Cemetery.

His death was noted in the Letters page of The Argus, Melbourne, Australia, on Friday 2nd October 1896:

[PB: October? Elsewhere it says he died in December 1896]:

"ONE OF THE SIX HUNDRED"

TO THE EDITOR OF THE ARGUS

Sir, — I have enclosed a postal note value 5s. for the Balaclava hero, Edward Grennan, late of the 4th Light Dragoons.

He simply did his duty and fought for his country, as all true Britons are ready to do, without a thought about what the Government were going to do for him when the battle was won. This is how the empire was won, and how it will be held.

Yours, &c.,

DORSETSHIRE

[Source: http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/9188842? (accessed 15.1.2014).]

In 1996 a correspondent, Dr. Kenny, living in Melbourne, provided details from the Melbourne General Cemetery records of the burial details and also photographs and details of the erected gravestone itself. (See copies of both in the 4th Hussar file.)

The records show him as Edward Grennan, aged 60 years, a Pensioner and living in Royal Park, the home belonging to the Immigrants Aid Society and the funeral being paid for by the Secretary (and owner of the Right of Burial) to a total of £4/13/-.

A Roman Catholic, he was interred in Grave No. 58a in Plot D. on the 16th of December 1896. The ledger stone — as is the cross and headstone — is of roughly dressed bluestone, the only inscription on it being "To One of the Noble Six Hundred", but on the marble slab on the headstone is:

"In memory of Edward Grennan, native of Queen's Co. Ireland, who as a soldier of the 4th Light Dragoons fought at Alma, Inkerman and Sebastopol and also with the Light Brigade at Balaclava. He died at Royal Park, Melbourne, 14th December 1896, aged 61 years. 'My God have mercy on his soul.'"

Dr Kenny has also expressed the intention of renovating the stone.

Further information

[PB, Jan 2014: Edward Grennan features prominently in EJ Boys's article on "The Australian graves of Crimean War Light Brigade veterans" , published in Sabretache, the journal of the Military Historical Society of Australia, on the 1st of June 2000 [sic?]. The text is available online here, and on the this site, here.]

See also Lawrence Crider, In Search of the Light Brigade, 3rd edition, p.62, where he is named "Gennan", and Wendy Leahy, http://shadowsoftime.co.nz/4ths/dragoong/gennan1.html.