Born at Newport, Isle of Wight, c.1829.
Enlisted at London on the 8th of June 1850.
Age: 21.
Height: 5' 7".
Trade: Servant.
Killed in action at Balaclava.
Next of kin: Emma Sherwell [relationship not shown], living on the Isle of Wight.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasp for Alma, Balaclava, and Sebastopol.
Killed in action at Balaclava.
Next of kin: Emma Sherwell [relationship not shown], living on the Isle of Wight.
There was a very interesting, well-informed and detailed article by Noel Fallows on 1476 Private John Jackman, 11th Hussars, in the April 2009 edition of the War Correspondent:
Summary of Research
"The Charge of the Light Brigade during the Crimea War (1854 — 56) ranks among the most famous cavalry charges of all time. Through an error in the transmission of orders, the light cavalry brigade commanded by Lord Cardigan charged directly into a valley with massed Russian artillery to the front and on both flanks. The 'mad-brained trick,' as Cardigan would refer to the charge, succeeded only to the extent that the British cavalry did reach the guns. Those who had survived the charge valiantly engaged the Russian gunners and their cavalry support, but they were ultimately forced to retire in complete disarray.
In a recent article on the charge, Brian Kieran estimates that out of a total force of approximately 670 men, composed of the 8th and 11th Hussars, the 4th and 13th Light Dragoons and the 17th Lancers, only 198 returned.
John Jackman was born at Newport, Isle of Wight. Research in the Isle of Wight County Record Office has determined that he was very probably the son of John and Mary Jackman (née Symes), agricultural labourers by trade, and that he was baptised in December 1828. His father died when John was about two years old. The County Records Office indicates that Mary Jackman, widow, subsequently married William Walker on 16 May 1833, at Shorwell. Mary had two sons — James and John Jackman — by her first marriage and one son — William Walker — from her second marriage.
A study of the Hampshire Genealogical Index clearly indicates that the entire family, with the exception of John Jackman, was still living on the island in the year 1851. This information concurs with the muster rolls of the 11th (Prince Albert's Own) Hussars, which show that John Jackman enlisted in London on 8 June 1850. His trade is listed as 'servant,' and he is described as 21 years of age, standing 5 feet 7 inches tall.
Perhaps John Jackman joined the service because of friction at home with his step-father, or perhaps, like so many enlisted men in the Victorian armed forces, he opted to take the Queen's shilling as a means of escaping the drudgery of a servant's life and a rigid class system that stifled any hopes of social mobility and betterment. His brother and step-brother were certainly less adventurous, and they remained on the island, where they toiled as agricultural labourers. Little did Jackman know that he would fare even worse in the cavalry than he had in civilian life, and his fate would soon be sealed in an obscure, sun-scorched 'valley of death' far from the lush green fields of the Isle of Wight.
Following training at Norwich, Jackman transferred to Nottingham in late June 1851. By 30 June 1852, he was stationed at Dublin. A sickly man, Jackman was by no means an ideal recruit. During his brief military career he spent some 230 days in hospital. In Dublin he incurred the loss of 30 days beer money for a lengthy furlough from 1 — 30 January 1853, following which he was immediately admitted back into hospital. On this occasion, he would spend 90 consecutive days confined to his bed.
On 1 April 1854 John Jackman departed for the Crimea, arriving on 30 June 1854. On 25 October 1854 he galloped to his destiny in the Charge of the Light Brigade. Per the terse logic of the muster roll, which requires a brief statement as to the 'Place where and Day on which became Non-Effective,' Jackman is listed as 'Killed in Action, Balaklava, 25 Oct.' His mangled body was gathered up and pitched into a mass grave in the Crimea. His only legacy, a silver medal with three clasps, was forwarded to Emma Sherwell, relationship unknown.
The fact that the Victorians kept much more detailed records on those who perished in battle than on those who survived has meant that despite Jackman's tragic demise, it is precisely because he was killed in action that modern researchers have been able to confirm that he rode in the charge. Furthermore, his medal was returned to the Royal Mint for naming in a style that is generally considered the most difficult to fake or reproduce. From the point of view of the modern collector, then, Jackman's Light Brigade medal is a consummate textbook example: a rare officially impressed specimen to a man who was without a doubt killed in the famous action at Balaklava."
[Source: Noel Fallows, 1476 Private John Jackman (1828 — 1854), 11th (Prince Albert's Own) Hussars", War Correspondent, vol.27 no.1, April 2009, p.39.]