Born in Chester, c.1830.
Enlisted at Chester on the 9th of June 1848.
Age: 18.
Height: 5' 8".
Trade: Engine-driver.
Tried by a Regimental Court-martial on the 26th of May 1854 for "Being drunk on duty". Awarded 50 lashes, 56 days imprisonment with hard labour and stoppage of 1d. per day for 30 days. The corporal punishment and imprisonment were remitted.
At Scutari from the 18th of December 1854 and sent to rejoin the Regiment on the 24th of April 1855.
Tried by a District Court-martial on the 28th of July 1855 for "being drunk on picquet." Given 50 lashes.
Tried by a Regimental Court-martial on the 13th of August 1855 for "absence." Given 50 lashes.
Tried by a Regimental Court-martial on the 20th of November 1855 for "absence and making away with a medal and clasps and necessaries." Given 50 lashes and awarded stoppage of pay.
[EJB: The medal roll shows nothing of another medal being issued, or if indeed, if it was his, it was recovered.]
Tried by a District Court-martial on the 5th of January 1856 for "habitual drunkenness" and sentenced to 84 days imprisonment with hard labour (of which 42 were remitted) and the stoppage of 1d. per day for 2 years.
Discharged as "Worthless" from Dublin on the 7th of November 1856.
Served 7 years 187 days.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Inkerman, Sebastopol, and the Turkish medal.
In a "Scrapbook" formerly belonging to James W. Wightman (when he was the Secretary of the Balaclava Society) was found an undated and illegible signatured letter written from the Westminster Police Court:
"Dear Sir,I had a letter from Col. Benson this morning about the man Kennedy (No. 962). I have had an immense amount of trouble, in trying to find something for him under the belief that he was one of the "gallant band" — I am glad to find that he is not, as I have ascertained that the record of this man is a very bad one.
Yours faithfully,
[Signature illegible.]"