Born at Ratheal, Co. Limerick.
Enlisted at London on the 28th of March 1835.
Age: 18.
Height: 5' 9".
Trade: Labourer.
Sallow complexion. Grey eyes. Dk. brown hair.
Returned to England aboard the "Repulse" on the 17th of March 1842, having left Bombay on the 28th of December 1841.
Tried by a Regimental Court-martial on the 17th of August 1843 for "being drunk and spitting at Corporal Morgan." Awarded 4 lunar months imprisonment.
Tried by a Regimental Court-martial on the 17th of August 1845 for "absence without leave." Awarded 40 days imprisonment, of which 18 were remitted.
Tried by a Regimental Court-martial on the 16th of November 1847 for "refusing to obey an order." Awarded 56 days imprisonment with hard labour.
Tried by a Regimental Court-martial on the 27th of September 1848 for "Disobedience of a lawful order." Awarded 50 lashes, but this sentence was remitted.
Discharged from the Chatham Invalid Depot on the 22nd of November 1859. "Considered unfit for her Majesty's service. Labours under consumption. His disability may be fairly attributed to his military service — his constitution being naturally robust. To enter Brompton Hospital after discharge."
Conduct and character: "a good soldier, although has been tried four times by court-martial during his service."
Granted a pension of 8d. per day, but this was increased to 1/- on the 20th of November 1860.
Served 24 years 17 days.
In Turkey and the Crimea: 1 year 10 months
In India: 3 years 4 months.
To live at No 4 Bathurst Street, Sussex Square, Kensington, London.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Inkerman and Sebastopol, but he is not recorded on the medal roll for the latter.
Admitted to In-Pension at Chelsea Royal Hospital on the 1st of January 1872.
Reverted to Out-Pension on the 1st of April 1873. "To resume former business." His character was "good".
Re-admitted as an In-Pensioner at Chelsea Royal Hospital on the 1st of April 1874 and died there on the 13th of June 1874.
He was buried in Brompton Cemetery, no headstone being erected.
The muster roll for the period shows him as "On service in Scinde." From this he would most probably have been entitled to the medal for Ghuznee.
When admitted as an In-Pensioner to the Royal Hospital Chelsea on the 1st of January 1873, it was stated that he was then 56 years of age, "quite unfit for any work," and "has no wife or family to support." He was formerly living at No. 72 Cannon Street, London, E6. The records also confirm his entitlement to the medal for Ghuznee.
(His Ghuznee medal waa offered in an Orders and Medals Research Society auction held on the 13th of May 2000. It was named in engraved running script to "Benjamin King.", and reached £270. The previous owner states that he bought the medal from a "Spink's Circular" as a single medal in the "late 1950's," but this is the first time it has been noted in these records.