Born at Birdley, Worcestershire, c.1830.
Enlisted at Birmingham on the 6th of November 1849.
Age: 19.
Height: 5' 7".
Trade: Labourer.
Travelled out to the Crimea with the 17th Lancers aboard the "Mooltan" and "Jason" between the 17th of April and the 23rd of June 1854, being shown as "Attached to an officer on the Staff of the Earl of Lucan". Reported "to his own Corps" on the 1st of July.
He was servant in the Crimea to Captain Morris of the 17th Lancers when he was acting as D.Q.A.M.G.
(See Morris's record re letters relating to Medders becoming his servant.)
Letter from:
Horse Guards,
15th April 1854
Sir, — I have the honour to acquaint you that the General Commanding-in-Chief has, following the receipt of your letter, approved that 1436 Frederick Medders will be attached to the 17th Lancers whilst serving as batman to Captain Morris of the 17th Lancers who has been appaointed to the Staff of the Army to proceed to Turkey.
R. B. Wood.
[To:] Major Halkett, Commanding 4th LD. AAG.
Canterbury.
A similar letter, (of the same date) was sent to the Officer Commanding the 17th Lancers to inform him that Private Frederick Medders of the 4th LD. would be attached to his regiment whilst serving as Batman to Captain Morris,
An (undated, but written sometime in November of 1854) private letter sent to Lt. Col. Mayow from Major Alexander Low, complained about Captain Morris being
"given a private Dragoon as Batman on his leaving England for a Staff appointment. Before the Cavalry action on the 25th Ulto. Captain M. resumed command of his regiment and consequently vacated his Staff appointment and his chargers are now with the Regt. and a private of the 4th Lt. Drgns is looking after them. I should therefore be obliged by you mentioning the case to Lord Cardigan, hoping he may order the man to rejoin his regiment as the 17th must have plenty of men, having had horses given to them from the 8th Hussars..."
At Scutari from the 4th of April — 11th of May 1855.
Transferred to the 18th Hussars at Aldershot on the 1st of March 1858. Regimental No. 365.
In the Guard Room, 7th-8th of October, in the Prison Hospital, 8th-22nd of October, tried by a Regimental Court-martial on the 23rd of October, and imprisoned until the 6th of December 1858.
Discharged, "Having completed his service", from Brighton on the 7th of January 1862,
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Balaclava, Inkerman and Sebastopol.
Neither HTLB nor the medal rolls held at the PRO credit him with the clasp for the Alma, but a Nominal Return of some 30-plus men of the regiment who are shown on this as being issued with their medals on the 6th of October 1855 with various clasps, records him as being given it with the clasps for Alma, Balaclava, and Inkerman..(This roll forms part of a series of documents, etc, under the title "Medals. Cavalry Division, Crimea 1854-6", which were retained by Colonel Charles Shute, A.A.G of the Cavalry Division, and came onto the open market in 1997 and a copy — or the original — is not held by the PRO.
No record is known of any of his medals ever being on the market.