Born at Sandhurst, near Cranbrook, Kent, c.1817, and baptised there on the 24th of August 1817, the son of John and Lydia Moore.
Enlisted at Maidstone on the 13th of October 1836.
Age: 19.
Height: 5' 11".
Trade: Labourer.
Appearance: Fresh complexion. Grey eyes. Brown hair.
He was batman to Major General Napier at Limerick, Ireland, in 1845.
Discharged from Dublin on the 29th of April 1861.
"After 24 years' service. Labours under chronic rheumatism, the result of long and arduous service. Not aggravated by vice or mis-conduct."
Served 24 years 196 days.
In Turkey and the Crimea: 1 year 10 months.
India: 4 years.
Conduct: "very good".
In possession of four Good Conduct badges.
Never entered in the Regimental Defaulter's book. Never tried by Court-martial.
Aged 43 years 4 months on discharge.
To live, c/o. The Revd. W.B. Beaumont, Southcote House, Southampton.
Entitled to the medal for Ghuznee.
Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman and Sebastopol.
He was awarded the Long Service & Good Conduct medal on the 6th of November 1857, with a gratuity of £5.
Documents confirm the award of the Ghuznee, Crimean, Turkish and Long Service and Good Conduct medals.
[According to obituaries, he had a wife and a daughter, the latter living in St Peter's parish, Stanley. One states that after discharge he went into the:
"service of the Revd. W. B. Beaumont, of Collerton Rectory, Leicestershire. While in that gentleman's service he was, unfortunately, thrown out of a trap which was overturned by some bullocks, the consequence being that he received severe injuries, which afterwards affected his brain."
[Source?]
He was offered In-Pension status at Chelsea Royal Hospital on the 4th of February 1884, but this was not taken up.
In Jan 1887 he entered Wakefield Workhouse Infirmary [Jan 1887]. See copy of the Infirmary records (in the "Memoirs" file) which show his entrance, medical and other reports on him until his death.
Died on the 14th of April 1887 in Wakefield Asylum, West Yorkshire, and was buried at St Peter's, Stanley.
No headstone would appear to have been erected to him, or at least, one cannot be found. (See picture of St. Peter's Church at Stanley in the 4th Hussar file.
In 1984, Mr. Reginald Pearson, of Wakefield, kindly sent the following extract from the Wakefield and West Riding Herald, 16th of April 1887:
"Sad death of a Balaclava Hero."
John Moore of the 4th Light Dragoons died at Wakefield on Thursday (the 14th.) at the age of 68. When comparatively a young man he entered the Army and eventually passed through the engagements of the Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman and Sebastopol without receiving a scratch. He was One of the Noble Six Hundred, but even from this terrible ordeal, this vale of death, he escaped scatheless.
He possessed four medals and four bars, one of which was for Long Service and Good Conduct. He was also awarded the Ghuznee medal which was presented to all those who took part in the bombardment of the Ghuznee Fort in India.
Deceased was in the Army for 24 years and 196 days and, according to his discharge papers, there was not a single black mark entered against his name. He received his discharge on the 1st of April 1861 and since then has been in the service of the Revd. W. B. Beaumont, of Collerton Rectory, Leicestershire.
Whilst in that gentleman's service he was, unfortunately, thrown out of a trap which was overturned by some bullocks, the consequence being that he received severe injuries, which afterwards affected his brain, and in January last he was removed to Wakefield Asylum, where he expired as above stated. He leaves a widow and one daughter. His interment will take place at the church of St. Peter's, at Stanley, his daughter, who is married, residing in that parish.
Extract from the Wakefield Express for the 23rd of April 1887:.
John Moore, who died last week in the Wakefield Asylum, at the age of 68 years, had faced death many a time and oft, during the Crimean War and came out unscathed from the "Charge of the Light Brigade" who had gone into the "Valley of Death" in obedience to "somebody's blunder". Under the Indian sun too, his prowess was put to the test, and his good sword was ever trusty against the foe.
After a military career of over twenty four years, during which time his character was blameless, he left the service of his Queen and Country and entered that of the rector of a Leicestershire parish. Injuries received however in consequence of a trap accident so affected his brain that in January last he had to be removed to the asylum. He leaves a widow and a married daughter who resides at Stanley. On Monday the remains of the gallant soldier were laid reverently to rest in the Stanley Churchyard awaiting a last "Reveille.",
This last was taken from the column, "Notes by the Way". There was nothing in the "Deaths" column.
See the record of 1568 Robert Watling, 4LD, for full details of a photograph in regimental possession captioned "Balaclava men of the 4th Hussars in 1856." (This date is not thought to be correct, and actually to be some years later, perhaps as late as 1858.) This shows six men in different modes of uniform dress, and a civilian (and possibly an officer). There are two men pictured wearing the medal for Ghuznee, the Crimean medal with four clasps. the Turkish Crimean medal and the Long Service & Good Conduct medal (see also record of 828 William Robinson, who were both awarded this combination of medals and were serving at the time the original photograph was said to have been taken. (See copy pictures of the two men referred to in the 4th Hussar file.)