Born at Raheen, Maryborough, Co. Queen's, c.1825.
Enlisted at Newbridge on the 24th of March 1846.
Age: 21.
Height: 5' 8".
Trade: Labourer.
Appearance: Fresh complexion. Blue eyes. Brown hair.
Embarked for the Crimea aboard the H.T. "Shooting Star" on the 25th of April 1854.
Served with the detchment of the regiment under Lt. Colonel De Salis in the Expedition to Kertch on the 22nd of May 1855.
Embarked for India from Cork aboard the S.S. "Great Britain" on the 8th of October 1857.
In 1868 and 1869 he was employed at Sandhurst as a "Groom to Cadets."
Discharged from Dundalk on the 24th of June 1870.
"Free, at own request after 24 years' service."
Served 24 years 46 days.
In Turkey and the Crimea: 2 years
In India: 6 years 4 months.
Conduct: "very good".
In possession of five Good Conduct badges.
Once entered in the Regimental Defaulter's book. Once tried by Court-martial.
Tried and imprisoned by a Regimental Court-martial on the 2nd of November — 20th of November 1845.
Aged 45 years 2 months on discharge.
He was awarded a pension of 13d. per day.
To live in Main Street, Maryborough, after discharge, but he was living in Halifax in 1875 and also at some time lived at No. 17 Court, Union Street, Paddington, Liverpool.
Next of kin (in 1870): Wife, Catherine Mortimer.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman and Sebastopol.
Mutiny medal with clasp for Central India.
Served at Kotah.
Documents confirm the award of the Crimean medal with four clasps, Turkish and Indian Mutiny medals. Lummis and Wynn also state that he was entitled to the Long Service & G. C., medal, but there is no mention of this on his documents.
He was awarded the Long Service & Good Conduct medal on the 14th of June 1870, with a gratuity of £5.
A Crimean medal with four clasps, Mutiny medal with clasp for Central India, Long Service and Good Conduct medal and the Turkish Crimean medal were sold from the "Major-General M.W.E. Gossett" collection at a Glendining's auction on the 20th of June 1907, and said to be named to "John Mortimer. 8th Hussars."
The same group was sold at a Glendining's auction on the 22nd of November 1912 and again on the 20th of November 1935 from the "E.F. Herdman" (Decd.) of Bishop Auckland, collection and a similar group was known to be in an English collection in 1973.
He appeared in a photograph taken for the Picture Magazine published about the mid-1890's. In this he is shown wearing four medals and one of these is almost certainly the Long Service & Good Conduct award. (See copy of this in the 8th Hussar file.)
Attended the first Balaclava Banquet in 1875.
Member of the Balaclava Commemoration Society in 1879.
He is believed to have attended the Annual Dinner in 1895.
1881 Census
The 1881 Census Return shows a John Mortimer, aged 52 years, a "Watchman", and born in Ireland, and his wife, Ann, aged 37 years, born in Settle, Yorkshire, living at No. 1 House, 11 Court, Blandford Street (now called Kempston Street), Liverpool, in the parish of St. Mary Magdalene.)
A newspaper cutting [unknown source] refers to him as "being a small shop-keeper, living in Silsbridge Lane, Bradford."
A man of this name is shown in the St. Catherine's House registers as dying in the West Derby (Liverpool) District, aged 66 years, [sic] during the April-June Quarter of 1896.
Died on the 8th of June 1896.
Extract from the Liverpool Daily Post, 10th of June 1896:
Death of a Balaclava Hero.
Another of the survivors of the Charge of the Light Brigade whose numbers are rapidly diminishing, died on Monday last in the Walton Workhouse, aged seventy-four years. [sic] The deceased, John Mortimer, was formerly a trooper in the 8th Hussars, being present at Inkerman. He also passed through the Indian Mutiny. He was in possession of two Crimean medals and four bars, Mutiny medal and a long service medal. He was generally present at the Annual Dinners given to the survivors by the Committee of the Balaclava Fund, either at London, Birmingham or Manchester and was well-respected by his comrades."
Enquiry of the Liverpool County Record Office shows that they have no records of Walton Workhouse covering the period of his being there. It would appear that the most likely place of his interment would have been either Ford or Anfield cemeteries and the Parochial Cemetery, Rice Lane, Anfield Park.
Only a "James" Mortimer can be found as being interred in Ford Cemetery on the 14th of June 1896, (Section BZ, Plot 1742, Public grave): he was 78 years of age [sic] and his address given as Walton Workhouse. However, no "James" Mortimer can be found in St. Catherine's House records as dying at this time, so, although not proof positive, especially in view of the age differences, it seems reasonable to conclude that the man buried in Ford Cemetery was the John Mortimer, ex-8th Hussars, who died in Walton Workhouse. (See photograph of his grave-area in the 8th Hussar file.)
A check by the authorities at the relevant Births, Deaths and Marriages Office of the people recorded there as dying during the month of June 1896 shows no "James" Mortimer, only a "John", and assurance given that their register is not at fault and the wrong information was passed on to, or recorded, by the cemetery authority.
His death certificate (see copy in the "Certificates" file), shows him as "John Mortimer' and as dying from "Senile decay," in Walton Workhouse, Liverpool, aged 78 years [sic] his niece, Mary Sheahan, of No 5 Elm Terrace, Liverpool, being the informant of his death. Then described as a "Night-watchman and pensioner, of West Derby," Although shown as being aged 78 years, in an addendum it was stated — In (Cert.) No. 489 Col. 4, for "'78 years read 66 years", corrected on the 10th of June 1896 by me, Edwin Smith, Registrar, on production of a statutory declaration made by Mary Shehan and James Glanister.
(This was most probably 1564 James Glanister of the 11th Hussars, who also lived in the West Derby District of Liverpool.)