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LIVES OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE
The E.J. Boys Archive

Added 30.4.11 / Last amended 14.4.12. Minor edits 18.2.2014.

1071, Private John PEDRICK — 13th Light Dragoons

Birth & early life

Born at Exeter, Devonshire.

Enlistment

Enlisted at London on the 14th of November 1840.

Age: 22.

Height: 5' 7".

Trade: Bootmaker.

Service

In custody of the Civil Power, 1st of January — 19th of July 1847.

Lost all claim to previous service and pension rights by his conviction for "felony" following a court-martial held on the 25th of July 1847.

RM: Until recently [2012] it seemed impossible to uncover the nature of this crime. But research in the British Library's new digital newspaper archive has revealed that it was for "running base half-crowns", i.e. counterfeiting:


Newspaper extract about John Pedrick's crime for counterfeting half-crowns


Contemporary newspaper article about John Pedrick's crime, for which he was court-martialled in 1847.

Sent to Scutari on the 15th of August 1855 and invalided to England on the 28th of August.

Medals

Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman, Sebastopol, and the Turkish medal.

Commemorations

Death & burial

Died "in the Regimental Hospital" at Manchester on the 16th of May 1861.

He left a debt of 5/- owing to the Army.

Pedrick was buried in the graveyard of St. George's Church at Hulme, Manchester. The grave is surmounted by a stone cross with foliated edges and superimposed by four diamonds on which are inscribed the four battles of the Crimea. The inscription reads:

"In memory of John Pedrick, 13th Light Dragoons, who died on the 16th of May 1861. Aged 50 years. Erected by his comrades. Also of Edmund Hugh Braithwaite, son of the Regimental Sergeant-Major of the above Regiment, who died 6th of March 1862. Aged 1 year 7 days." (See note below)

There is a photograph of this gravestone, which was rapidly sinking below the surface by 1980, in the 13th Hussar file. This will eventually be scanned and uploaded.





(Click on image to enlarge)

Further information

In early 2001 the church and its churchyard was sold to a property company for development, the church itself being turned into luxury flats. The churchyard on the north side has been cleared, the bodies being disinterred in the presence of a priest and re-buried on the southern part of the churchyard, and a brick paved car park built in its place with a new boundary wall.

After enquiry, it was stated the more important monuments would be preserved and re-erected in a garden of remembrance, and others laid flat and set in concrete under the brick-paved car park. It is more likely that they were broken up and used as hardcore.


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