Born c.1818 in the parish of St. James's, London, but christened in St. Leonard's church, Shoreditch, on the 8th of June 1818, the son of William and Jane Shearingham.
Enlisted at London on the 12th of February 1838.
Age: 20.
Height: 5' 8".
Trade: Coach-builder.
Features: Fresh complexion. Brown eyes. Brown hair.
From Private to Corporal: 12th of September 1851.
Corporal to Sergeant: 24th of May 1854.
Embarked for India from Cork aboard the S.S."Great Britain" on the 8th of October 1857 and landed at Bombay on the 19th of December.
The musters for July — September 1858 show no particular service movement during the whole of the period.
On passage from India from the 29th of October 1859.
1861 Census
Maidstone Barracks, Sandling Road, Maidstone.
John Shearingham, soldier, unmarried, 43, Sergeant Army, born St Anne's, Middx.
Discharged from Lancaster while "On command" on the 17th of February 1862 at his "Own request, after 24 years' service."
Served 24 years 5 days.
In Turkey and the Crimea: 2 years. In India: 2 years 8 months.
Aged 44 years on discharge. Conduct and character: "very good".
He was awarded a pension of 1/8d. per day.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman. Sebastopol, and the Turkish medal.
Can find no trace on the Mutiny medal roll.
Awarded the French War Medal. The citation for this states: "Never absent from his duties."
Awarded the Long Service & Good Conduct medal on the 31st of August 1859, with a gratuity of £10.
Living in the Preston Pension District in 1863.
The Coastguard Records show him as being appointed a Private in the Mounted Guard (from the 17th Lancers) at Morecambe, on the 13th of April 1861. He was transferred to Polman (now Fowey) — "for the good of the service, the Station at Morecambe being abolished" — on the 28th of July 1863.
He was promoted to Coporal on the 13th of April 1864 and to Sergeant on the 23rd of February 1866.
The last entry for him is: "Discharged — Dead, on the 10th of July 1867, Conduct: v. good".
Died in the Falmouth Pension District on the 10th of July 1867.
Death registered
John Sheringham [sic)], 48 years old, September Quarter 1867, St Austell.
Death certificate
His death certificate shows that he died at Mount Charles, St. Austell, on the 10th of July 1867, aged 48 years, a Mounted Guard of the Coast Guard Service, from "Phthisis, Supression of the Urine and Convulsions."
Samuel Lucking, of Charlestown, was present at and the informant of his death.
There is a copy of his death certificate in the 17th Lancers "Certificates" file.
From the Falmouth and Penryn News, 20th of July 1867:
"Funeral of an old Veteran at Charlestown"
The funeral of Mr. John Shearingham, late of the Coastguard Service and formerly of the 17th Lancers, took place on Sunday last at the District Church (St. Paul's) at Charlestown in the parish of St. Austell, with military honours. On the coffin were laid the Union Jack and thereon placed the helmet and sword of the deceased, together with his various decorations consisting of the Crimean medal with clasps for the battles of the Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman, and Sebastopol, the Turkish medal, the French Medal of the Legion of Honour, a medal for service in India during the Mutiny; also a medal for long service and good conduct.
The body was borne to the grave by members of the Coastguard, and was preceded by a detachment of that force marching two deep, with reversed arms, the whole being under the command of Captain Stewart, R.N. Inspecting Commander of the District. The horses of the Inspecting Commander and of the deceased followed the mournful procession and a large concourse of people — upwards of 3,000 — attended the service. At the conclusion of the funeral service the Coastguard fired three volleys over the grave.
Mr. Shearingham served for twenty-four years in the 17th Lancers and was with his regiment in the Crimea during the whole of the campaign. He had his horse killed under him at the battle of Balaclava, and whilst extricating himself from under the dead animal was wounded, first by a sword cut, and then by a lance-wound in the thigh, by a Cossack. He, however, contrived to catch, and mount, a rider-less horse of the Brigade, which carried him safely within the British lines.
Afterwards, whilst gallantly attacking a party of 20 Cossacks escorting a Russian officer with despatches, and a lady, he was wounded in the head by a pistol shot fired from the carriage, which scarred his left eye and caused him blindness for some considerable time.
[EJB: He is not shown as being wounded in any "Official" casualty lists.]
He afterwards served with his regiment in India during the Mutiny and since his retirement from the Army had served for four years with the Coast guard Service."
EJB: Despite an intensive search, no headstone can be found for him in the churchyard of St. Paul's at Charlestown, Cornwall.
Additionalinformation, including death registrations, and Census information for 1861, kindly provided by Chris Poole.