Born at Monastervan, Co. Kildare, on the 23rd of March 1822.
Enlisted by Pt. Anthony Sheridan at Newbridge on the 22nd of March 1838.
Age: 17 years.
Height: 5' 10".
Trade: Cooper.
Appearance: Fair complexion. Grey eyes. Dk. brown hair.
"Under age" until the 22nd of March 1839.
Embarked for the Crimea aboard the H.T. "Mary Anne" on the 25th of April 1854. Was wounded in action at Balaclava and sent to Scutari on the 26th of October 1854, and being in the General Hospital there from the 30th, was invalided to England the 3rd of March 1855
Discharged from the Chatham Invalid Depot on the 12th of June 1855:
"Disabled by loss of power of fingers of left hand from a lance-wound and from a shell wound of the left leg, at Balaclava."
Served 17 years 3 months, but 2 years 354 days service, only, to count on discharge.
Conduct: "Bad." Not in possession of any Good Conduct badges. Three times tried by Court-martial.
"Absent," 24th of February — 24th of June 1850. Tried by a Regimental Court-martial and sentenced to 28 days imprisonment and to "forfeit 11 years 95 days previous service" by this conviction.
"Absent", 14th of June — 18th of July 1851. Tried by a Regimental Court-martial on the 21st of July — being imprisoned to the 28th of July and "to forfeit 349 days previous service."
"Absent": 29th-31st of March 1852.
Tried by a Regimental Court-martial on the 5th of April and imprisoned to the 4th of May 1851. Also "to forfeit 213 days previous service."
"Immediate. Horse Guards,
30th April 1852.
Sir. — By the Commandeer -in chief's desire I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of yesterday with its enclosure and to acquaint you that his Grace has been pleased to approve of the unexpired portion of the term of imprisonment being remitted in the case of the man (Private Christopher Spain) specified in the margin in order that the man may accompany the regiment on its removal from its present quarters and I am to request that you will take the necessary steps accordingly .
Lieut.- Colonel Shewell, I am, etc. etc.,
Commanding 8th Hussars, J. Brown, AG.
Hounslow"
Aged 37 years [sic] on discharge.
He was awarded a pension of 9d. per day.
Pension details to the 23rd of October 1875. He was then living in the Tullamore, Ireland, Pension District.
Entitled (according to the medal rolls) to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, and Sebastopol. He is not shown on the Balaclava clasp roll but there is a "B" (for Balaclava) by the side of his entitlement on the Alma/Inkerman roll.
Lummis and Wynn state that he was also entitled to the clasp for Inkerman, but the medal roll does not show this and the nature of his wounds would infer that he was not able to be present. (He is shown as "Slightly wounded" in the "London Gazette" Casualty Lists.)
A medal with two clasps only (not known which they were, was sold at a Glendining's auction on the 12th of April 1923.
A brother, serving in the 4th Dragoon Guards, died of cholera in the Crimea.
The Application records for admittance to the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham show that he applied in May 1876 at the age of 54. He had no family to be provided for, there was no report shown of the disability from which he claimed entrance and he had been formerly living in the Tullamore and Monasterevan Pension District, Co. Kildare, the Pension Officer's report being that his character was "Good, as far as is known." and also shown is that he was present at the Alma, Balaclava and Inkerman, [sic] and as being wounded at Balaclava.
He does not appear to have been admitted as an In-Pensioner however, as the Admissions book shows no entry for this.
An entry in the General Records Office in Dublin shows "1879, Christopher Spain. Aged 60. Naas V2-P964." His age would compare with that of 5658 Christopher Spain from his reaching "Man's service" (i.e. 18 years of age) to 1879, but not with his stated age of 37 on discharge. Naas is the County Town of Co. Kildare, and his last known Pension District of Monasterevan is also in Co. Kildare.