Born in the parish of St. Luke's, Chelsea, being christened there on the 29th of October 1815, the son of Benjamin and Charlotte Fenton.

(There is no evidence that his parents were either born, or were married in the parish, but other children were born and baptised to them there.)

Olive, - on the 15th of November 1807,

Joseph, - on the 25th of June 1810. This is presumably the “elder brother “who was later in the 13th Light Dragoons.

Martha, - on the 30th of August 1812.

John Fenton’s elder brother was No. 326 Joseph Fenton, born at Chelsea, Middlesex, a shoemaker by trade, and had enlisted at London into “Boys Service” on the 2nd of September 1824, and sent to the Cavalry Depot at Maidstone. Being at this age (14) he may possibly have been formerly in the Royal Military Asylum, as several others of his age group at the same time are so shown as having done so, however, he is not. The regiment was then in India and remained there until February of 1840, a period of more than 21 years, so Joseph Fenton may have also served with them there. He is later shown as having “Committed suicide”, (no reason shown) at Glasgow, Scotland, on the 26th of May 1850. His “credits” of £2/6/8d. were handed over to his next-of-kin, his mother, Charlotte, living at Barnsley, Yorkshire

Enlisted into the Coldstream Guards at Ipswich on the 1st of November 1842. Regimental No. 2716.

Age: 22.

Height: 5' 11”.

Trade: Miner.

EJB:He had understated his age though, in saying that he was 22, when in actual fact he was 27. Men were normally not enlisted at this period if over 24, unless they had previous service and were re-enlisting.

Dark complexion. Hazel eyes. Dk. brown hair.

Transferred to the 13th Light Dragoons after 1 year 61 days service in the Coldstream, "to be with elder brother," by War Office Authority dated the 15th of December 1843, the regiment being then at Hounslow Barracks.

Has 13 entries in the Regimental Defaulter’s Book and has been twice tried by Court-martial. Tried by Regimental Court-martial and imprisoned from the 17th of April - 15th of May 1844 and again from the 13th of February - 28th of March 1851. No specific charges are shown.

Discharged from the West Cavalry Barracks at Aldershot on the 30th of August 1864, "His having been found unfit for further service - Served throughout the Crimean campaign, where he underwent a great deal of exposure. He more or less suffers from rheumatism continually and could not work at any laborious occupation. His disability has not been caused nor aggravated by drunkenness, vice or misconduct. Physical description - Has pock marks on face.”

Served 21 years 220 days. In Turkey and the Crimea, 2 years.

His character and conduct have been, "very good."

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

Awarded the French War Medal. The citation for this stated: "Served during the Eastern campaign, including the affairs of the Bulganak and MacKenzie's Farm, the battles of the Alma, Balaclava and Inkerman, Siege of Sebastopol, and Eupatoria."

His group of three medals were sold at a Glendining's auction on the 5th of May 1916, after having been in the "Payne" collection in 1911 and the "Neede's collection in 1913. A four clasp Crimean medal, depot impressed, to "John Fenton. 13th Lt. Dragoons." and the Turkish medal (British issue) un-named, were sold at a Glendining's auction on the 28th of November 1962. The French War Medal to which he was also entitled was not recorded at this time. On the 30th of June 1998 a group of three medals, comprising of the Crimean medal with four clasps, with regimentally impressed naming to “John Fenton, 13th Light Dragoons.” (the suspension said to be refixed), an un-named Turkish medal (British issue, the suspension is not the original two ring type) and a French Medaille Militaire, (but because of the uncertainty of the French War Medal being with the group at the time of its last appearance at auction in November of 1962, there is a possibility of its not being the original as awarded) was offered in a Dix, Noonan and Webb {See photograph of the group in the 13th Hussar file.)

In 1998 a family descendant provided the information that according to the 1841 Census Return he was resident in Higham, (a hamlet two miles from Barnsley, Yorkshire, aged 25, and a miner by

Trade: On the 27th of September 1841 he had married Elizabeth, (nee Taylor) at Staincross, a village near Barnsley. Following his enlistment in the Coldstream Guards, his Pay Book (presumably extant) gave his mother, Charlotte, as his next-of-kin, thus implying that he was a widower, (But at a later un-specified date this changes to Francis Sarah Fenton, but with no date of actual marriage.) That he was a widower at this time is most probably true, (although no proof has yet been found) only un-married men being accepted as recruits at this time and a man could be treated as a rogue and vagabond should he say he was single and yet turn out to be married. Three children were known to have been born into this second marriage, a son, Matthew, in 1860 at Edinburgh, another son, William Henry, at Aldershot in 1864 and a daughter, Olive Frances, born on the 21st of February 1866, the birth certificate giving the address as Ormes Place, Leader Street, Chelsea, His wife, Frances, also died at the same address, Ormes Place, Chelsea, on the 27th of January 1869, then being shown as the wife of John Fenton, a labourer. (EJB: The latter is interesting in that he did not go to live in Barnsley as stated at the time of his discharge and that in spite of his medical condition at the time continued to work as a labourer.) By the time of the 1871 Census however, he was living at at 7 Court, Albert Street, Barnsley, Yorkshire, being shown as a widower with three children, 55 years of age, and a coal miner by

Trade: By 1881 he was still living in Barnsley, being then as a Coal Miner, aged 65, but unemployed, born in Chelsea, Middlesex, with a son, William H. aged 16, a general labourer, and born in Hampshire.