Born in the parish of St. John's, Worcester.
Enlisted at London on the 22nd of June 1852.
Age: 18.
Height: 5' 7".
Trade: Clerk.
Sent to Scutari on the 11th of November and returned to the regiment on the 20th of December 1854.
From Private to Corporal, 10th of October 1855.
He was "Acting Hospital Sergeant" for a 63 days period from the 23rd of July 1855.
Discharged, "by purchase", from Ballincollig, Ireland, on the 21st of August 1856. Payment of £30.
Served 4 years 61 days. In Turkey and the Crimea 2 years,
Conduct and character: "good". In possession of one Good Conduct badge.
Early in 1985 an "original" letter sent by him to a friend was donated to the National Army Museum by a Mr. L.S. Allen. In this letter he told of his part in the battle of Balaclava. He first described how he had been sent to Scutari with an attack of cholera but only spent four days there and was back with the regiment on the evening of the 24th of October 1854. (EJB: The muster roll shows him as being sent to Scutari as "sick" on the 11th of October 1854, and is on the muster roll there from the 16th and being returned to the regiment on the 20th, but not when he rejoined, although he is shown as being "struck off" the ration strength for "5 days on board ship and 3 days in the hospital.") No other proof of his having participated can be found, but Canon Lummis is of the opinion that, based on this letter, "he can now be considered as having taken part in the Charge"
[RM: Excerpts from this letter appear in the book "Hell Riders" by Terry Brighton published 2004 by Penguin.]
(There is a copy of the letter in the "Memoirs" file, to be transcribed.)
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasp for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman, and Sebastopol and the Turkish medal
A supplementary roll (undated) signed by Major Henry Holden shows him as being issued with the Crimean medal (with clasps for Alma, Balaclava and Inkerman) on the 7th of October 1855.
[RM: He appears on the 1861 Census "Edward Farkins", aged 28, married, a "manufactory clerk" born at Worcester. His wife's given name Mary also born at Worcester aged 24. Two children are shown as William E. aged 4, born Worcester and Mary L. aged 2, born in Birmingham. Their address is shown as No. 10, 4 Court House, Bull Street, St Philip's Parish, Birmingham. By 1871 they were living in the Aston parish of Birmingham, Edward shown as an "Engineers Clerk".
The 1881 Census Return shows a man named as Edward Firkins, living at No, 35 Summer Road, Edgebaston, Warwickshire. a Clerk, aged 47, born in Worcester, with his wife, Mary A., aged 42, born in Worcester and 5 children, 2 boys and 3 girls, aged from 24 to 11 years.
[RM: By 1891 Firkins was still living at Summers Road Edgbaston, but his occupation was now that of "Beer retailer" suggesting he was keeping a Public House. Two of his sons Arthur, 34 a chemist and William, engine fitter age 32 were still in the household.]
Deaths registered
John Firkins, 64, June Quarter 1893, Aston.
Mary Ann Firkins, 61, March Quarter 1896, Kings Norton.
Registration of deaths kindly provided by Chris Poole.