Birth & early life
Born at Mountmellick, Co. Queen's, Ireland.
Age 14 years 4 months.
Height: 5' 6".
Trade: None.
Fresh complexion. Grey eyes. Fair hair.
Enlistment
Enlisted into the 91st Foot at Dublin on the 28th of January 1850. Regimental No. 3044.
(Attained the age of 15 years and on to "Man's Pay" from the 23rd of September 1850.)
Service, discharge & pension
Transferred to the 13th Light Dragoons from Dover on the 31st of December 1850:
"Deserted" from Birmingham on the 1st of February and rejoined the regiment on the 17th of February 1854.
Tried by Court-martial at Newbridge on the 11th of June 1857 for “Disgraceful conduct” and awarded 30 days imprisonment, with hard labour.
Tried by a Regimental Court-martial for "insubordination" and imprisoned from the 6th of June - 10th of July 1857.
Transferred to the 17th Lancers on the 1st of September 1857. Regimental No. 101.
Embarked for India from Cork aboard the S.S. "Great Britain " on the 8th of October 1857.
Tried by a Regimental Court-martial on the 17th of March for "having loaded his pistol with ball", and imprisoned from the 17th of March - 14th of April 1858.
The muster rolls for July-September 1858 show no actual service movements.
At the Chatham Invalid Depot from 16th of April 1861 and being discharged on the 9th of May 1861, as "Unfit for further service. Has Chronic Encephalitis. Was invalided home from India on the 6th of January 1860 for Anaursis - resulting from exposure to the sun on service in India. He has suffered from severe pain in the frontal region, with loss of vision and from nervous disability which has made him unfit for service."
Served 7 years 137 days, to count. In Turkey and the Crimea, 2 years. India, 2 years 1 month.
Conduct: "good." Not in possession of any Good Conduct badges.
Twenty times entered in the Regimental Defaulter's book. Three times tried by Court-martial.
Aged 25 years 7 months on discharge.
Granted a pension of 1/- per day.
Medals & commemorations
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.
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.
To live in Derby after discharge, but he was living in Birmingham in 1875. Is shown on the Regimental "Married roll" from the 4th of March 1862, his wife's name being Hephzibah.
Eds: The 1881 Census returns show his wife Hephzibah Mc Brine aged 46, a Widow born at Armitage, Stafford, as living at House 8, 11 Hope Street Court, Birmingham. She was living with three sons Thomas aged 18 born London, Harry aged 14 born Toronto, Canada and Oscar aged 6 born at Burton on Trent.
Death & burial
Photographs & illustrations
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