Born at Cashel, Co. Tipperary.
Enlisted at Cahir on the 4th of May 1846.
Age: 19.
Height: 5' 9".
Trade: Tailor.
From Private to Corporal: 8th of June 1866.
Corporal to Sergeant: 4th of October 1871.
Discharged, "On expiration of service," from Leeds on the 9th of February 1872.
Served 24 years 4 months.
In Turkey and the Crimea: 2 years. Canada, 2 years 10 months.
Conduct: "good."
In possession of four Good Conduct badges.
Awarded a pension of 1/3d per day on discharge.
Was also in receipt of 2d per day "good swordsmanship" allowance during his service.
Documents confirm the award of the Crimean medal with four clasps, Turkish Medal, and the Long Service medal.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman, Sebastopol and the Turkish medal.
Awarded the Long Service & Good Conduct medal on the 26th of July 1867, when serving at Toronto, Canada.
Next of kin (in 1854): Wife, Ann Reardon, living at No. 55 Sedson Street, Edgbaston, Birmingham.
Is shown on the Regimental "Married roll" from the 28th of June 1849.
He is not shown on the Roll of members of the Balaclava Commemoration Society in either 1877 or 1879, nor is he ever known to have attended any of the various functions arranged by and for the Veterans.
Was living in Leeds in 1875.
There were five children in the family by the 31st of March 1875.
The 1881 Census Return shows him as John Rearden, living at No. 5 Cross Rockingham Street, Leeds, Yorkshire, a Tailor, aged 52, born in Ireland, with his wife, Mary, aged 50, also born in Ireland, and a daughter aged 17, a Tailoress.