Born in King's Norton, Birmingham, c.1830, the son of James and Mary Alexander.
1841 Census
King's Wood, King's Norton.
A Jos Alexander, 10, born King's Norton, and his 15-year-old sister Ester were living with their parents: James, a Labourer, and his wife Mary.
Enlisted at Coventry on the 17th of November 1848.
Age: 18.
Height: 5' 8".
Trade: None shown.
At Scutari from the 9th of April [presumably 1855?] and sent to rejoin the regiment on the 24th of May 1855.
Embarked for India from Cork aboard the S.S. "Great Britain" on the 8th of October 1857.
The July-September 1858 muster rolls show him as being "On detachment at Shoolapoor" during this period.
Served in action against the rebels at Zeerapore on the 29th of December 1858 and at Baroda on the 1st of January 1859.
A discharge board sat at Secunderabad on the 3rd of December 1860, "he having completed the term of service for which he was enlisted".
Sent to Bombay on the 9th of December 1860, he embarked for England on the 10th of May 1861 and was at the Brighton Depot from the 31st of July 1861.
Discharged, "time expired", from Canterbury on the 8th of August 1861.
He re-enlisted into the 1st Royal Dragoons at Birmingham on the 9th of November 1861 (regimental number 941).
His details at this time are given as:
Born in King's Norton, Birmingham.
Appearance: Fresh complexion. Hazel eyes. Dk. brown hair.
Served 12 years 42 days. In Turkey and the Crimea, 2 years. East Indies, 2 years 11 months.
Aged 30 years 6 months on discharge.
Conduct: "good". In possession of one Good Conduct badge.
Never tried by Court-martial.
To live in Hayton Street, Balsall Heath, Birmingham.
His former service in the 17th Lancers was allowed to reckon towards pension, vide War Office Authority dated the 30th of December 1862.
Discharged from Dublin on the 14th of March 1873.
Free, at own request, after 24 years service.
Served 24 years 3 days.
Not in possession of any Good Conduct badges. Ten times entered in the Regimental Defaulter's book. Never tried by Court-martial.
To live in Paradise Place, Birmingham, after discharge.
In an article in Spy Magazine [date?] about John Richardson of the 11th Hussars [PB: presumably 1567 John Richardson, 11th Hussars] "Joseph Alexander 17th Lancers and 1st Dragoons" appears at the head of a list of 24 men receiving an allowance from the Patriotic Fund in 1897.
This "List of survivors of the Charge of the Light Brigade at the Battle of Balaclava, 25th October, 1854, in receipt of allowances from the Light Brigade (Balaclava) Relief Fund under the administration of the Royal Commission of the Patriotic Fund", dated 6th February 1897, was signed by Colonel J.S. Young, Secretary Royal Commission of the Patriotic Fund.
No trace can be found of any transfer from the 17th Lancers to the 1st Dragoons but it is possible he rejoined the Army after his original discharge [PB: this has since been confirmed, see above].
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman, and Sebastopol, and the Turkish medal.
Mutiny medal without clasp.
Documents confirm the award of the Crimean medal with four clasps, the Turkish medal, and the Mutiny medal with clasp for Central India [sic].
He was not present at the Alexandra Palace Celebrations in 1875, was not a member of the Balaclava Commemoration Society in either 1877 or 1879, and was not among those invited to the Fleet Street offices of T. H. Roberts in June of 1897 for the Jubilee Day Celebrations for Queen Victoria.
Births registered
William Alexander, June Quarter 1871, Birmingham.
Mary Ellen Alexander, September Quarter 1875, Birmingham.
John Alexander, December Quarter 1876, Birmingham.
Elizabeth Ann Alexander, March Quarter 1877, Birmingham.
1881 Census
No 2 House, Coventry Street, in the parish of St. Martin's, Birmingham.
Joseph Alexander was living with his wife, Helen, and six children.
[CP: A step-daughter, Rose Kelley, 16, and a step-son, Alexander, 13, together with William 7, Mary 5, John 3, and Elizabeth 2.
The couple had probably met in Dublin (he was discharged from Dublin in 1873), and Helen was probably a widow.].
He was then a General Labourer, aged 51, born in Kings Norton, Warwickshire.
1891 Census
46, Smithfield Passage, 2 ct. 3 House, Market Hall, Birmingham.
Joseph Alexander 60, General Labourer.
Ellen [sic], 49, Hawker.
Jane W, 17.
Elizabeth J., 12.
Also a visitor.
On the 3rd of April 1897, his wife, 59 years of age and born in Ireland, was living at No. 6 Court 5 House, Bordesley Street, Birmingham.
1901 Census
3, Moore's Row, 1 ct. 2 House, Birmingham.
Joseph Alexander, 71, born Kings Norton.
Ellen, 60, born Ireland.
Jane, 22, born Birmingham.
The Birmingham Gazette of the 25th of December 1902 mentions that there was a Private Joseph Alexander, a survivor of the Light Brigade, still living in Birmingham. This could well have been 989 Joseph Alexander, who would then have been about 72 years of age.
Died at Birmingham in 1905.
Death registered
The death of a man of this name, aged 74 years, was registered in Birmingham during the July-September Quarter of 1905. [RM]
Death registered
Ellen Alexander, 67, September Quarter 1908, Birmingham.
See also MJ Trow's The Pocket Hercules, a biography of Captain William Morris, 17th Lancers, published 2006. Joseph Alexander swore an affadavit in support of Morris's claim for a VC for his actions during the Charge. From this it can be assumed that JA also charged with the 17th and should therefore be included among the survivors of the Charge.
Registration of death, and Census information for 1841, 1881, 1891 & 1901, kindly provided by Chris Poole.