Born in the parish of Leacroft, Leeds, on the 19th of January 1825.
Enlisted at Leeds on the 11th of January 1844..
Age: 18 years 11 months.
Height: 5' 10".
Trade: Gardener.
Appearance: Fresh complexion. Grey eyes, Lt. brown hair.
Embarked for the Crimea aboard the H.T "Wilson Kennedy" on the 2nd of May 1854.
Embarked for India from Cork aboard the S.S. "Great Britain" on the 8th of October 1857.
From Private to Corporal: 22nd of July 1859.
Transferred to the 19th Hussars (as a Private) on the 1st of November 1863. Regimental No. 668.
From Private to Corporal: 1st of December 1863.
Corporal to Sergeant: 6th of August 1865.
Invalided to England from Meerut on the 8th of November 1867.
Discharged from the Royal Victoria Hospital, Netley, on the 9th of June 1868:
Unfit for further service, — Asthenia. Has no actual disease, but is weak and unequal to the active duties of a soldier. Can contribute towards own maintenance. Not aggravated by vice or mis-conduct. Has a sword cut on right shoulder received in action at Gwalior."
Served 23 years 295 days.
In Turkey and the Crimea: 1 year 10 months
In India: 8 years 11 months.
Conduct: "Exemplary." When promoted to Sergeant was in the possession of four badges and would now have had five.
Twice entered in the Regimental Defaulters' book. Never tried by Court-martial.
Aged 43 years 5 months on discharge. To live in Halifax, Yorkshire.
Entitled (according to the medal rolls) to the Crimean medal with clasps for Balaclava and Sebastopol. Lummis and Wynn also credit him with that for the Alma, but the roll shows him as being at Varna at the time of the September 30th 1854, muster taking.
There is no dated entry for him rejoining the regiment in the Crimea proper, being shown on continual payment by the unit although obviously not actually with it. (Other men shown as remaining at Varna are shown in the same way, but like him, are not shown on the medal rolls as receiving the clasp for the Alma either.)
The entry for him for the following quarter Oct-Dec, shows him as leaving the regiment for Scutari on the 3rd of November 1854 and rejoining it on the 28th of December 1854.
(See newspaper report and picture in the 8th Hussar file, which shows his Crimean medal with only two clasps, (his obvious entitlement) and recorded in the accompanying text as being those for Balaclava and Sebastopol.) Another known picture (in uniform) is not clear enough to distinguish how many clasps are on the Crimean medal.
Awarded the Victoria Cross. This was awarded for "bravery in a desperate charge" at Gwalior during the Indian Mutiny, in which two guns were captured. This was during the same action as that of Captain C.W. Heneage at Gwalior on the 17th of June 1858. The award was made by a vote of the men who took part in the affair and he was decorated with the Victoria Cross in India.
Extract from a despatch sent by Major General Sir Hugh Rose, G.C.B., the Commander of the Central India Field Force"
"Captain (now Brevet-major) Heneage, Sergeant Joseph Ward, Farrier George Hollis and Private John Pearson of the 8th Hussars have been selected, agreeably to the 13th clause of the Royal Warrant, for the Victoria Cross by their companions in the gallant charge made by a squadron of that Regiment at Gwalior on the 17th of June 1858, where, supported by a Division of the Bombay Horse Artillery and the 95th Regiment, they routed the enemy who were advancing against Brigadier Smith's position, charged through the enemy camp into two batteries, capturing and bringing back into their camp two of the enemy's guns under a heavy and converging fire from the Fort and Town."
Mutiny medal with clasp for Central India.
Served at Kotah and Gwalior.
Awarded the Long Service & Good Conduct medal on the 22nd of September 1865 with a gratuity of £5.
He was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal. on the 3rd of September 1867, with an annuity of £15. In the known photograph of him he is wearing five medals, his original entitlement. He would seemingly have returned the Long Service & Good Conduct medal on the receipt of the M.S.M., as laid down.
(His recommendation for the award of the M.S.M. was submitted to the Queen on the 16th of May 1867, approved on the 1st of June 1867 and the medal received and sent to him, via Major Cragie, 19th Hussars, on the 3rd of September 1867.) His documents only confirm the award of the Victoria Cross, Crimean, Turkish, Indian and the Long Service & Good Conduct medals.
His medals are thought (1978) to be still in the possession of the family. (See photograph of him wearing all the five medals as awarded, in the 8th Hussar file.)
His V.C. pension was awarded to his widow by his last pension letter, dated the 25th of July 1892, and he also left a son and daughter. In 1854 he had made an allowance of money to a "Selina Pearson" — wife or mother, is not shown — from the Crimea. (He also sent money from India in 1859 (via Captain Robert Poore) to a Mrs. Selina Pearson, of No. 3 Gardner Street, near Halifax, Yorkshire.)
In 1880 he had emigrated to Canada with his family. Some eight years later he took up land in the Bruce Peninsula and settled on a farm near Little Pike Bay in the Spry area, about nine miles in a westerly direction from the village of Lion's Head. After farming there for a number of years he died on the 18th of April 1892, and was buried in the Eastnor Cemetery at Lion's Head.
His erected headstone bears only the words: "John Pearson, V.C. Born January 19th 1825 at Leeds, England — Died April 18th 1892."
There are extracts from various newspapers concerning the "finding" of his tombstone and grave (circa 1938) in the 8th Hussar file.)
Extract from a "Press Release" issued by the Department of Tourism and Information (Historical Branch) and dated the 16th of June 1964;
"Early Victoria Cross Winner to be commemorated:
On Sunday, June 28th 1964, commencing at 1.30 p.m. ceremonies in connection with the unveiling of a plaque to commemorate Sergeant John Pearson, V.C. will be held in the Memorial Park at the intersection of John and Main Streets, Lion's Head, Bruce County. Sunday's ceremony is being arranged and sponsored by the Lion's Head Branch 202, of the Royal Canadian Legion, and the Vice-President of the Branch, Mr. Alfred Mayer, will act as the programme chairman.
The ceremony has also been timed to co-incide with the Annual Decoration Day Service, which will be held in Eastnor Cemetery later in the afternoon. The plaque will be unveiled by Mr. L.C. Baker, a grand-son of the late John Pearson, and dedicated by the Revd. T.A. Scott, Rector of Trinity Church, Lion's Head.
A number of the courageous soldier's descendants are still living in Canada, and it is hoped that as many as possible of them will attend the unveiling of the plaque in his honour... (See photograph of the occasion in the 8th Hussar file...)
Then follows a list of notables expected to be present, and a resume of his life, the story of how the V.C. came to be awarded to him and some details of the Crimean and Indian Mutiny campaigns.
The plaque is now known to be inscribed: "John Pearson, V.C. 1825-1892. Born in England, Pearson served in the Crimean War and won his decoration for outstanding gallantry during the Indian Mutiny. He later emigrated to Canada and settled near Lion's Head." See photographs of his gravestone and the memorial plaque at Lion's Head, Canada, in the 8th Hussar file.
The India Office records show a son, Stephen Edward, as dying of "cholera" at Meerut, India, aged 4 years, on the 1st of August 1861 and another son, Edward, being born at Meerut on the 7th of October 1862, baptised there on the 6th of November 1863 (when the parents were named as John and Selina Pearson) and dying at Meerut, aged 1 year 8 months on the 9th of June 1864.
An Edward Pearson, was buried in the Meerut Cantonment Cemetery (no date shown) the child of Corporal Pearson of the 19th Hussars.
In 1987 a Mrs. Byars of Leeds, and a great-grand-daughter by his eldest son, John, wrote to the then Regimental Secretary of the 4th/8th Hussars telling of a visit she had made to Canada and enclosing photographs of his gravestone and the plaque erected to him.
Her father did not emigrate to Canada with his family, being already a married man with a family. She possesses a certain amount of information on the family history, but has no idea just who was the Ida Estenhauser mentioned in the 1938 newspaper cutting as having received the medals on her father's death, and later passed them on to her nephew, Edward Pearson.
When the plaque was set up in 1964, a grandson, Mr. L.C. Baker, and grand-daughter, a Mrs Meech, who could have been Mrs. Ida Estenhauser's children, were present. One puzzling fact to her was that on his death John Pearson left only one son and a daughter, these presumably being her grand-father, John, and Mrs. Estenhauser.
Mrs. Byars has not made contact with these members of the family at all, and believes that John Pearson's medals are in a bank in New York.
She has also passed on some information regarding John Pearson's baptism on the 13th of February 1825 at Whitcroft (although born at Seacroft, there being no records in 1825 for that parish) the son of Stephen Pearson, a gardener, and his wife, Elizabeth, John Pearson of the 8th Hussars was married to Selina Smart at Trowbridge in Wiltshire on the 6th of April 1851.
The 1871 Census shows him as living at No. 11 Wood Street, between Wilson Street and Fitzwilliam Street, but according to Mrs. Byars the Wood Street address seems to incorrect as a study of the old street maps of Halifax suggests it was in fact, Grant Street.)
This return shows him as being aged 46, a Watchman and Army Pensioner, his wife, Selina, aged 40, born at Trowbridge and four children, John, aged 16, a "Creeler" at a carpet works, born at Trowbridge, Wiltshire, Albert, 6, Frank, 4, born in Meerut, East Indies, and "Scholars," and Selina, aged 1, born at Halifax.
The other known child, Edward, born at Meerut in 1862, must have died young as he is not shown.
Also provided was a photograph purported to be of John Pearson and his wife Selina, although some doubt exists on this as the reverse is stamped with a trade advertisement which mentions that the photographer had been given an honour for his work in 1882, whereas John Pearson is believed to have gone to the Americas in 1880.
(This of course, could equally mean that John Pearson did not go to the Americas until later than thought.) See copy of this photograph and also a copy of his marriage certificate, in the 8th Hussar file.)
(In January of 1998 information was recorded on the Internet from a Canadian source, which adds in some respects to what is already known, but disputes others or is not known of by the person making the entries.
1881 Census
The 1881 Census Return shows him as living at 11 Melville Place, Halifax, a Chelsea Pensioner (Retired, Army, his wife Selina, and his two sons, Albert and Frank, both working in the cotton trade and three daughters, Selina, Ida and Mary, all of school age. Of these children, nothing more was known about Albert, but Frank was still living in Los Angeles, America, at least until 1957 when his sister, Selina, died at Vancouver, British Columbia, in July of 1957 at the age of 88.
Married three times, she was survived by her last husband, Ernest Demers, three daughters, 14 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren and 9 great-great children. and a brother, Frank. Extracts from several different newspapers are given, an unknown which, but Edmonton, dated May 1939, newspaper, showing that Selina Pearson and her husband of the time, William Richardson, were to be presented to their Majesties on the 2nd of June 1939 in honour of her distinguished father, another from the Edmonton Bulletin of the 12th January 1949 deals mainly with the discovery by Dr Charles Bell of her father's grave and mentions that she is the eldest daughter of the family, and another from the
Edmonton Journal of the 5th of January headlined "Family of Great-Great Grandmother" — and showing a photograph of her (with her last husband, Dr. William Demers) and three generations of her family, during a visit to her hone in Manning, Alberta. The article further states that Mrs Demers had been a resident of Edmonton for 46 years and came there a few years after her father's death.
The author of the Internet programme concludes by asking that someone would recognise the surnames and by it making it possible to locate the whereabouts of his medals (believed to have been placed in a museum for safe keeping after being carried in the tunic pocket of a nephew serving in France during World War One) and also John Pearson's missing sword, said to have been carried by him throughout his career, and thought to be in the possession of one of his descendants.
Nothing more is known of Ida, but Mary Pearson seems to have remained in England. Married to George T. Baker, she died in August of 1956, he in February of 1942, and leaving four sons.
Extracts from an unknown which and undated newspaper, (but most probably a Canadian one, and published before World War Two.):
Five medals, including the coveted Victoria Cross, presented to Private John Pearson for bravery during the Indian Mutiny on June 17th 1858, were located on Friday in the possession of his grandson, Edward Pearson, of Toronto.
John Pearson, who was later made a sergeant, was buried in a small cemetery at Lion's Head in the Bruce Peninsula. The top photo shows the five medals: Central India campaign medal, 1857-58; Sebastopol and Balaclava clasp, 1854, Victoria Cross: Turkish medal given during the Crimean War by the Turkish Government; and the medal for meritorious service. In the bottom photo is Edward Pearson. (See copy photo-stat pictures of the latter in the 8th Hussar file.
Victoria Cross Won During Indian Mutiny Discovered in Toronto:
One of the first bronze decorations since its inception, the Victoria Cross awarded to Private John Pearson of the 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars who helped storm the fort at Gwalior during the Indian Mutiny three-quarters of a century ago, was found yesterday in the possession of Edward Pearson, 78 Runnymede Road, his grandson.
The grave of the stout-hearted British soldier who fought through the Crimean War and the Indian Mutiny and who was among the first British soldiers to win the coveted award, lies in a lonely little cemetery not far from Lion's Head, on the east shore of the Bruce Peninsula.
The Victoria Cross, along with four other medals of the wars which marked the reign of Queen Victoria, are carefully preserved in a strong box in a downtown trust company. The original ribbons on the medals bearing the name of Private John Pearson and later of Serjeant John Pearson of the 19th Hussars, have become frayed and worn with the years.
Emigrated to Canada:
Little could be learned about Private John Pearson from his grandson or how he came to be buried in a little graveyard at Lion's Head. But it is believed the soldier came out to Canada after his retirement from the Army with a grant of Crown land.
Mr Pearson believes his grandfather first travelled and lived somewhere in the United States, but probably liking the wild, rugged frontiers of the British Empire, finally settled at Lion's head. he died in 1892.
"I never saw him and know very little about him," Mr. Pearson declared. "He left England before I was born." During his career as a professional soldier in the King's Hussars, John Pearson took his family with him to India.
The medals themselves travelled half-way round the world before finding their way into the strong-box in Toronto. Following the death of John Pearson they went into the possession of Mrs. Ida Estenhauser a daughter, in the United States. During the Great War, Mr. Pearson got possession of them.
War Volunteer:
At the beginning of the Great War, Mr. Pearson, who was home-steading in Athhabaska, north of Edmonton, volunteered into the 218th battalion under Colonel J, Cornwall. For two years the medals were carried in his tunic pocket before they were given to his father, John Pearson, a member of the Territorials in England. At the death of his father, the five medals were sent out to Canada to the grandson.
All the male descendants of the soldier have at one time or another served in his Majesty's armed forces.
Mr. Pearson himself as a bandsman attached to the headquarters and Canadian Railway troops; his brother Albert served many years in the navy, and another brother, Jack, enlisted into the British infantry during the last war at the age of 16. Mr. Pearson's father also saw active service.
(See photostat picture of Edward Pearson (the grandson) and of John Pearson's group of medals, in the 8th Hussar file).