Born in the parish of St. Mary's, Lichfield.
Information received from Mr. Christopher Poole of Hamstall Ridware, Staffordshire, shows that from the 1841 Census Returns a James and Harriet Whitby were living in Sandford Street, Lichfield, with their sons Joseph and James, aged ten years and twelve years respectively.
The 1851 Census Returns (taken in March of 1851) shows only the parents and Joseph, then aged 22, and a domestic servant, as living there. Neither of the two children are shown as being baptised at the local parish church of St. Mary's, or in the two adjoining parishes of St. Michael's and St. Chad's.
Enlisted at Westminster on the 12th of August 1851.
Age: 18 years 6 months.
Height: 5' 9".
Trade: Groom.
Appearance: Fresh complexion. Blue eyes. Brown hair.
At Scutari 4th of April — 11th of May 1855.
"Deserted" on the 3rd of June 1852 and rejoined the regiment on the 13th of August. Tried by a District Court-martial on the 16th of August 1852 and sentenced to 84 days imprisonment and with loss by forfeiture of 323 days previous service,
Tried by a Regimental Court-martial for "drunkenness" on the 31st of May 1857 and imprisoned until the 29th of June.
"Deserted" on the 5th of September 1857 and rejoined on the 10th of October.
Tried by a District Court-martial on the 11th of October and imprisoned until the 31st of January 1858. Also to forfeit 4 years previous service. It was most probably for this offence that he was branded as a deserter.
"Deserted" on the 2nd of June 1858 and rejoined on the 14th of August. Tried by a District Court-martial and imprisoned from the 14th of August 1858 to the 2nd of February 1859.
"Absent without leave," from the 21-22 of May 1859, tried by a Regimental Court-martial and imprisoned from the 25th of May — 2nd of July 1859.
Tried by a Regimental Court-martial for" absence" and imprisoned from the 22nd of May — 9th of July 1860.
To live in Samuel Street, Lichfield, after discharge.
See record of1493 Joseph Whitby, 4th Light Dragoons for comment re "Brother serving in the regiment."
Discharged from Dublin on the 26th of November 1860.
"Unfit for further service. Has been under treatment since the 11th of May last for an affection of the right side of the chest, where there exists a tendency towards Phthisis, May, in a great degree, be attributable to his irregular habits. Has been marked with the letter "D".
1 year 180 days service only, to count.
In Turkey and the Crimea: 1 year 10 months.
Conduct: "good" [sic]. Not in possession of any Good Conduct badges.
Six times tried by Court-martial.
Entitled (according to the medal rolls) to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Inkerman and Sebastopol.
Neither HLTB or the medal rolls held at the PRO credit him with the clasp for Balaclava, but a Nominal Return of some 30 plus men of the regiment who are shown on this as being issued with their medals on the 6th of October 1855 with various clasps, records him as being given it with the clasps for A.B. and I. (This roll forms part of a series of documents, etc, under the title "Medals. Cavalry Division, Crimea 1854-6" which were retained by Colonel Charles Shute, A.A.G of the Cavalry Division, and came onto the open market in 1997 and a copy — or the original — is not held by the PRO.)
There is no record is known of any medals ever being on the market.
His documents state: "To forfeit his Crimean medal by his conviction for desertion." This is the only time this has been found so recorded, although a forfeiture of the Turkish medal has been noted.
Present at the first Balaclava Banquet in 1875.
Member of the Balaclava Commemoration Society in 1879.
The 1881 Census Returns show him as a Groom, living in the "Mitre Inn", in the parish of St, Mary's, Lichfield, as a Lodger, aged 60 and born at Lichford, Staffs.
He died in the Workhouse at Lichfield and was buried in an unmarked grave in St. Michael's Churchyard at Lichfield. (See photograph in the 4th Hussar file of the area west of the church where most of the common graves are situated.) Inmates of the Workhouse were buried here and it is feasible that James Whitby was too.
The burial records of St. Michael's confirm the known information as to the death of James Whitby in the Workhouse (on the 24th of April 1885) and his burial in St. Michael's churchyard on the 27th of April 1885, at the age of 61 years. The cause of death was "Senile decay."