Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Four: Private J. Mortimer, 8th Hussars, a “confirmed charger”

Crimea 1854-56, 4 clasps, Alma, Balaklava, Inkermann, Sebastopol (Pte., 8th Husrs.), contemporary engraved naming; Indian Mutiny 1857-59, 1 clasp, Central India (8th Hussars); Army L.S. & G.C., V.R., 3rd issue, small letter reverse (938, 8th Hussars), officially impressed naming; Turkish Crimea 1855, Sardinian die (No. 938, 8 Hussars), depot impressed naming, all but the third with refixed suspension, severe edge bruising and contact marks, otherwise fine and better (4) £4000-5000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Collection of Medals formed by the late John Darwent.

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John Mortimer was born at Raheen, Maryborough, Co. Queens, Ireland and enlisted in the 8th Hussars in May 1846. Landing with his regiment at Calamita Bay in the Crimea in September 1854, he was present at the Battle of Alma later that month, and went on to participate in the charge of the Light Brigade, the Battle of Inkermann and in the operations before Sebastopol.

Mortimer returned to the U.K. in 1856 but was re-embarked in the S.S. Great Britain in October 1857 for service in the Indian Mutiny. He was subsequently present in the action at Kotah, part of the operations conducted in Central India. Awarded his L.S. & G.C. Medal at the time of his discharge back at Dundalk in June 1870, after 24 years with the Colours, he attended the First Balaklava Banquet in 1875 and became a member of the Balaklava Commemoration Society in 1879. He is also known to have attended the Annual Dinner as late as 1895.

Mortimer, who found employment as a night watchman, was onetime resident at Halifax in Yorkshire, but latterly he lived in Liverpool at Union Street in the Paddington district, and, less happily, as an inmate of a workhouse in the Walton district of the city. He died in June 1896. The following notice appeared in The Liverpool Daily Post:

‘Death of Balaklava Hero: another of the survivors of the Charge of the Light Brigade, whose numbers are rapidly diminishing, died on Monday last in the Walton Workhouse, aged seventy-four years. The deceased, John Mortimer, was formerly a trooper in the 8th Hussars, being present at Inkermann. He also passed through the Indian Mutiny. He was in possession of two Crimean medals and four bars, Mutiny medal and a long service medal. He was generally present at the Annual Dinners given to the survivors by the Committee of the Balaklava Fund, either at London, Birmingham or Manchester and was well respected by his comrades.’

See Lummis and Wynn for full provenance. Sold with full research including copy photograph of the recipient wearing medals.