Charge of the Light Brigade

[crowsplace]

Everyone here knows much more than I about their ancestor and the "charge".
I am thrilled to find this resource for certain.
It is only rumored that my 3x gg James Storemond McLaren participated in the Charge of the Light Brigade, he has claimed to have lost his leg during the battle. I have no idea as to what guard or rank he may have been or where to find out that information. I apologize and want to say I am pretty new to this. Please let me know any information you might have and guide me to find out things on my own.
Ever grateful,
Shirley

[Peggy]

Hi Shirley,

I don''t see any McLaren. Could have missed him if they got him out of alphabetical order or something. (Without other info, I'm running through the rosters of 5 regiments, for all ranks.)

As far as guidance is concerned, others here can provide far more than I! I'm a Yankee. :-)

Cheers,

Peggy

[Geoffers]

It is only rumored that my 3x gg James Storemond McLaren participated in the Charge of the Light Brigade, he has claimed to have lost his leg during the battle.

welcome to the B-G forums

Army records are held at The National Archives (TNA) at Kew, London. The service records for other ranks are in a series 'WO97'.

WO97 records have been scanned and mae available online. You can search for and download service records via the pay-per-view site 'findmypast'

A service record would confirm rank, regiment, service, reason for discharge

TNA has numerous research guides; it's worth putting the kettle on and with a cuppa in hand having a browse through them so you understand what is available. Click here and look at the links prefixed 'British Army'.

Did your chap survive to be discharged from the army, or did he die from wounds?

When you look for your chap, bear in mind he may not be recorded under his full name - he may just be under John M(A)CLAR(R)(A/E/O)N

[Lawrence W. Crider]

Everyone here knows much more than I about their ancestor and the "charge".
I am thrilled to find this resource for certain.
It is only rumored that my 3x gg James Storemond McLaren participated in the Charge of the Light Brigade, he has claimed to have lost his leg during the battle. I have no idea as to what guard or rank he may have been or where to find out that information. I apologize and want to say I am pretty new to this. Please let me know any information you might have and guide me to find out things on my own.
Ever grateful,
Shirley

The only McLaren who served in the Light Brigade during the war was 2247 Pte Andrew McLaren of the 11th Hussars---and he never embarked for the Crimea. I also checked the Heavy Brigade, but there were no McLarens serving with them for the 1st year of the war (which would include their charge).
Sorry.

LWC

[crowsplace]

I had since googled James Storemond McLaren.
I found where he claims to have been a buglar. The following was copied from a Deseret News article I googled. Does this help?
The life of the deceased was an eventful one, and it has fallen to the lot of but a few men to have passed through so many changes of fortune. His family was among the most respected in Scotland, the deceased being closely related to Sir Colon Campbell, the hero of Lucknow. He was early left an orphan, and when he was a mere boy drifted into the British army. When the Crimean war broke out he was a bugler in the famous Light Brigade, and was present when that ever glorious charge was made at Balaklava. Early in the day of that ever-to-be-remembered fight, he was wounded by a Russian cannonball, the shot killed his horse and carrying away a leg. He laid on the field for some time, and when found was thought to be dead, but a comrade, not as badly wounded as himself declared that there was life still left in him, and he was taken to the rear and cared for. His recovery was slow, but eventually he reached England. The old man seldom spoke of the stirring events of that time, for he was an eccentric character; but when he met one who had been over the ground he warmed up, and fought the battle over again in language earnest and eloquent. He distinctly remembered Florence Nightingale, and never wearied of sounding the praises of that noble woman. He cherished to his dying day the little acts of kindness she did for him, and always said that he would have died in the Crimea, had it not been for the words of encouragement she spoke to him while he was lying wounded in the rude hospital of that ever historic battlefield.

In common with the other survivors of the "Noble Six Hundred," he was given a pension by her majesty's government. This pension he unfortunately hypothecated to get the money with which to come to this country.

(Source: - jamessmclaren.net/mclaren.html.)

[Geoffers]

Hello
I'm one of the moderators of the B-G forums. You mention having copied the above from an article. Although an old article, does the web-site claim any form of copyright please? If it is then I will have to edit your message so that it is only a limited extract relevant to the claimed participation in the battle.

Not all news articles are accurate.

Your best bet is to search the military records online and have a read of the research guides mentioned in message no.33

[crowsplace]

I apologize for the delay in answering as I was having some technical problems. The article I mentioned actually came from https://jamessmclaren.net/mclaren.html. I am aware of copyright laws and there was no notice given. I have also spoken in person with Mr. Cook in the past regarding this claim but to my knowledge he never pursued it further, perhaps he has and i am unaware. I will be acting on suggestions given in no. 33 and appreciate all who have made attempts on my behalf.
If you feel you need to alter my post I understand.
Thanks again to all who responded!
Shirley

[Geoffers]

I apologize for the delay in answering as I was having some technical problems.

No problem

The article I mentioned actually came from https://jamessmclaren.net/mclaren.html. I am aware of copyright laws and there was no notice given.

Thanks for letting us know. The article on the web-site appears to have come from a newspaper. Although no longer covered by copyright, I feel it better to edit the message slightly to the pertinent (reported) facts and have added the source of information at the bottom of the page.

Although difficult to access from your side of the pond, the records held by The National Archives (TNA) may well be the way to go about showing precisely what part your chap played in the army. As mentioned, the best place to try would be the pay-per-view site 'findmypast' on the basis that puchasing some units to look at the more likely records -o i.e. those relating to a John McCL(E)(A)R(R)(E/A/O)N brn Scotland around 1840-ish - will be a lot cheaper than a return flight.

I believe the medal rolls are also available online via the pay-per-view site 'ancestry'.

Good luck

[Lawrence W. Crider]

Unless he served under an alias, it is extremely unlikely that his story is true.
The men who served as Trumpeters in the Light Brigade in the Crimea, or those listed as Trumpeters on the Musters on their arrival later are listed below:

Regt No First Name Last Name Regiment Charge related notes
726 William Brittain 17th Lancers staff; rode with Lord Cardigan in Charge
1236 Edward Barnes 4th Light Dgns killed in the Charge
1514 James Clout 4th Light Dgns arrived after the Charge
1296 Hugh Crawford 4th Light Dgns rode in the Charge
1518 William Haas 4th Light Dgns arrived after the Charge
1247 Thomas Lovelock 4th Light Dgns killed in the Charge
1361 W. R. Tilling 4th Light Dgns arrived after the Charge
1765 William Woods 4th Light Dgns arrived after the Charge
627 John Daley 8th Hussars at Varna at the time of the Charge
1061 James Donoghue 8th Hussars rode in the Charge
1241 George Frederick Dunn 8th Hussars arrived after the Charge
1090 John William Dunn 8th Hussars rode in the Charge; severely wounded
774 William Knights 8th Hussars died before the Charge
1321 Michael Boyd 11th Hussars in Crimea; not on B Clasp rolls
1688 John Feltham 11th Hussars arrived after the Charge
1372 James Grogan 11th Hussars arrived after the Charge
914 Joseph or John Keates 11th Hussars rode in the Charge
1304 William Perkins 11th Hussars rode in the Charge
1586 William Smith 11th Hussars rode in the Charge
1402 Charles Thomas Collingwood 13th Light Dgns arrived after the Charge
1108 Richard Davis 13th Light Dgns rode in the Charge
1029 Joseph Gammage 13th Light Dgns rode in the Charge
669 William Howarth 13th Light Dgns rode in the Charge; taken prisoner
1228 Harry Powell 13th Light Dgns rode in the Charge
476 John Brown 17th Lancers rode in the Charge
926 John Brown 17th Lancers rode in the Charge
416 Henry Joy 17th Lancers Sgt; orderly trumpeter with Hvy Bde
797 Charles Kidby 17th Lancers arrived after the Charge
986 Martin Leonard Lanfried 17th Lancers rode in the Charge
610 Daniel Wall 17th Lancers arrived after the Charge

No McLarens listed.

[Hlomos]

Hello Peggy. I am looking for John Banks of the 17th Lancers. I can't find him so maybe he went under the name if Joseph or Jack. I believe he left Hulme barracks for the Crimea, or it could have been the newly built Aldershot barracks. I also believe his daughter was born in Hulme barracks but no luck so far. It seems the lower orders really were cannon fodder.

Thank you.
Charlie.