Charge of the Light Cavalry Brigade, 25th Oct. 1854, under Major General the Earl of Cardigan, by William Simpson (1823 – 1899) George and James Glanister of Finedon 11th (Prince Albert’s Own) Hussars The Charge of the Light Brigade at the Battle of Balaclava 25th October 1854 Newsletter January 2021 1 Chairman’s Report As members are aware, the society has not met since our February meeting owing to the current problems caused by the coronavirus. The committee have met twice in that time to deal with routine issues and matters arising. We have decided to cancel the member’s meetings planned for January, February and March and will attempt to meet again in April – if conditions at the time allow. Our treasurer, Rachel Terry has resigned the position after twelve years’ excellent oversight of the society’s finances. Rachel was also our contact with the Charity Commission and able to provide the committee with sound advice on how best to conform to the guidelines and requirements of the Commission. Many thanks Rachel for the sterling work has carried out on behalf of the society. Rachel’s successor is James Sheehan who, I am sure, will carry on the good work in the future. The committee wish to also thank society member Wendy Inns for allowing the Society to issue a reprint of the book “Those that didn’t” written by her late husband, Peter. The book sold well and there are a few copies remaining. Should you wish to purchase a copy please contact our secretary, Mick Britton. I wish you all well and let us hope it is not too long before we can resume our monthly meetings. David Bailey, Chairman. Treasurer’s Report for the Financial Year ending 31st October 2020 This has been a momentous year for the society in two respects: no longer having use of the Meeting House and the impact of Covid-19 on the society’s activities. The accounts show that it has been financially beneficial to pay for use of the Mission Room when the society requires it rather than having the fixed costs of the Meeting House. The society has had a record number of membership subscriptions this year (124 paid up members) and there were good attendances at the two monthly meetings we were able to hold. We have produced three newsletters using a commercial printer, which is well worth the cost. The society has done well with its publications this year. We have earned more from book sales than from subscriptions. We have had reprints of the 2 Convicts book, the Farming book and Peter Innes’ book “Those that didn’t” (the invoice for the latter of £418 has not yet been received so will be paid next year). We have had one new book researched and printed - The “Finedon Co-operative Women’s Guild 1921-1998 – A Social History”, which is selling well. As a result, the society’s balance has grown this year by over £300 (after allowing for a cheque for £126 for an uncashed cheque covering Mission Room use for use and the invoice of £418 referred to above). Just under £3,500 is a healthy balance, particularly as we no longer have any property responsibilities. Many thanks are due to Harry Nicholls for auditing the society’s accounts again this year. I am grateful to James Sheehan for agreeing to be your new Hon. Treasurer from 1st November 2020, as Francis and I are hoping to move to Oundle shortly. Rachel Terry, Hon. Treasurer. Cancellation of the Annual General Meeting. The Annual General Meeting had to be postponed. Until another one can be arranged, permitted by recent Charity Commission guidelines as well as the society’s constitution, the seven current committee members will continue in post. A copy of the Finance Report, ending 31st October 2020, is included in this newsletter – see page 19. If you have any comments or queries regarding this report, or any other matter that you may have wished to have raised at the postponed Annual General Meeting, please contact me by email at [email protected], or telephone 07988 065010, and the committee will endeavour to answer any questions you may have. As mentioned in David’s report, the first member’s meeting of 2021 is now planned for Monday April 26th (Northamptonshire County Houses by Neil Lyon), but this meeting cannot yet be confirmed in these uncertain times. We will update the website and our Facebook page; however, those members who do not have access to either of these can call me on the above telephone number in case of any doubt. Mick Britton, Secretary 3 2021 Subscriptions Thanks are due to all those members who have already renewed their subscriptions. Your subscription (£5 per person for the year) may be sent (or delivered) to James Sheehan, 17 Ivy Lane, Finedon, NN9 5NE. Alternatively, it can be delivered to Michael Shipton at 10 Rockleigh Close, Finedon if this is more convenient. For members who use online banking, there is the option of transferring your subscription to Finedon Local History Society (or as much as can be fitted into the online transaction), Sort Code 09-01-29, Account Number 02892977, giving your name(s) in the reference section of the transaction. Setting up a direct debit for the annual subscription is a further option. It would be appreciated if members choosing an online banking option, whether a BACS payment or direct debit would be so good to inform James, preferably via email at [email protected]. If you have not yet renewed, we hope that you will do so before 31st March 2021, so that you will continue to receive the next edition of the newsletter, which will be available in May. George and James Glanister of Finedon 11th (Prince Albert’s Own) Hussars The Charge of the Light Brigade at the Battle of Balaclava Carolyn Smith & Mick Britton While sorting out the society newsletters for scanning onto the new FLHS website, an interesting article about two Finedon-born brothers was noted. George and James Glanister were recorded as having taken part in the Charge of the Light Brigade at the Battle of Balaclava on 25th October 1854. As this article was written in a 2004 edition of the newsletter and seventeen years have now passed it was decided to investigate the story further to see if new information could be uncovered about these two fascinating men. Much additional primary and secondary source material is now readily available, including: Army Service, Medal, and Pension Records and the British Newspaper Archive. The 2004 article details the military careers of the George and James Glanister and gives an overview of their lives before and after the Crimean War. The military actions of the two brothers at the Battle of Balaclava as 4 reported in the newsletter article mirrored the findings of the late John Bailey on page 164 of his 1975 book “Finedon otherwise Thingdon”. Our new research soon identified a discrepancy between these two texts and the official records as regards the involvement of George and James in the battle. It is hoped that this revised and updated article will, in the quest for historical accuracy, set the record straight. The Glanister Family Henry Glanister of Cranford married Sarah Moon of this parish, on 3rd June 1816 at Finedon parish church. In the 1831 Finedon parish census Henry, his wife, with two daughters and two sons, are recorded as living in one half of the property known until recently as Crow End Cottage before it was renamed Wisteria Cottage. By 1838 the family had moved to Delves Cottage; this cottage stood on the Wellingborough Road on the site of what is now Woodfield Cottage. Henry also appears in three Northampton Mercury newspaper reports between 1842 and 1843 as gamekeeper to both William Mackworth Dolben and the Revd. Samuel Paul. By the 1851 census Henry is working as a coachman for Miss Esther Paul. By the time Sarah and Henry had died, 23rd December 1853 and 1st July 1855 respectively and were buried in unmarked graves in the Finedon churchyard both George and James had departed and enlisted in the British Army. George Glanister George, born in 1831, was the first of the two brothers to enlist on 24th July 1849, with the 11th (Prince Albert’s Own) Hussars. George was promoted to the rank of Corporal on 9th May 1854. George and his brother James, also with the 11th Hussars, arrived in the Crimea early in September 1854. The regiment was soon involved in military action at the Battle of Alma (20th September 1854), and the siege of Sebastopol which began on 1st October 1854, before the 11th Hussars formed part of the Light Brigade, forever to be remembered in British military history, twenty-four days later. The Medal Rolls held at The National Archives, (TNA, WO100/24/07 – Campaign and Award Rolls (General Service) Crimea. General and Line Cavalry) document that George was awarded the Crimea Medal with the 5 Sebastopol, Alma, and the (Battle of) Inkerman clasps, the latter action taking place on 5th November 1854. However, George is not recorded as being awarded a Balaclava clasp (25th October 1854), to add to his Crimea Medal; this was only given to those men who actually took part in the Battle of Balaclava, of which the ‘Charge of the Light Brigade’, was one part of the action on that historic and memorable day. The Quarterly Muster Records of the 11th Hussars for George’s time in Crimea (TNA, WO12/1012 – General Muster Books & Pay Lists, Cavalry, 11th Hussars).