PRIVATE J. HART,1ST BATTALION 4TH (KING'S OWN) REGIMENT (THE POST 1880 ROYAL LANCASTER REGIMENT). Two: Crimea Medal 1854-56, 3 clasps, Alma, Inkerman, Sebastopol (regimentally impressed naming: CORPL J HART 23(..)7 1st 4th KO REGT); Turkish Crimea Medal, Sardinian flag to the fore, pierced to take ring suspender and with replacement swivelling Crimea type suspender (unnamed, as issued). Crimea Medal with edge bruise at 6 o'clock, partially obscuring naming details, as indicated, small area of light tooling above Queen Victoria's bust on obverse (perhaps indicating suspender re-affixed at some stage and medal polished to remove small amount of excess solder), otherwise generally Good Very Fine.
Group accompanied by baptism details, 5 pages of copied discharge papers, Chelsea Pensioners Register details and copied extracts from Crimea Medal rolls, confirming Crimea Medal and three clasps.
John Edmund Hart was born Milton-next-Gravesend, Kent, 1832 (baptised 18/11/1832). Hart enlisted into the 4th (King's Own) Regiment at Rochester, Kent, on 9/4/1847. At the time of enlistment he was 14 years of age and stated that he had no trade. Hart was promoted Corporal, 1/2/1860 but was reduced to Private on 6/7/1863 and was finally discharged at Poona, India, on 29/11/1866. At the time of discharge he gave his intended place of residence as Poona. In addition to service at home and in the Crimea, Hart saw service in Malta, Mauritius and India. The Crimea Medal and Turkish Crimea Medal were Hart's sole medal entitlement.
Chelsea Pensioners admission record gives Hart's place of birth as Milton, Germany. This is a mis-transcription, Hart having been born in Milton, Gravesend.
There was another John Hart who saw service with the 4th Foot in the Crimea, 3485 Private John Hart, who received the Crimea Medal with Sebastopol clasp only (copy Crimea Medal roll for this man also accompanies medal).
