Penrith's Crimea War Hero
Penrith museum owns the medals and other
memorabilia of William Pearson (1826-1909), the Crimea War
survivor. The town has done much to ensure that the man and his
bravery should not be forgotten. As long ago as 1894 townsfolk
marked the 40th anniversary of the "Charge of the Light Brigade" by
acquiring a life size photograph of Pearson, who was then still
alive. Still in its elaborate frame it is now owned by the Museum.
He has the distinction of having a corner of the town named after
him 'Pearson Court' and a plaque is affixed to the property in King
Street formerly the Mitre Hotel where he was born in 1826. He was
brought up in North Westmorland and was a leather dresser before
running away to enlist in the 4th Light Dragoons in 1848, at
Westminster. He was serving in Ireland when the regiment received
orders for the Crimea.
During the Charge of the Light Brigade at
Balaclava his horse stumbled over another that had fallen and he
had to mount a rider-less horse of the 8th Hussars. He had an
epaulette shot from his shoulder and returned from the affair with
a wound to his forehead. The severe Crimean winter left Pearson
with frost-bite and he spent Christmas Eve 1854 having four toes
amputated. He was nursed by Florence Nightingale at the hospital in
Scutari before being invalided home.
He was presented before Queen Victoria in 1855,
and discharged as unfit for further military service, with a
pension of 8d a day. This was later increased to 12s a week by the
Royal Patriotic Fund. He received the Crimea Medal (with clasps for
Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman and Sebastopol), the Turkish Medal, and
he also had a Good Conduct Badge.
He met his wife at a ball in honour of the
Crimean heroes held at Dover and they returned to Penrith, where
Trooper Pearson became Inspecting Officer's Orderly to the Dalemain
Troop, Cumberland and Westmorland Imperial Yeomanry. In 1880 he
moved to Underbarrow, near Kendal, where he set up a fellmongering
and tanning business. He retired in 1906, and died in July 1909,
aged 82. He was buried with military honours in Parkside Cemetery,
Kendal.
Letter of Trooper Pearson
You can read the letter he wrote back from the
Crimea to his parents which was printed in the 'The Kendal
Mercury' newspaper on 18th November 1854.
Read the "Private Letter From A Penrith Lad At The Seat Of War",
