THE INDIAN MUTINY MEDAL AWARDED TO PRIVATE (LATER DRUM MAJOR) HENRY HOWITT, 84TH (YORK AND LANCASTER) REGIMENT (THE POST 1880 2ND BATTALION THE YORK AND LANCASTER REGIMENT), WOUNDED IN ACTION AT LUCKNOW, DURING THE SIEGE, ON 25/9/1857.

THE INDIAN MUTINY MEDAL AWARDED TO PRIVATE (LATER DRUM MAJOR) HENRY HOWITT, 84TH (YORK AND LANCASTER) REGIMENT (THE POST 1880 2ND BATTALION THE YORK AND LANCASTER REGIMENT), WOUNDED IN ACTION AT LUCKNOW, DURING THE SIEGE, ON 25/9/1857. Indian Mutiny Medal, 2 clasps, Lucknow, Defence of Lucknow (officially impressed: HY. HOWITT, 84TH. REGT., and additionally engraved “DRUMAJER” before impressed naming details). Clasps listed in order fitted, Good Very Fine.

With photocopied extract from medal roll, confirming medal and clasps, which additionally notes that 2744 Private Henry Howitt was wounded at Lucknow on 25th September 1857. Private Howitt was a member of the first relief force, and was wounded in action as that relief force fought its way into Lucknow to link up with the original besieged garrison, 25th September 1857. This First Relief Force then found themselves besieged in Lucknow with the original garrison for a further two months, until the siege of Lucknow was finally raised by the Second Relief Force under Sir Colin Campbell in November 1857. Medal also accompanied by copied details from the Worldwide Army Index, 1861, which confirms that Howitt had by then been promoted Drum Major Sergeant, along with copied research by an online blogger, giving brief biographical details, photocopied extract from the Births, Marriages and Deaths Register for April – June 1875, re. the death of Howitt’s eldest son, and 11 pages of copied service papers re. Drum Major Howitt’s father, Samuel Howitt, 23rd Foot and 84th Foot.

Henry Howitt was born circa 1838 in Jamaica. His final rank in the 84th Foot was Drum Major. Howitt married in Manchester, 1861, Mary Ann Lee. They had at least four children, his last recorded child being John Thomas, born in 1870 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Drum Major Howitt died prior to 1875 (his first born son Samuel dying in 1875 in the Union Work House, Salford, England, and his death certificate stating that his father was “deceased” by that date). At time of death, Drum Major Howitt would have been a relatively young man, even for the mid 19th century, just 37 years or so of age.

I suspect that Drum Major Howitt died whilst in service, because his service papers have not survived. His family must have fallen on hard times after his death for them to have been living in a workhouse in 1875, when his eldest son died.

Drum Major Howitt’s father, Samuel Howitt, was born in 1810 in Grantham, Lincolnshire. He originally enlisted into the 33rd Foot, 16/11/1827, at Grantham, Lincolnshire. At time of enlistment he was 17 years of age. Samuel Howitt saw service in the West Indies for 9 years and 87 days and in India for 7 years and 58 days. He transferred from 33rd Foot to 84th Foot whilst serving in the West Indies, on 31/12/1831 (his son, Drum Major Henry Howitt, born Jamaica 1838, would thus have been a child of the regiment, and this undoubtedly prompted him, when enlisting, to seek service in the 84th). Samuel Howitt was discharged at Chatham, having never risen above the rank of private, on 23/7/1850, as a result of being unfit for further service, “tropical climate appears to be the cause of this man’s decline of health and strength. He does not appear to be capable of performing the duties of efficient soldier.”. He was subsequently admitted as an In Pensioner, Chelsea, 1/8/1876, and died at the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, on 2/10/1891, some 15 years or so after the death of his son Henry.

The additional rank detail, DRUMAJER (sic), engraved on the edge of Howitts Mutiny Medal, is a little crude, and as such it was probably engraved by Howitt himself. He was not doubt enormously proud of having reached the lofty rank of Drum Major, and thereby becoming something of a celebrity within his regiment.