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Private John Freeman was born in 1832 to a farming family in Sittingbourne, Kent. He enlisted in the 9th Lancers when he was 24, just before the outbreak of the Indian Mutiny. He served throughout the conflict but particularly distinguished himself at Agra on 10 Oct 1857. He saw that Lieutenant Jones was wounded and in danger of being cut down so he went to his rescue. He fought with the leader of the rebel group and killed him, fending off others. Seven months later he was badly wounded at the battle of Bareilly in May 1858. He was the only British casualty. Hope Grant recommended him for the VC and it was gazetted on 24 Dec 1858. Queen Victoria presented it to him at Windsor Castle on 4 Jan 1860.
He was invalided from the army and lived in Hackney, at 17 Holcroft Road. He died on 1 July 1913 and was buried in Abney Park Cemetery, Stoke Newington. The picture shows a private of the 9th Lancers in action during the Mutiny, a detail from a painting by Orlando Norie. |
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