John Freeman (VC)

Riding into combat, he helped rescue a wounded army officer.

John Freeman was born on 30 November 1833 and baptised at East Farleigh in Kent in January 1834. He was the son of Edward Freeman, an agricultural labourer, and Sarah. The family lived at Barming and later East Farleigh. John also worked as a labourer before attesting for the 9th Lancers at Maidstone on 20 October 1851.

He served in the Indian uprising of 1857, taking part in the siege of Delhi and the subsequent advance through northern India. On 10 October, during the fighting at Agra, he went with other lancers to the assistance of Lieutenant Jones, who had been wounded and was surrounded by enemy soldiers. Their intervention brought the officer out of immediate danger. Freeman's part in the rescue earned the Victoria Cross.

He continued on campaign through the relief of Lucknow under Sir Colin Campbell, the action at Cawnpore in December 1857 and the operations which captured Lucknow in March 1858. At Bareilly in May he was wounded. The effects of his service and injuries led to his medical discharge at Chatham on 7 February 1860.

Queen Victoria presented his Victoria Cross at Windsor on 9 November 1860. By the following year he was an invalid living with his parents at Adelaide Place in Maidstone. He died there on 23 June 1861, aged twenty-seven. His Indian Mutiny Medal records three distinct stages of the campaign, Delhi, the relief of Lucknow and Lucknow itself. His Victoria Cross later entered the Lord Ashcroft Collection.

Official Victoria Cross citation

For conspicuous gallantry on the 10th of October, 1857, at Agra, in having gone to the assistance of Lieutenant Jones, who had been shot, killing the leader of the enemy’s cavalry, and defending Lieutenant Jones against several of the enemy. Despatch from Major-General Sir James Hope Grant, K.C.B., dated 8th April, 1858.

The London Gazette of 24 December 1858, Numb. 22212, p. 5517.