John Cart

Born ??.??. abt 1819 at near Canterbury? Certificate
Full Name John Cart  
Father John Cart Mother Mary Cart (ms Friend)
Christened ??.??. ?? at ??
Married ??.??. ?? to Mary Anne Matthews at ?? Certificate
Children 1843 Maria  
  1846 John b. Umballa, India
Died 21.12. 1845 at Ferozeshuhur Killed in action Certificate

John Cart was born in about 1819 in the Canterbury area, possibly Fordwich or Littlebourne.

John was recruited on 13th June 1838 as a Private soldier in the 3rd Light Dragoons. On 17th July 1838 he was accused of rape and assault, and handed over to the civil authorities for trial[2]. He was acquitted of the rape charge but was convicted of assault, and sentenced to 18 months in prison, with 28 days in solitary confinement[2].  He was charged £1/0/0d for the cost of apprehension by the police, and £21/4/8d for the cost of trial and imprisonment. He was released on 5th February 1840 and returned to the army. 

On 2nd July 1840 John embarked with his regiment for India, arriving on 28th November. In January 1841 they were at Kurnual (Kurnool) in the south of India, and from July to October were at Cawnpore (Kanpur), 600 miles further north. During 1842 they were at Shahabad, Chiong, Jimrood (Jamrud fort, near the Khyber Pass), before returning south to Kurnual (Kurnool). They were at Jellalabad (Jalalabad), in Afghanistan, until March 1844, when they moved to Umballa (Ambala).

John's wife Mary accompanied him to India. In 1843 at Kurnool, their daughter Maria was born, and in 1846 at Umballa (Ambala) their son John was born[8].

John Cart was killed in action on the 21st December 1845 at the battle of Ferozeshah.  Ferozeshah (or Forozeshuhur), is near Ferozepur in NW India, close to the present-day border with Pakistan. The battle, part of the first Sikh War, was fought by a force of 16,000 English and Indian Troops under the command of General Sir Hugh Gough.  On the evening of the 21st December the British force unsuccessfully attempted to take the Sikh entrenched position commanded by Lal Singh and comprising 50,000 Sikh troops.  When nightfall came the British retired.  At dawn they attacked again, this time the Sikh line eventually collapsed and fled the field leaving behind 7,000 casualties.  British and Indian losses were 694 killed with 1,721 wounded.  This was one of the bloodiest battles of the period in Asia.

   
. The Battle of Ferozeshah, 22.12.1845. Painting by H.Martens .

Sources: [1]xx; [2]British Library Newspaper archives; [4]Regiments.org; [8]daughter's birth record;


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Updated 13-08-09