THE war medals of a York jailer who took part in the Charge of the Light Brigade and was nursed by Florence Nightingale have been sold at auction for £11,000.
Private William Pearson, from Doncaster, was one of the soldiers who charged into the “Valley of Death” during the Battle of Balaclava in 1854, and was one of the trumpeters who sounded the charge, immortalised in the famous poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.
Pte Pearson was wounded while fighting off four Russian Cossacks in the battle, and was taken to Scutari hospital where he was treated by “The Lady With The Lamp”, Florence Nightingale.
He returned home to a hero’s welcome and later became a jailer at York Castle. He died in 1909, aged 84.
Three medals, which were put up for auction by Pte Pearson’s descendants, were sold with the original parchment of Pte Pearson’s discharge and some early photographs.
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