Edward Jennings VC (ca. 1820 – 10 May 1889) was an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...

forces.

Details

He was approximately 37 years old, and a Rough-Rider in the

Bengal Artillery The Bengal Army was the army of the Bengal Presidency, one of the three presidencies of British India within the British Empire. The presidency armies, like the presidencies themselves, belonged to the East India Company (EIC) until the Govern ...

Bengal Army The Bengal Army was the army of the Bengal Presidency, one of the three presidencies of British India within the British Empire. The presidency armies, like the presidencies themselves, belonged to the East India Company (EIC) until the Govern ...

during the

Indian Mutiny The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown. The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 in the fo ...

when the following deeds took place at the Relief of Lucknow for which he was awarded the VC:

Legacy

For most of his life Edward Jennings was employed by the local council as a road sweeper and must have fallen on hard times as he sold his Victoria Cross to a private collector. His Victoria Cross is owned by the Royal Artillery and is not on public display. Edward Jennings VC died on 10 May 1889 and was buried in an unmarked pauper's grave, one of 190,000 bodies interred in Preston Cemetery, North Shields, North East England. In 1997 an appeal was launched to raise the necessary £2000 to place a headstone on Edward Jennings grave. A memorial service at graveside took place on 10 September 1997 to dedicate the new headstone.News Item
: (memorial service)

References

Listed in order of publication year *'' The Register of the Victoria Cross'' (1981, 1988 and 1997) * *'' Ireland's VCs'' (Dept of Economic Development, 1995) *'' Monuments to Courage'' (David Harvey, 1999) *'' Irish Winners of the Victoria Cross'' (Richard Doherty & David Truesdale, 2000)

External links

Location of grave and VC medal
''(Tyne & Wear)'' * {{DEFAULTSORT:Jennings, Edward 1820s births 1889 deaths 19th-century Irish people Bengal Artillery soldiers British military personnel of the First Anglo-Sikh War Indian Rebellion of 1857 recipients of the Victoria Cross Irish recipients of the Victoria Cross Irish soldiers in the British East India Company Army Military personnel from County Mayo People from North Shields