key wound gilt movement, English lever escapement with ruby pin and jewelled lever pallets, signed Thos. Perry, 131 Oxford Street, London and numbered 972, engine-turned silver dial with foliate engraved centre and applied three-colour gold border surrounding Roman numerals and subsidiary seconds dial, rounded circular consular case with milled band and later inscribed to sprung back, case maker’s mark indecipherable, London hallmarks for 1836, case 43mm diameter

The inscription reads: Worn by / Capt Thos Hatton / 4^th L Dns / at the / BALACLAVA CHARGE / 1854

Thomas Everard Hutton (1821-1896) exchanged into the 4th Light Dragoons in 1847 from the 15th (Yorkshire, East Riding) Regiment of Foot, and was promoted captain in 1852. Captain Hutton rode in the Charge of the Light Brigade at the Battle of Balaklava (1854). He was shot through the right thigh during the advance of the Light Cavalry Brigade and on returning from the guns he was again severely wounded through the left thigh. His horse was wounded in 11 places and had to be destroyed. After treatment at Scutari and Malta, Hutton returned to England in March 1855 and received his Crimea War Medal from Queen Victoria at the presentation ceremony on Horse Guards Parade, 18 May 1855. He retired from the Army as brevet-major by sale of his commission in 1857. Numerous items of uniform and other associated items including his sword and shako (inv. nos. NAM1967-06-40-2 and NAM1967-06-31-10) are in the care of the National Army Museum, Chelsea.