Edward James Boys
Encyclopedia
Edward James Boys (1916 – 2002) was a leading authority on the men of the cavalry regiments of the British Army
who took part in the famous Charge of the Light Brigade
of 1854 during the Crimean War
of 1854-56 between the UK and Russia
.
'Jim' Boys was tireless in the pursuit of information, and wherever possible he traced the life of every man of the Light Brigade
from his birth through to his death, and in a number of cases traced their relatives to the present day to gain as much information as possible. The lives of many of these men are only recorded in the accounts he created.
For more than forty years Boys gathered information from a huge range of sources, including official records from the War Office
, India Office
, the Public Record Office
, contemporary newspapers, census returns, church records, Registries of Births, Deaths and Marriages, and many local and national libraries.
He corresponded with descendants and wider-family members, modern-day regiments, and other organisations and individuals throughout the world, including the noted Charge of the Light Brigade
historian Canon William Lummis
, seeking and exchanging information, photographs and transcripts of letters and other published and unpublished documents.
As a result of his research, Jim Boys accumulated a substantial collection of contemporary material – photographs, paintings and other images, letters and autobiographies (including accounts of the Charge never previously published). To these he added modern photographs of medals, memorials and gravestones, most of which he took himself. He also owned a private collection of Crimean War medals awarded to 'Chargers'.
The result is widely regarded among many historians as being the most complete and authoritative record of the lives of men of the Light Brigade
, and their families, in existence.
An on-line archive of the researches of E J Boys is currently being created.
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
who took part in the famous Charge of the Light Brigade
Charge of the Light Brigade
The Charge of the Light Brigade was a charge of British cavalry led by Lord Cardigan against Russian forces during the Battle of Balaclava on 25 October 1854 in the Crimean War. The charge was the result of a miscommunication in such a way that the brigade attempted a much more difficult objective...
of 1854 during the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
of 1854-56 between the UK and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
'Jim' Boys was tireless in the pursuit of information, and wherever possible he traced the life of every man of the Light Brigade
Light Brigade
Light Brigade is a term made famous by the Charge of the Light Brigade, but is also used in various military contexts:* A Light infantry brigade* A Light cavalry brigade* A brigade within the Light Division...
from his birth through to his death, and in a number of cases traced their relatives to the present day to gain as much information as possible. The lives of many of these men are only recorded in the accounts he created.
For more than forty years Boys gathered information from a huge range of sources, including official records from the War Office
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
, India Office
India Office
The India Office was a British government department created in 1858 to oversee the colonial administration of India, i.e. the modern-day nations of Bangladesh, Burma, India, and Pakistan, as well as territories in South-east and Central Asia, the Middle East, and parts of the east coast of Africa...
, the Public Record Office
Public Record Office
The Public Record Office of the United Kingdom is one of the three organisations that make up the National Archives...
, contemporary newspapers, census returns, church records, Registries of Births, Deaths and Marriages, and many local and national libraries.
He corresponded with descendants and wider-family members, modern-day regiments, and other organisations and individuals throughout the world, including the noted Charge of the Light Brigade
Charge of the Light Brigade
The Charge of the Light Brigade was a charge of British cavalry led by Lord Cardigan against Russian forces during the Battle of Balaclava on 25 October 1854 in the Crimean War. The charge was the result of a miscommunication in such a way that the brigade attempted a much more difficult objective...
historian Canon William Lummis
Canon William Lummis
Canon William Murrell Lummis, MC was a British military historian most noted for the research he conducted on the Victoria Cross, the Charge of the Light Brigade, and Rorke's Drift.-Military career:...
, seeking and exchanging information, photographs and transcripts of letters and other published and unpublished documents.
As a result of his research, Jim Boys accumulated a substantial collection of contemporary material – photographs, paintings and other images, letters and autobiographies (including accounts of the Charge never previously published). To these he added modern photographs of medals, memorials and gravestones, most of which he took himself. He also owned a private collection of Crimean War medals awarded to 'Chargers'.
The result is widely regarded among many historians as being the most complete and authoritative record of the lives of men of the Light Brigade
Light Brigade
Light Brigade is a term made famous by the Charge of the Light Brigade, but is also used in various military contexts:* A Light infantry brigade* A Light cavalry brigade* A brigade within the Light Division...
, and their families, in existence.
An on-line archive of the researches of E J Boys is currently being created.