Crimea Medal with ‘Sebastopol’, ‘Inkermann’, ‘Balaklava’ and ‘Alma’ clasps. Framed with portrait by Edward Hayes, 1854.
James was born on the 28th April 1835. ‘Hulton’ as he was always known, was the second son of Robert Clutterbuck of Watford House, Hertfordshire and his wife, Elizabeth Anne. Robert worked as a lawyer and was also a Justice of the Peace and Deputy Lieutenant of the County. Hulton was educated at Harrow, like his father and grandfather before him.
Hulton joined the Army on the 15th July 1853. He took an officer’s commission with the 12th Regiment of Foot. His rank was ‘Ensign’, the equivalent of a Second Lieutenant today. He transferred to the 63rd Regiment of Foot on the 12th of August 1853, just after his 18th birthday. The 63rd would later become the part of the Manchester Regiment.
Hulton spent some time in Dublin before the 63rd was sent to the Crimea to participate in the Crimean War. While in Dublin he had his portrait painted by the artist Edward Hayes. Hulton embarked at Queenstown on the 21st July 1854 on the Royal West Indian Mail Steamer Avon. They stopped at Constantinople on the 7th August for five days rest, before disembarking on the 12th August at Beicos Bay.
Hulton was present for part of the siege of Sebastopol, which he described as being “very different than in the novels”. He also described the battle of Alma (20th September 1854) in much the same way. In a letter to his sister Bessy dated the 6th October 1854 he noted that that they landed at Lake Tuzla without a change of clothes, no tents and limited food. He also described a raid by the Russians on the pickets (guards) that were watching the British camp. The British lost two men and the Russians four.
The Battle of Inkerman started on Sunday the 5th November 1854. Hulton Clutterbuck and Heneage Twysden were the two young Ensigns carrying their regimental colours - flags carried in battle to rally and motivate the troops. Hulton was killed in the charge when he was hit in the neck by a fragment of shell. According to an eye witness he was cheering his men forward with cries of, ‘Come on the 63rd!’ He was 20 years of age. He is buried in the 4th Division burial ground at Cathcart’s Hill, the main cemetery for British soldiers killed during the Crimean War. Twysden was wounded and died four days later.
Back home in Hertfordshire a memorial to Hulton was erected by his family in St Mary’s Parish Church, Watford. It reads:
SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF JAMES HULTON CLUTTERBUCK ENSIGN IN HM 63RD (WEST SUFFOLK) REGIMENT OF FOOT SECOND SON OF ROBERT CLUTTERBUCK OF WATFORD HOUSE IN THIS PARISH AND ELIZABETH ANNE HIS WIFE YOUNGEST DAUGHTER OF HENRY HUTTON ESQr OF BEVIS MOUNT NEAR SOUTHAMPTON. AT THE BATTLE OF INKERMANN HE CARRIED THE REGIMENTAL COLOUR AND FELL MORTALLY WOUNDED WHILST GALLANTLY LEADING ON HIS MEN IN THE 20TH YEAR OF HIS AGE “THY WILL BE DONE”
The portrait of James Hulton Clutterbuck with his Crimea medal set within the mount was donated to the museum collections in 2018.
