Sgt Joseph Higginson
👁 Portrait photograph of elderly Joseph Higginson, c. 1877 Joseph Higginson c. 1877
Born	(1792-10-11)October 11, 1792 Tyldesley, Lancashire, England
Died	September 18, 1881(1881-09-18) (aged 88) Tyldesley, Lancashire, England
Resting place	St George's Church, Tyldesley, Lancashire
Other names	Joseph Wright Higginson
Era	Industrial Revolution and Napoleonic Era
Spouse	Martha Dickenson ​ ​ (m. 1830; died 1869)​
Military career
👁 Image Naval General Service Medal (1847) of Joseph Higginson, awarded in 1848 for actions in the Invasion of Java (1811)
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Marines
Service years	1810–1826
Rank	Sergeant
Known for	Last surviving veteran of the Invasion of Java
Conflicts	Napoleonic Wars Invasion of Java (1811)
Awards	Naval General Service Medal (1847) with "Java" clasp[1]
Other work	Cotton Weaver
Signature	👁 Image

Sergeant Joseph Higginson /ˈdʒəʊzɪfˈhɪɡɪnsən/ (11 October 1792 – 18 September 1881) was a British Royal Marine and veteran of the Napoleonic Wars. He served as a sergeant aboard HMS President during the Invasion of Java (1811), when British forces captured the Dutch East Indies from Franco–Dutch control. For his service he later received the Naval General Service Medal (1847) with the "Java" clasp.^[1][2]

After leaving the service following an injury, Higginson returned to his native Tyldesley in Lancashire, where he worked as a cotton weaver in a cotton mill before marrying his cousin, Martha Dickenson, in 1830. Living to the age of 88, he was one of the last surviving veterans of the Java campaign and was commemorated in local newspapers upon his death.^[3]

Joseph Higginson was born on 11 October 1792 to James and Mary Higginson, in his childhood home on Well Street, Tyldesley, Lancashire.^[a] He was baptised on 24 October the same year at St Mary's, Leigh, in the Kingdom of Great Britain.^[4] The 1881 census lists him as Joseph Wright Higginson, possibly due to a clerical error rather than a true middle name.^[5] It is known that Higginson had one sister called Martha, who was born on 6 September 1797 in Tyldesley but was only baptised on 11 September 1825, also at St Mary's, Leigh.^[4] It was noted on her record of baptism that, by 1825, their mother Mary had died.^[4]

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Joseph's father, James Higginson was born the eldest child, on 21 June 1766 in Shakerley to Thomas and Mary Higginson, and was baptised the following day at Chowbent Chapel in Atherton.^[4] James would have married his wife, Mary in Chowbent Chapel, however the marriage register from this time does not survive. James worked for most of his life as a weaver in a cotton mill and died on 17 October 1842 of Paralysis, likely following a stroke, in his home on Well Street, Tyldesley; he was buried in St George's Church, Tyldesley on 21 Oct 1842.^[4]

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Joseph's paternal grandparents were Thomas Higginson and Mary Higginson née Harrison. Thomas was baptised in All Saints, Hindley on 15 Oct 1738 as the child of John Higginson, a farmer and Ellen of Hindley.^[4] He worked as a cotton weaver and lived in Tyldesley for most his life; he married Mary Harrison on 16 June 1763 at St Mary's, Leigh^[4] and it was where he was buried on 27 December 1792.^[4] Mary Harrison was born around 1737 and lived in Atherton when she married Thomas Higginson in 1763. After mothering seven children and surviving her husband, she lived in Ashton in Makerfield and was buried on 6 March 1811 at Ashton Chapel, aged 74, after dying of old age.^[4]

Together they had seven children between 1766 and 1783, who were all baptised at Chowbent Chapel.

Children of Thomas and Mary Higginson ^[6]

Name	Date of Birth	Date of Baptism	Residence
James	21 Jun 1766	22 Jun 1766 [6]	Shakerley
Ann	3 Mar 1769	4 Apr 1769 [6]	Shakerley
Sarah	29 Jun 1777	10 Aug 1777 [6]	Atherton
Thomas	27 Jun 1779	5 Jul 1779 [6]	Atherton
Ellen	25 Jun 1781	27 Jul 1781 [6]	Atherton
Jane	14 Dec 1783	16 Dec 1783 [6]	Atherton
Ralph	14 Dec 1783	16 Dec 1783 [6]	Atherton

Joseph Higginson's Paternal Great Grandparents were John and Ellen. John was baptised on 27 February 1715 as the son of Giles Hickinson of Eccleston at St Michael's Church, St Michael's on Wyre.^[4] He married Elen (Ellen) Baine on 25 April 1737 also at St Michael's,^[4] before being buried there on 20 August 1740.^[4] Ellen was baptised on 9 October 1715 as the daughter of John Baine of Upper Rawclife at St Michael's Church, St Michael's on Wyre.^[4] Following her the death of John, she moved to Tyldesley and was buried on 28 March 1779 at St Mary's, Leigh^[4]

At the age of 18 in 1810, Higginson enlisted in Manchester as a private in the Royal Marines, having been persuaded to join by a recruitment agent.^[3] He was later promoted to sergeant. On 31 December 1810, under the control of Captain Samuel Warren, he embarked aboard HMS President, heading for the Cape of Good Hope. After a short stop at the Cape, they sailed along the frigates HMS Malacca and HMS Galatea, to Calcutta. Under the command of Frederick Augustus Wetherall, they departed Calcutta on 21 April 1811 and arrived at Penang on 21 May 1811. They met with an earlier division under the command of Colonel Rollo Gillespie, which left Madras on 18 April, escorted by a squadron under Captain Christopher Cole aboard the 36-gun HMS Caroline. From Penang, they sailed to Malacca and arrived on 1 June 1811 where they made contact with a division of troops from Bengal under Lieutenant-General Sir Samuel Auchmuty, escorted by Commodore Broughton aboard the 74-gun HMS Illustrious.

On the 31 August 1811, a royal marine expedition was sent out to the Fort of Cheribon; a group of ships, consisting of HMS President, Nisus, Phoebe and Hesper landed with a total force of 180 men under the command of Captain Welchman to intercept a retreat from the Dutch General Jan Willem Janssens. Cheribon surrendered and became occupied by Captain Welchman and his forces, however an impending attack caused the troops to leave and be replaced by Seamen.^[7][8] It is unknown if at this point he was aboard HMS President.

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The Anglo–Indian force captured Batavia (now Jakarta) in August 1811 and defeated Franco–Dutch troops at the Battle of Fort Cornelis, securing the island.^[9] Muster rolls for HMS President confirm the ship’s presence in the Java operations during this period.^[9] The victory removed the last major French foothold in the East Indies and secured British trade routes to India and China.

According to his obituary, Higginson was wounded during the campaign in August 1826 in which he was shot in the ankle and received a 'Light' saber scar. He was consequently returned home without completing the 18 years of required service needed for a pension.^[3] He later regretted not rejoining the service after he recovered.

In 1847, the Admiralty authorised the award of the Naval General Service Medal to surviving veterans of actions between 1793 and 1840. The award was not automatic; veterans had to apply for it more than three decades after the events.^[1][10]

He received his medal in 1848 with the "Java" clasp for his service on HMS President.^[1][11] His name is also listed in the alphabetical roll of recipients compiled by John Hayward and Colin Message, which recorded holders of the medal.^[2] Only 665 were issued and approximately 278 known to survive.^[1]

His name also appears in later compilations of medal recipients, including the Greenwich Medal Roll published by the Guild of One-Name Studies, which documents surviving holders of the Naval General Service Medal.^[12]

Joseph Higginson was not a recipient of the Java Medal (awarded in 1812), as he was not a soldier in an army of the East India Company.

From the Naval General Service Medal roll in 1847, it can be found that he served along these soldiers on HMS President:

Rank	Names
Captain	Frederick Closen (Capt main top) Samuel Wright (Capt Fore-top)
Lieutenant	Richard Grant
Master	Charles Chown
Lieutenant (Royal Marines)	Henry Elliot (First Lieutenant) John Hinds (Lieutenant Private)
Purser	William George Mason
Surgeon	William Evans
Ship's carpenter	Thomas Harris
Master's Mate	George William Matson
Midshipman	Charles Blyth John Church William Hooper William Weaver
Carpenter's Mate	Robert Malcolm
Ship's Corporal	Richard Forster
Coxswain	James Webb
Sergeant (Royal Marines)	Joseph Higginson John Cressy
Private (Royal Marines)	William Brooks John Christopher William Derrett Francis Field John Maynard Benjamin Payne W. B. Rill George Savage Stephen Sprowles
Sailmaker	Thomas Munday
Leading Seaman	James Brawley Abraham Coop Thomas Costello Samuel Dyer William Easter Thomas Jones Lawrence Margesson John Stanley
Able Seaman	Richard Cartwright Henry Jeffrey
Ordinary Seaman	Daniel Castle Robert Cox John Johnson John Kernp Edward Kewn James Lahiff Peter Lines James Poindester Charles White
Volunteer 1st Class	George Spong
Boy	George Finney

On 19 December 1830, Higginson married his cousin, Martha Dickenson, at St Mary the Virgin's Church, Leigh.^[4] Martha was born on 12 June 1786 in Winsford, Cheshire, to Thomas and Sarah Dickenson but was baptised on the 19 July 1786 at St Mary's Church, Stockport; she worked in the cotton industry as a Cotton Winder whereas Joseph was a Cotton Weaver, a position he held until retirement only after Martha died on 28 October 1869 following a 14-day illness of bronchitis.^[4]

Census returns listed their residence as Well Street,^[b] and it is known that they were tenants as the house changed ownership in 1866. ^[13] Together, they lived with Joseph's father James until his death in 1842, at which Joseph was present for^[14] and due to Martha's age, the couple never had any children.^[3]

The Bolton Evening News reported that Higginson regretted not returning to fight after recovering from his wounds and that he was remembered for hoisting the Union Jack in commemoration of his service.^[3]

After his wife’s death in 1869, Higginson retired from being a cotton weaver (a position he held ever since leaving the Royal Marines) and went to live with his cousin Joseph Higginson, his wife, Margaret, and their eight children. In 1871, the family resided 8 Higham's Square,^[c] a court of ten terraced houses and one outdoor building that held two toilets and a communal tap, it was later demolished in the 1940s to make way for the houses on Maesbrook drive.^[15] It is known that the family kept chicken in the cellar which was deemed unsanitary and as a result shifted location.^[16]

Then in 1881, the family were listed as residing at 5 Patchett Street in Tyldesley, where he remained until his death.^[3] In 1873, he became almost blind, and in 1877, he was photographed with his relative Martha Higginson (daughter of his cousin Joseph, later Martha Fountain).

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By 1881 his health was declining rapidly. Beginning in January, Higginson was confined to bed for a 35-week illness, suffering from mortification of both legs, most likely due to a lack of blood flow to the extremities caused by age based deterioration. On 18 September 1881, aged 88, Higginson died without issue, at his home at 5 Patchett Street, just three weeks from his 89th birthday.^[4]

His death was registered on 19 September by the daughter of his cousin Joseph, Margaret Higginson, who was present at his death with the cause of death being recorded as senile debility. Coincidentally, Higginson died on the 70th anniversary of the Dutch surrender of Java, which was also on the 18th September 1811. By dying in 1881, Higginson narrowly outlived General John Low (died 1880), who was the only other surviving veteran of the Invasion of Java and therefore Higginson became the last surviving veteran of the Invasion of Java.

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He was buried at St George's Church, Tyldesley, on 21 September, alongside his wife. The cemetery lies about 100 m from his last address, and his gravestone (if erected) does not survive; in addition to that, Higginson has no known will or probate record. His obituary appeared in both The Bolton Evening News and The Leigh Journal.^[17]

Joseph Higginson was the subject of a Short on YouTube, created by Henry the Numismatist on 25 February 2026. It includes a short biography and is titled "Sergeant Joseph Higginson" .^[18]

• Invasion of Java (1811)
• List of last surviving veterans of military insurgencies and wars
• Royal Marines
• Naval General Service Medal (1847)
• List of clasps to the Naval General Service Medal (1847)

• Carey, Peter; McKinnon, John (2015). The Invasion of Java 1811. Jakarta: Lontar Foundation.
• Clowes, William Laird (1900). The Royal Navy: A History from the Earliest Times to 1900. Vol. V. London: Sampson Low, Marston and Co.
• Farrer, William; Brownbill, J. (1911). The Victoria History of the County of Lancaster, Volume V. London: Victoria County History.
• Douglas-Morris, Kenneth (1982). Naval General Service Medal Roll, 1793–1840. London: Spink & Son. p. 231.

• The National Archives, ADM 157: Royal Marines attestation papers
• The National Archives, ADM 171: Naval General Service Medal rolls
• Lancashire Online Parish Clerk Project

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