Medals from the Collection of Peter and Dee Helmore

Crimea 1854-56, 1 clasp, Sebastopol, (H. Kennedy. Captn. R.M.L.I.) engraved naming, with the naming separated by the suspension post, on original riband with contemporary top silver brooch suspension, nearly very fine £300-£400

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals from the Collection of Peter and Dee Helmore.

View
Collection

Purchased by Peter Helmore in 1959 ‘one of my very first purchases’, for 15/- (75p!)

Hugh Kennedy was born at Walmer, Kent, circa 1817 and was commissioned into the Royal Marine Light Infantry on 21 March 1834. Posted 2nd Lieutenant,Woolwich Headquarters between April 1834 and March 1836, he embarked in H.M.S. Hercules for Cadiz, Lisbon where he served from 31 March 1836 to 13 December 1837. He was with the Royal Marine Battalion in Spain during the Carlist Wars and served on the North Coast of Spain from December 1837 to 29 March 1839. Returning home to Woolwich Headquarters until he embarked in H.M.S. Southampton for service in the Brazils and Cape of Good Hope from 31 July 1840 to 8 December 1842 having been promoted to 1st Lieutenant in August 1840. He was 3 months in charge of detachment Royal Marines at Simon’s Town, Cape of Good Hope and on on-board H.M.S. Southampton during her action at Durban on 26 June 1842. Returning to Plymouth Headquarters September 1842 until August 1843 he was next posted to the Royal Marine Battalion at Pidgeon House Fort, Dublin where he served until 29 March 1846. Various HQ posting then followed during which he was promoted to Captain on 26 October 1848.

Kennedy embarked in H.M.S. Princess Royal for service in the Baltic and North Sea from 7 November 1853 to 3 October 1854. Returning to Portsmouth Headquarters he next embarked at Avon in H.M.S. St Jean D’Acre for service in the Crimea on 15 December 1854. Promoted Brevet Major on 4 September 1855 he was granted Full Pay Retirement while serving in the Crimea and embarked in SS Cape of Good Hope at Constantinople on 15 September 1855, arriving at Spithead with invalids on 11 October of that year.

Kennedy was appointed a Lieutenant in the 14th Gloucestershire Rifle Volunteers on 8 August 1860. He attended the first parade in full uniform of the 14th Gloucestershire Rifle Volunteers at Gloucester in September 1860. His next appointment was as Adjutant of the 3rd Battalion Gloucestershire Rifle Volunteers in December 1860, and he is shown in the 1861 Census as a retired Brevet Major, residing at Percy House, North Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Appointed Acting Adjutant May 1864 and Adjutant of the 2nd West Riding of Yorkshire Rifle Volunteer Corpsin January 1865, he was advanced Temporary Captain in the Army and Adjutant of the 80th Lancashire Rifle Volunteer Corps on 25 February 1874. He finally retired as an Honorary Major and Adjutant of the 19th Lancashire Rifle Corps on 12 September 1881 and was awarded a Greenwich Hospital Pension of £50 per annum. He died at Oxton, Cheshire, on 19 June 1897, aged 80.

Sold with copied research.