An interesting Indian Mutiny medal awarded to General Francis Young, Madras Army, who received the thanks of the Governor-General of Bengal for the successful pursuit of a body of rebels during which he personally killed two rebels in a hand-to-hand combat whilst contesting the passage of a ford

Indian Mutiny 1857-59, no clasp (Capt. F. Young, 24th Madras N.I.,) number officially re-impressed, nearly extremely fine £800-1000

Francis Young was the son of Francis (Smith) Young, the Chief Constable of Borris, Co. Carlow, and his wife Mary. He was born on 25 May 1817, and baptised at Templeshando on 4 June 1817. Educated in the Classics by the Reverend Jameson of Carlow and Mr Wall Hume. He was recommended for the Madras Army by his Aunt Mrs Thornhill in Season 1836, and set sail for Madras on the Aurora on 6 February 1837.

Ensign 15 February 1837; Lieutenant 25 August 1840; Captain 2 March 1848; Major 18 February 1861; Lieutenant Colonel 15 February 1863; Colonel 15 February 1868; Major-General 14 December 1880; Lieutenant-General 1 April 1882; General 22 January 1889.

He married Rosa Matilda Kingsell on 12 September 1838, and by her produced no fewer than 13 children. General Francis Young died at Southsea on 4 January 1893. His obituary in The Times states:

‘General Francis Young of the Indian Staff Corps, died on the 4th inst. at Marlborough House, Southsea. The gallant officer who had attained the age of 75 served in the suppression of the mutiny in Bengal 1857-1859 and received the thanks of the Governor General of Bengal for a successful pursuit of a body of Sepoy rebels in Behar in June 1858. On this occasion he, with nine of his men crossed the Poon Poon River in a flooded state and killed with his own hands, in a hand to hand encounter, two of the rebels who had remained behind to dispute the passage of the ford.’ Sold with full research.