An interesting Indian Mutiny medal awarded to George Hamilton Freeling, Magistrate and Deputy Collector at Humeerpoor, who ‘Did good service to the State by accompanying the Military in all expeditions, in which he displayed both zeal, energy and gallantry; showed great gallantry during the siege of Azimgurh’

Indian Mutiny 1857-59, no clasp (G, H, Freeling. Civil Service.) nearly extremely fine £600-800

George Hamilton Freeling was born on 9 February 1831 and baptised on 16 March 1831 at St Botolph, Aldgate, son of Sir George Henry Freeling, 2nd Baronet of Ford and Hutchings, co. Sussex, Assistant-Secretary H.M. Post Office (1810-36) and his mother Jane née Lang. He was the 4th son and 10th issue of 14 children. He was recommended by his mother Lady Freeling and nominated by John Masterman a Director of the East India Company.

He was first educated at Barnstaple Grammar School 1845-47, and secondly by the Rev. Ravens' Clapham Park where the Reverend Raven states that Freeling labours under a most disturbing nervous impediment of speech. He was probably sent to the Reverend Raven for voice training to help him through Haileybury 1848-50, where he obtained the medal in Law (4th Term). In his Petition papers he requested an appointment to the Madras presidency but was posted to Bengal departing via the overland route on 20th September 1849, and arriving in India in 1850. Appointed Assistant to the Magistrate at Allahabad, 31 March 1852; Joint Magistrate and Deputy Collector Humeerpore, 2 June 1852; Joint Magistrate and Deputy Collector Delhi but to continue his position at Humeerpore 31 May 1854; Joint Magistrate and Deputy Collector 2nd Grade, 18 April 1855.

On 9 July 1855 he married Adelaide Helen, daughter of Major James Mylne HM's 11th Light Dragoons. The marriage did not last a year as Adelaide died at Orai in the District of Jaloun on 5 May 1856, aged 23. Barely a month before the outbreak of the Mutiny, Freeling took sick leave to Europe on urgent private affairs, sailing on the Bentnick on 8 April 1857. During his period of absence from India he married Edith Anna eldest daughter of Henry Armstrong, Bengal Civil Service. Urgently recalled by Calcutta due to the deteriorating situation in Bengal, he left his pregnant wife in England and arrived back in India on 27 January 1858, and was immediately sent to Benares and thence to Azimgurh. Here he accompanied the troops on many expeditions including the sally on 28 March 1858 against the enemy's battery, when Captain Bedford was killed. Present at the siege of Azimgurh, where he showed great gallantry, and the pursuit of Koer Singh. He was thanked by Her Majesty the Queen for his Mutiny service in which he displayed both zeal, energy and gallantry.

On the orders of Lord Canning he was was instructed to restore order to his old district of Humeerpore and to investigate the circumstances of the mutiny there. His “Narrative of the Events connected to the Mutiny at Humeerpore” was compiled from native Indian sources as no European had survived the tragic events. The report was considered the most authoritative of the events at Humeerpore but in dealing with the deaths of the Magistrate and and Collector Mr Kirkman-Loyd and the Joint Magistrate Mr Donald Grant, Freeling overlooks the native depositions, to conform to Victorian mores of class and bravery and desensitised their deaths. The native depositions in Delhi give a far more grisly account of their demise.

In early 1860 Freeling left Humeerpore for the last time to take up the position of Magistrate and Collector at the District of Boolundshuhur, sixty miles south of Delhi. In 1861 he was struck down with jaundice and was given 3 months leave on Medical Certificate. He headed for the hills with his wife but on reaching Umballa his condition worsened and he died of hepatitis on 6 June 1861, aged 30 years. A promising career brought to a sudden end by exhaustion, disease and the vagaries of India's climate. He had a daughter from his second marriage Gertrude Helen.

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