Orders, Decorations and Medals

The Seringapatam and Mahratta Wars group awarded to General Sir James Law Lushington, G.C.B., Colonel 3rd Madras Light Cavalry, later Chairman of the Court of Directors of the Hon. East India Company, who was made a C.B. for his services in command of the Cavalry Brigade of the 1st Division at the battle of Maheidpoor in 1817

The Most Honourable Order of The Bath, G.C.B. (Military) a fine breast star, circa 1815-20, by Rundell Bridge & Rundell, silver, gold and enamels, the reverse centre inscribed ‘Rundell Bridge & Rundell, Jewellers to their Majesties, His Royal Highnefs The Prince Regent, & the Royal Family’, fitted with two fixed and one hinged gold prongs for wearing; Honourable East India Company Medal for Seringapatam 1799, silver-gilt, glazed with swivelling bar suspension and gilt ribbon buckle inscribed ‘Seringapatam 4th May 1799’, the edge inscribed ‘Cornet J. L. Lushington, 4th Regt. Native Cavalry’, reverse lunette cracked; Army of India 1799-1826, 1 clasp, Maheidpoor (Majr. Jas. Law Lushington, Comg. 2nd Cav. Brig.) short hyphen reverse, officially impressed naming, together with an old ivorine display label, some minor chips to the first, otherwise very fine and better (3) £6000-8000

James Law Lushington was born in 1779 and baptised at Bottisham on 24 July 1780. He obtained a Madras cadetship in 1796 and was posted to the Madras army in 1797. He transferred to the cavalry and was posted to the 4th Madras Cavalry when he arrived at Madras in Febryaury 1798. In September 1799 he was promoted Lieutenant and went on to serve with the 4th Madras Cavalry during the Mysore campaign, including the actions of Malavilly and Seringapatam (Medal).

He was apointed Adjutant of his regiment in January 1800. In Wellesley’s campaign against Doondia Waugh, he was Major of the 2nd Brigade of Cavalry and took part in the attack on and capture of the forts at Ranee, Bridenore and Dummul Koond-gul, and at the battles of Manourly and Deodroog. In 1808 he commanded the 4th Madras Cavalry in Colonel Doveton’s expedition against Bungurm Caum and was present at the attack on Amihair. In 1815 he commanded his regiment in the Army of Reserve on the Toomboodra and was also present at the siege of Cannool, and in the following year with the Poona Subsidiary force in the Pindari and Mahratta campaigns, for which he was mentioned in despatches.

During the Mahratta campaign of 1817-18 he commanded the Brigade of the 1st, or Advanced, Division of the Army of the Deccan, comprising the 4th and 8th regiments of Madras Cavalry and a detachment of 22nd Light Dragoons. He was present at the battle of Maheidpoor and for his services in this campaign he was mentioned in despatches and made a Companion of the Bath, 17 June 1818.

In 1823, at Jaulna, he commanded the Light Field Division of the Hyderabad Subsidiary force, and in 1824 he went on furlough to Europe, never to return to India. He was made K.C.B. in 1837 and G.C.B. the following year at the Coronation of Queen Victoria. He was elected a director of the East India Company in 1827, was vice-chairman of the court of directors in 1836-37, and chairman in 1838-39. He founded the Addiscombe scholarship at Cheltenham College, of which he was a vice-president. Sir James was Member of Parliament successively for Petersfield, Hastings, and Carlisle, and died in London on 29 May 1859.