The Collection of Medals Formed by Bill and Angela Strong

Three: Major-General Sir Owen Tudor Burne, G.C.I.E., K.C.S.I., late 20th Regiment, who was recommended for the V.C. in the Indian Mutiny, and was afterwards Vice President of the Council of India and Private Secretary to the Earls of Mayo and Lytton
Crimea 1854-56, 1 clasp, Sebastopol, unnamed as issued; Indian Mutiny 1857-59, 1 clasp, Lucknow (Lieut. O. T. Burne, 20th Regt.); Turkish Crimea, British issue, unnamed, mounted as worn, contact wear, otherwise very fine (3) £900-1100

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Bill and Angela Strong Medal Collection.

View
Collection

Owen Tudor Burne was born in Plymouth on 12 April 1837, the eleventh of nineteen children of the Rev. Henry Thomas Burne. Commissioned into the 20th East Devonshire Regiment in May 1855, he joined his unit in the Crimea, in charge of a draft of 200 recruits, in April 1856. But with peace just proclaimed back in London, he proceeded, in August 1857 to India, where he was appointed Brigade Major to Evelegh's Brigade in Franks' 4th Infantry Division. Having joined Sir Colin Campbell’s army before Lucknow, Burne was called upon to re-open communication between the left and right attacks of his Division, which was under a heavy fire on the edge of the city. On going forward, Burne found that Jung Bahadur’s Gurkhas, who had arrived earlier in the day and had been given the place of honour between the two attacks, had ‘retired in panic’ and that their position had been occupied by the rebels. He rallied the Gurkhas and brought them forward again, before setting out to establish contact with the right attack (42nd Highlanders) who had been ‘left in the air’. After swimming the Lucknow Canal under cover of dark, he passed undetected
through a part of the city infested with rebels, before finally reaching the Highlanders’ advanced post. The 42nd were greatly
relieved to see him and after ‘a good draught of highland whisky’, Burne retraced his steps and, dodging the fire of British sentries, reported back to his anxious Brigadier. He was subsequently recommended for the Victoria Cross by Sir Hugh Rose.

On 14 March Burne was one of the first through the Kaisar Bagh Gate, and following the Fall of Lucknow continued on Evelegh’s Staff until rejoining his regiment as Adjutant. He was next employed during hot weather operations in northern Oudh under Hope Grant with whom he became ‘very friendly’. Advanced to the rank of Captain in August 1864 and Brevet Major for services
in the Mutiny, he was appointed Military Secretary to Sir Hugh Rose. Burne’s junior rank, however, made the appointment controversial, and against Rose’s wishes, Burne resigned his ‘berth’ for that of Private Secretary. In 1865, he followed Rose to Ireland and two years later played an active part in the suppression of the Fenian Revolt.

In 1868, Burne was appointed Private Secretary to the Viceroy, Lord Mayo. ‘It did not take long’, writes Mark Bence-Jones in his
Viceroys of India, ‘for Mayo to win for himself a popularity such as no previous ruler of British India had ever enjoyed ... helped by a young and high-spirited Staff that included Major Owen Burne, a Private Secretary as popular as his Chief.’ In early 1872, Mayo accompanied by Staff, family and guests visited the Andaman Islands. On 8 February Mayo inspected the penal settlement at Port Blair. All went well and after various official engagements the viceregal party crossed over to the principal island to admire the
view from Mount Harriet. Bv the time the party had descended to the waterfront it was dark, and proceeded by torch-bearers, Mayo, walking between Burne and the Chief Commissioner of the Andamans, made towards a launch waiting to take him back to his ship. Just as Mayo was stepping forward to board the launch, Stewart went to give an order and the guards who cordoned off
the pier opened their ranks to let him through. Before they could close up again, a tall muscular Pathan rushed forward through the opening, ‘fastened like a tiger’ on Mayo's back and stabbed him twice between the shoulders. Within a second or two the man had been dragged away; and Mayo who staggered over the side of the pier, raised himself up out of the shallow water and said: “Burne, they have done it!” The Viceroy was put aboard the launch but by the time it reached the ship he was dead.

Burne continued at Calcutta as Private Secretary, until the arrival of Northbrook, whereupon he returned home. On 19 June 1872
Burne reported the circumstances of Mayo’s death to Queen Victoria, and was presented with a copy of her literary endeavour
Our Life in the Highlands. Created a C.S.I., Burne was next appointed Political A.D.C. to the Secretary of State for India. In July 1874 he became head of the Political and Secret Department of the India Office and thus was in frequent communication with the Cabinet regarding the state of play in the ‘Great Game’ in High Asia. He returned to India in 1876 as Private Secretary to Lord Lvtton, and was largely, responsible for the Success of the Imperial Assemblage. Created a C.I.E. on 1 January 1878, he rejoined the India Office and was advanced to K.C.S.I. in July 1879. In December 1886 he joined the Council of India and became its Vice President in 1895. On retiring in December 1896, he was created G.C.I.E., having been made Major-General in 1889. Burne published an agreeable volume of autobiography in 1907 and died on 3 February 1909. He was buried with full military honours at Christchurch, Hampshire. Sold with copied record of service and other research.