Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Pair: Captain T. C. Richardson, 18th Bengal Native Infantry, murdered by villagers having escaped from Bareilly in July 1857

China 1842 (T. C. Richardson, Lieut. 1st Reg. Bengal Volunteer[s]) fitted with replacement scroll suspension; Punjab 1848-49, no clasp (Bt. Captn. T. C. Richardson, 18th Bengal N.I.) both medals fitted with silver ribbon buckles and suspension brooches, good very fine (2) £1400-1800

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Collection of Medals formed by the late Tim Ash.

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Taylor Campbell Richardson was born at sea on Christmas Day 1812, on board the Sovereign in the Saugor Roads, his father being in the Bengal Civil Service. He was educated at Dr Firminger’s Edmonton, and at the Addiscombe Military Seminary of 1829. He arrived at Calcutta in May 1832 where he was posted as Ensign to the 18th Bengal Native Infantry. Promoted to Lieutenant in September 1839, Richardson was in the volunteer company of the 18th N.I., chosen from the eight nominated Native Infantry Regiments to form a Volunteer Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry to join the ‘Expedition to the Eastward’, or the Opium War with China. He was consequently present with the 1st Regiment of Bengal Volunteers at the capture of Chusan Island on 5 July 1840. In the months that followed, the Garrison encamped on Chusan Island suffered greatly from disease, such that, in November 1840, Major-General Burrell decided that a detachment of the sick of the Bengal Volunteers should be embarked aboard the Transport Isobella Robertson to return to Calcutta. Lieutenant Robertson, himself sick, was appointed to command the Detachment, and Assistant Surgeon R. W. Wrightson was appointed in medical charge, having already suffered from two attacks of fever. It was an arduous voyage and many men died of chronic dysentery and repeated attacks of fever. The arrival of the Isobella Robertson at Calcutta with her cargo of sick and emaciated sepoys aroused official consternation and a Special Committee of Medical Officers was assembled at Barrackpore ‘to investigate the causes of the great mortality which occurred aboard the Transport Isobella Robertson on her passage from Chusan to Bengal’. When the Committee’s Report was placed before the Governor General of India, both Lieutenant Richardson and Surgeon Wrightson were commended for their ‘unceasing endeavours to ameliorate the distressed condition of the Sepoys and render it less so by their constant attention’.

Returning to regimental duties, Robertson was present with the 18th N.I. at Lahore Garrison during the Punjab campaign of 1848-49, but did not see action at any of the major engagements (Medal). Promoted to Captain in April 1852, whilst on Furlough to Europe, he returned to duty in January 1854. He was stationed with his regiment at Bareilly upon the outbreak of the Mutiny in 1857. Both the 18th N.I. and the 68th N.I. mutinied on Sunday 31st May, ‘... and before the night had closed, all that remained of Bareilly was a heap of smouldering ruins.’ Most of the European officers of the 18th N.I., including Captain Richardson, were reported to be ‘missing’, but also ‘supposed to be concealed in a village about seven miles from Bareilly.’

Indeed, of the eight officers of the 18th N.I. reported missing, only the Adjutant, Lieutenant Gowan, survived to leave a lengthy account of their escape from Bareilly. Whilst he did not witness their deaths, there is no doubt that Lieutenant Gowan was the last European to see his fellow officers alive. These officers had been conducted at night by one hundred faithful sepoys to a village 12 miles from Bareilly, ‘from which village they had to fly at daybreak and were hunted from village to village for 6 days and then cruelly murdered by a party of escaped convicts’.

Sold with a comprehensive file of research, including a full transcript of Lieutenant Gowan’s account of his escape from Bareilly.