Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine Peninsula and Waterloo pair awarded to Private Lewis Polson, 42nd Royal Highlanders, who was wounded in the head at Toulouse and in the left knee at Quatre Bras

Military General Service 1793-1814, 5 clasps, Salamanca, Pyrenees, Nivelle, Nive, Toulouse (L. Polson, 42nd Foot); Waterloo 1815 (Lewis Polson, 42nd or R.H. Reg. Infantry.) fitted with steel clip and contemporary replacement bar suspension, the second with minor edge bruising and contact wear, very fine, the first nearly extremely fine (2)
£4000-5000

Lewis Polson was born at Kildonan, County Sutherland, on 22 April 1792. He was enlisted into the 42nd Foot in 1810 and joined the regiment in May 1811 at Edinburgh. The 42nd joined the army in the Peninsula in April 1812 and saw action at Salamanca, Burgos, Vittoria, Pyrenees, Nive, Orthes and Toulouse. The 42nd left France in June 1814 for Ireland, and in May 1815 sailed from Cork to Ostend to take part in the Waterloo campaign.

Lewis Polson was wounded in the head at the battle of Toulouse on 10 April 1814, when the regiment suffered some of the heaviest casualties experienced in the whole of the war. He was again wounded in the left knee at Quatre Bras on 16 June 1815, when he was serving in Captain John Campbell’s company. He was discharged at Armagh on 22 November 1817, upon reduction of the regiment. On 13 December 1854, Polson was admitted as an Out-Pensioner at the Chelsea Hospital at the rate of 6 pence per diem. He also applied in April 1855 to the Kinloch Bequest, a charity based at the Scottish Hospital, London, being unable to work due to lung disease, but died before he could return his application form. Lewis Polson died on 19 April 1855, at West Norton Place, Edinburgh, and is buried in Rosebank Cemetery.

In addition to details of his marriage and photographs of his burial place and other relevant locations, the pair is sold with the following rare original documents:
i. Manuscript Freemasons’ certificate on ‘W. Pickering & Co. 1814’ watermarked paper which reads: ‘Greeting. We the Master and Brethren of Lodge No. 243 Held in the 42nd or Royal Highlanders, now under the Immediate Command of Lieut. Coll. Sir R. H. Dick, do Regular Cognize and finally approve of the Conduct of our Well beloved Brother Lewis Polson - therefore we Recommend him to all worthy Brethren of our Fraternity, The Ancient Landmarks of this Brother is Worthy of Notice. Signd. F. W. Geddes M, John McGlashan S, Alexr. Graham J, James McCann Secy.’
ii. Parchment certificate of Admission as an Out-Pensioner to Chelsea Hospital, dated 13 December 1854.
iii. Letter from Royal Hospital, Chelsea, confirming pension of 6d per diem, dated 20 December 1854.
iv. Application form from the Kinloch Bequest, Scottish Corporation Hall, London, addressed to ‘Lewis Polson, Pensioner 42d Foot, West Norton Place, Edinburgh’, and postmarked 23/24 March 1855; completed and signed in his own hand together with certification by the Colonel, Staff Officer of Pensioners, and further certified by a Military Surgeon on 2 April 1855, confirming both service and wounds.

See also Lot 497 for the Naval L.S. & G.C. medal awarded to his grandson.