Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Thomas Townley, 7th Foot, who lost his right leg and was wounded in the arm and thigh in Portugal

Military General Service 1793-1814, 5 clasps, Martinique, Albuhera, Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajoz, Salamanca (Thos. Townley, 7th Foot) edge bruising, otherwise nearly very fine £1600-1800

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Napoleonic War Medals.

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Provenance: Glendining, January 1905, February 1919, March 1927 and March 1969; Sotheby, July 1982.

Thomas Townley was born at Barrow, Lancashire, and joined the Westmoreland Militia as a Private on 23 July 1803. He volunteered to the 2nd Battalion, 7th Foot, on 10 May 1805, and transferred to the 1st Battalion in November 1806. He was promoted to Corporal in July 1808 and went out to Barbados prior to participating at the capture of Martinique. Further promoted to Sergeant in February 1809, he reverted to Private in January 1810 whilst then stationed at Halifax, Nova Scotia, until June 1810 when his battalion went to Portugal. The muster rolls show him as being in the regimental hospital from September 1811 and a marginal note states ‘Died 28 Nov’, but this was later rectified to ‘invalided’. He was transferred to the 2nd Battalion Depot at Hilsea on 24 December 1812, where he was discharged shortly afterwards. He was admitted to an out-pension at the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, on 11 June 1813, at the rate of 1s 3d per diem, having ‘lost his right leg and wounded arm and thigh in Portugal’. He died at Preston on 5 December 1859. Sold with research.