Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

An Indian Mutiny C.B. group of four awarded to Lieutenant-General Edward Wray, R.A., late Bombay Artillery

The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, C.B. (Military) Companion’s breast badge, 22 carat gold and enamels, hallmarked London 1859, maker’s mark ‘WN’ for William Neale, complete with swivel-ring bar suspension and gold ribbon buckle, small chips to white enamel on top arm and minor loss to wreaths; Indian Mutiny 1857-59, 1 clasp, Central India (Major E. Wray, Bombay Arty.); Order of the Medjidie, 4th Class breast badge, silver, gold and enamel, the reverse inscribed ‘May/June 1855 Kertch’, some chips to the enamel; Turkish Crimea 1855, French issue, unnamed, fitted with replacement ‘Crimea’ suspension, light contact marks, otherwise very fine and better (4) £3500-400

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to the Bombay Artillery.

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Provenance: Bought Baldwin 1967.

Edward Wray was born on 27 November 1823, at Georgetown, British Guiana, the son of Charles Wray, barrister and Mary his wife. He was nominated a Cadet for the E.I.C. Military Seminary at Addiscombe for the Season 1838-39 by John Shepherd, Esq., a Director of the H.E.I.C. He was examined and passed by the Selection Committee on 5 December 1838, and joined Addiscombe on 1 February 1839. He passed the Public Examination on 11 December 1840, on which date he was gazetted a 2nd Lieutenant in the Bombay Army, and sailed in the Oriental for Bombay on 2 March 1841. In 1842 he was serving in the Scinde in 2nd Company, 2nd Battalion, Bombay Artillery, under Captain W. T. Whitlie. He was promoted to Lieutenant on 9 November 1842, and transferred to 4th Troop, Bombay Horse Artillery. On 16 January 1849, he was appointed Adjutant and Quartermaster to the Horse Brigade, Bombay Artillery, a post he held for nearly four years until 17 December 1852. He was promoted to Captain on 20 January 1853.

It is probable that shortly afterwards he returned to England on leave for, in March 1854, he joined the Anglo-Turkish Contingent to take part in the Crimean War. This force, ‘hurriedly sent out from England’ was largely officered by H.E.I.C. officers on leave, with ‘brevet rank, high expectations and double pay.’ The Contingent ‘would not fit anywhere. The British C-in-C declined its company on account of jealousies excited by the brevet rank of its officers’ and it was considered ‘the most expensive item of the war.’ Wray commanded a battery of Horse Artillery, with the local rank of Major on the expedition to Kertch, at the eastern extremity of the Crimea. The expedition first sailed in March 1855 but was recalled. It was renewed in May and remained there until late 1855. For his services Wray was awarded the 4th Class of the Turkish Order of the Medjidie (London Gazette 2 March 1858) and the Turkish Crimea medal.

On returning to India in 1856, Wray was attached to the Ordnance Department and in October 1857 the Muster Roll shows him to be the Commissary of Ordnance, Ahmedabad. He was present with the troops under Colonel J. Holmes at the siege and capture of Awah, 19 January 1858, as Commissary of Ordnance and probably in command of the siege train.

When the Rajputana Field Force was formed under Major-General H. G. Roberts, Wray was appointed Field Commissary of Ordnance and probably commanded the siege train (6 18-pdrs, 4 12-pdrs, 4 8-inch mortars and 4 8-inch howitzers) at the siege and capture of Kotah, 24-30 March 1858. He may well have acted as O.C. Artillery prior to the arrival of Lieutenant-Colonel Pierce, R.A., on the eve of the assault. General Roberts in his despatch described the work of the Artillery as ‘having been almost beyond belief’. Of Wray himself, Roberts reported, ‘To Major Wray, Field Commissary of Ordnance, my most especial thanks are due for the uninterrupted hard work and energy he has displayed throughout.’ (London Gazette 11 June 1858). After Kotah the units of the Field Force were engaged in the pursuit of Tantia Topi and their activities did not cease until towards the end of 1858. Wray was awarded a Brevet Majority on 6 June 1858.

On 6 July 1860, Wray was appointed Agent for Gunpowder and Superintendent of the Factory at Bombay, which appointment he held until 20 October 1862. He was promoted Lieutenant-Colonel on 18 February 1861, and created a C.B. on 28 February 1861. On 10 March 1863, he was made Inspector General of Ordnance and Magazines, which involved the superintendence and control of the Ordnance Department of the Bombay Presidency. He held this post until 26 July 1864, subsequently returning to England and joining the Ordnance Select Committee in October 1865. He was made Brevet Colonel on 18 February 1866, and was promoted substantively on 26 April 1866. He joined the Staff of the Director of Artillery in December 1868 and acted as adviser to the Secretary of State for India, which appointment he held for just over 10 years. He was promoted to Major-General on 1 October 1877, and on 31 December 1878 he retired with the rank of Honorary Lieutenant-General. Wray died in London on 27 January 1892. A memorial was erected in his memory by his brother officers in the Garrison Church at Woolwich.

Sold with two copied portrait photographs from the collection of the R.A. Institute, Woolwich.