Auction Catalogue

24 & 25 February 2016

Starting at 11:00 AM

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Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

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Lot

№ 611

.

25 February 2016

Hammer Price:
£1,700

The Peninsula War medal awarded to William Parrott, 40th Regiment, who served in the South American Campaign and the Peninsula, and was severely wounded at Vittoria

Military General Service 1793-
1814, 5 clasps, Vimiera, Busaco, Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajoz, Vittoria (William Parrott, 40th Foot) good very fine £1800-2200

Ex Glendining’s November 1964.

William Parrott was born in the Parish of St James, Taunton, Somerset, c.1784-1786. A Labourer by occupation, he enlisted into the 40th Regiment (2nd Somerset) on 1 April 1804. He served as a recruit in Hastings and Bexhill and then in 1806 sailed to Spanish South America in the rash scheme to ‘incorporate’ some of the Spanish Colonies into the British Empire. William Parrott took part in the hard fought night battle that captured Monte Video, where the Regiment earned the Battle Honour ‘Monte Video’ but at Buenos Aires the residents resisted so fiercely that the 40th were forced to retire. He then served in Ireland and was stationed at Bandon, Co. Cork, Fermoy and Limerick. On 2 August 1808 he arrived in Portugal to take part in the Peninsular War. (The 40th were one of only three Regiments that served in the Peninsula throughout the campaign). His first battle was at Vimeiro on 21 August 1808 where the 40th, 71st and 91st Highlanders were drawn up in three lines and advanced against the enemy with bagpipes playing while General Ferguson rode beside them waving his hat. The 40th Foot suffered 45 killed and wounded. Presumably William Parrott was one of the wounded as he then went into hospital for a year and thus missed the battle of Talavera. On return to his Battalion he fought at Busaco and then at Cuidad Rodrigo where the Battalion had to wade through icy waters up to their waist to reach the walls of the fortress and lost 35 men. His next battle was at Badajoz where the 40th
led the 4th Division in their attempt to storm the great breaches in the walls and suffered severe casualties losing 51 killed and 170 wounded. His final battle was at Vittoria on 21 June 1813 where he was serving in the company commanded by Captain Conynham Ellis. It was a savage battle and the 40th lost 5 killed and 37 wounded. Included among the wounded were Captain Conynham Ellis (later killed at Waterloo) and William Parrott who received a ‘severe wound in the left groin’. The wound was so severe that William was declared unfit for service on 24 April 1814 but was not fit enough to be discharged until 3 August 1815 at York after serving ten years and eleven months. He was then aged ‘About 25, 5ft 8 inches tall with brown hair, grey eyes and a ruddy complexion.’ He was awarded a pension of 1 shilling and 3 pence a day. Some 32 years later he claimed his medal with the five clasps.

Documents include Medal Roll confirming five clasps; 1st Battalion 40th Foot Muster Rolls 1804-1815; William Parrott’s Pension Records and Discharge Papers.