Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Military General Service 1793-1814, 8 clasps, Barrosa, Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajoz, Salamanca, Vittoria, Pyrenees, Nivelle, Nive, miniature medal, 16mm, silver, the inscribed clasps 33mm, fitted with silver ribbon buckle, attributed to Major James Kirkman, 95th Rifles; together with the recipient’s silver and ‘mother of pearl’ lorgnettes, the casing with inset silver plaques bearing the monogram ‘JK’ and family crest; Army Lists for 1811 and 1814, bound as one, inscribed in ink to ‘James Kirkman Lieut: 95th Rifles, Captain 4th Garrison Batn.’, the inside cover with family book plate and the recipient’s obituary, front board detached and binding generally scuffed; an invitation card reading, ‘The Marquis of Wellington Requests the Honour of Lt. Kirkman’s Company, to a Ball & Supper on Saturday, the 13th. inst. at Ciudad Rodrigo, to see the Honorable Lieut. General Cole, Invested with the Order of the Bath’, this with horizontal crease and tear to lower margin; and a printed summary of Major Kirkman’s services as recorded in Hart’s Annual Army List, a scarce lot, generally very fine £800-1000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals to The Rifle Brigade and Affiliated Regiments from the collection formed by Michael Haines.

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Major James Kirkman served with the Rifle Brigade during the campaigns of 1810-14 in the Peninsula, including the action and defence of Cadiz; siege of Tarragona; battle of Barossa; actions near Fuente Guinaldo and Aldea de Ponte; siege and capture of Ciudad Rodrigo (volunteered the storming party); siege and capture of Badajoz (volunteered and accompanied the forlorn hope, and was wounded in the head); battle of Salamanca; advance to and capture of Madrid, and subsequent retreat through Spain; affairs of San Munoz and San Milan; battle of Vittoria and three days severe skirmishing in following the enemy to Pampeluna, which ended in the capture of their last gun; action at Echalar; passage of the Bidossoa; various actions in the Pyrenees; battle of Nivelle (gun-shot wound in the right arm); action of Archangues, and passage of the Nive; also served in the 1815 campaign in Belgium. Major Kirkman retired on half-pay in 1824, and was subsequently Barrack Master, Island Bridge and Magazine Fort, Richmond Barracks, Dublin. He died at Kingstown on 7 March 1864, aged 71 years.

The side carriage is broken