Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

China 1842 (William Brown, 98th Regiment Foot) original suspension, extremely fine £500-550

William Brown was born in about 1824 at Calthorpe, Norfolk. He enlisted into the 98th Foot at Aylsham, Norfolk, on 22 February 1840, aged 16, a labourer by trade. He joined the regiment at Sunderland on 14 April 1840, and after short periods in Newcastle, on detachment in the Isle of Man and in Dublin, he embarked with the regiment for China on board H.M.S. Belleisle in December 1841, arriving at Hong Kong in May 1842. The 98th formed part of the force that assaulted and captured Ching-Kiang Foo on 21 July 1842. This was one of the hardest engagements of the war but with Nanking under threat of attack the Chinese sued for peace, hostilities were suspended and a treaty signed on 29 August. Thereafter the 98th re-embarked on the Belleisle on 3 September, arriving in Hong Kong on 29 September. There being no available accommodation on shore, the regiment had to remain on board ship for the following four months. Although the 98th had only one man wounded at Ching-Kiang Foo, the death rate from the effects of sun, cholera and malaria were extremely high and in the six months between June and December 1842, there were a total of 283 deaths in the regiment. William Brown died on board the Belleisle on 20 December 1842.

Sold with full muster roll research.