Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Military General Service 1793-1814, 2 clasps, Talavera, Fuentes D’Onor (W. Elgee, Lieut. R. Arty.) nearly extremely fine £2,000-£2,600

William Elgee was born in County Wexford, Ireland, in January 1790, son of the Venerable Archdeacon Elgee, of Wexford. He was appointed a Gentleman Cadet on 21 August 1804, and received his first commission as Second Lieutenant in the Royal Artillery on 1 July 1807, being promoted to First Lieutenant on 20 May 1808. He served in the Peninsula with May’s 2nd Company, 1st Battalion, and was present at the crossing of the Douro, battles of Talavera and Fuentes d’Onor, the siege of Burgos, and the investment of Bayonne. Lieutenant Elgee was slightly wounded at the siege of Burgos, September and October 1812, by a contusion in the leg, for which he received ‘twelve months pay - less 5 pounds’.

Elgee was placed on temporary half-pay as 2nd Captain in November 1827, but rejoined on full-pay on 1 January 1828, and served subsequently in North America from May 1829 to December 1830. He was promoted to Captain on 10 January 1837 and served for two periods in Jamaica, December 1838 to April 1840, and February 1842 to June 1844. He received the brevet of Major on 23 November 1841 and was placed on the Retired Full Pay List on 1 April 1846. Major Elgee died at his residence, Ellerslie, near Wexford, on 20 December 1849.

Sold with copied Statement of Services, C-in-C’s Memoranda, and a letter from Hart’s papers in which he informs Lieutenant Hart that his son, a Lieutenant in H.Ms. 50th Regiment, was wounded at the battle of Aliwal, and that he himself is not mentioned for ‘having service at the siege and capture of Badajoz in your Army List.’