Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Military General Service 1793-1814, 3 clasps, Martinique, Busaco, Salamanca (Hamilton English, Capt. 7th Foot) nearly extremely fine £2,600-£3,000

Provenance: Sotheby 1881; Payne Collection 1911; Spink, July 1994.

The only M.G.S. to the 7th Foot with this 3-clasp combination.

Hamilton English was born in about 1787, son of the Reverend Thomas English of Moat, County Westmeath, Ireland. He was one of eight children, of whom one brother was a surgeon in the Army, a second in the Navy, and a third who died in the West Indies as an officer in the 7th Fusiliers. He entered the 90th Regiment Light Infantry as Ensign on 16 May 1805, aged 18, was advanced to Lieutenant, 3 April 1806, and transferred to the 7th Royal Fusiliers in September 1806. He served with the 1st Battalion at the capture of Martinique, and in the Peninsula. He was present at the battles of Busaco and Salamanca but missed the bloodbath of Albuhera, being sick in hospital at Lisbon between March and July 1811. He was promoted to Captain on 12 May 1812, vice Cholwich killed at the storming of Badajoz, and retired on Half-Pay in October 1821.

The 7th Royal Fusiliers were one of the great regiments of the Napoleonic Wars. The 1st Battalion was at the capture of Copenhagen in 1807 and in Canada in 1808. At the capture of Martinique, the 7th were conspicuous for their gallantry during several bayonet charges under heavy fire, also capturing the first Eagle to be taken from the French during the Napoleonic Wars. The regiment suffered 158 casualties, the highest of all the British regiments during the taking of this important Island. Whilst Captain English was fortunate to be absent sick at the time of Albuhera, it must not be forgotten that the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 7th suffered greatly and that it was largely due to their magnificent counter attack against the French columns that won the day and most probably saved Wellington’s campaign in Spain. At Salamanca they fought as part of the 4th Division, suffering 198 casualties, third highest of the 41 British regiments present. Serving throughout the rest of the Peninsula War, the 7th next embarked for America, taking part in the latter phases of the 1812 War. They returned to England too late for the Waterloo campaign.

Sold with copies of the Commander-in-Chief’s Memoranda and full muster details.