Auction Catalogue

19 September 2003

Starting at 11:00 AM

.

Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria. To coincide with the OMRS Convention

Grand Connaught Rooms  61 - 65 Great Queen St  London  WC2B 5DA

Lot

№ 726

.

19 September 2003

Hammer Price:
£17,000

The unique five clasp Army of India medal awarded to Lieutenant-General Thomas Wilson, C.B., Indian Army, who led the right column of assault at the siege of Bhurtpoor

Army of India 1799-1826,
5 clasps, Allighur, Battle of Delhi, Laswaree, Nepaul, Bhurtpoor (Lieut. Coll. Thos. Wilson, N.I.) short hyphen reverse, officially impressed naming, brilliant extremely fine and extremely rare £8000-10000

Ex Glendining 1969. Only ten medals were issued with five clasps, this combination being unique.

Thomas Wilson was baptised at Scone, Perth, on 14 March, 1779, second son of Rev Charles Wilson, D.D., minister of Scone 1777-81, and afterwards professor of church history at St Andrews. He was posted Ensign to the 2nd Bengal European Regiment in 1796, to the 5th N.I. in 1800 and, as Lieutenant, to the 1st 10th N.I. in 1801. He was appointed Adjutant in 1804 and as Aide de Camp to Major-General Hon Frederick St John who was second in command under General Lake throughout the Mahratta War. Wilson was present at the siege of Allighur, and at the battles of Delhi and Laswarree (India medal). He transferred to the newly raised 2/26th N.I. as Adjutant in 1805, becoming Captain-Lieutenant the same May, and served during the operations in the Bundelkhand in 1807. Here, he took part in the reduction of the fort at Sehlehugani, near Kaitah, during which he was wounded (Granted a wound pension on 4 May, 1826, retrospective from 25 December, 1811).

In the operations in Bundelkhand against Lachman Dawa in 1809, Wilson acted as Staff Officer to Lieut.-Colonel James Lawtie and was present at Rajaoli. He was appointed Civil Architect in Rohilkhand in 1813, and in Bengal, Bombay and Orissa from November 1813 till December 1814, when he rejoined his regiment for service in the Nepaul War 1814-15 (clasp to India medal). He subsequently took part in the operations against the Bhattis of Hariana in 1818, and went on furlough from December 1821 for four years.

Wilson was posted as Lieutenant-Colonel to the 31st N.I. in May 1824, and was present at the siege and capture of Bhurtpoor in command of a detachment. He was honourably mentioned by Lord Combermere and by the Court of Directors of the Honourable East India Company: “To His Majesty’s 14th Regiment, commanded by Major Everard, and 59th, commanded by Major Fuller, belongs the proud distinction of having led the column of assault on the memorable 18th of January!
The gallantry, order, and steadiness evinced by those corps, was equalled by the conduct of a detachment of the European Regiment, leading a small column under Lieutenant-Colonel T. Wilson.” He was nominated a Companion of the Bath in 1827 in recognition of his services at Bhurtpoor and promoted to Colonel in December 1830; Major-General, June 1838; Lieutenant-General, November 1851. He was Colonel of the 2nd N.I. from October 1831 until his death at Llanrwst, Co. Denbigh, on 2 April 1856.