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

China 1842 (Hon. R. C. H. Spencer, Lieut., Royal Artillery) good very fine £850-950

Sold with a fine daguerreotype believed to be of the recipient, this contained in a leather case.

The Honourable Robert Charles Henry Spencer was born in 1817, the seventh son of Francis Almeric, first Lord Churchill and Lady Frances Fitz-roy, fifth daughter of Augustus Henry, third Duke of Grafton. As such he was the grandson of the 4th Duke of Marlborough. In 1845 he married Lady Louisa Spencer-Churchill, the daughter of George, sixth Duke of Marlborough. As such he was the great-uncle of Sir Winston Churchill.

In August 1831 he was appointed Gentleman Cadet at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. In December 1835 he was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Artillery, attaining the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in June 1854, he later retired with the rank of Colonel. He died in 1881.

Colonel The Hon. Spencer's war service was confined to the First China War, being present at the destruction of the batteries of Amoy in H.M.S. Blonde in 1840; at the capture of the Forts of the Bocca Tigris and the subsequent operations in the Canton River; at the storm and capture of the heights of Canton; attack and capture of Amoy, Chusan, Chinhae, Chapoo, Woosung, Shanghai and Chin Kiang Foo and at the demonstration before Nanking.