Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The Most Honourable Order of The Bath, C.B. (Military) Commander’s Chapel Stall Plate, gilded brass with engraved and painted badge of a companion, inscribed ‘Gustavus Brown Esquire, Lieutenant Colonel in the Army and Colonel in the Portuguese Service, Companion of the Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath. Nominated 4th June 1815’, 190x115mm, some scratching, otherwise very fine £300-400

Gustavus Brown (originally De Braun) entered the British service in 1794, as a Second Lieutenant in the Rifle Regiment of Lowenstein, with whom he was taken prisoner at the surrender of the fortress of Grave in Holland. In 1795, having ransomed himself, he rejoined his regiment and embarked for England. The following year he embarked for the West Indies where he served for the next thirteen years, and was present at the attack and capture of most of the Islands. In 1809 he returned from the West Indies and at the end of the year went out to Portugal, serving until the close of the campaign of 1814. He was present at and engaged in six battles, in five of which he commanded corps, mostly the 9th Caçadores. With this Portuguese battalion, which he organized, he shared in nine or ten actions, exclusive of the battles, and two sieges, principally that of Burgos. He received a Cross for nthe battles of Salamanca, Pyrenees, Nivelle, and Nive, and is a companion of the Bath.

In the course of his services this officer has met with some hardships; in proceeding to the West Indiesin the Bellisarius, that ship was run down by the Royal Sovereign, and Lieutenant-Colonel Brown saved himself in his shirt. He was twelve and a half years a Captain, wounded and bruised repeatedly, lost his health, and use of some of his limbs, and a considerable sum of money through the failure of two paymasters of the corps with which he was serving. In 1820 he was serving as a Colonel in the Portuguese 3rd Infantry Regiment.