Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The Indian Mutiny Medal awarded to Lieutenant J. H. Worsley, 71st Native Infantry, who served with the Volunteer Cavalry at Chinhut and throughout the Siege of Lucknow

Indian Mutiny 1857-59, 2 clasps, Defence of Lucknow, Lucknow (Lieut. J. H. Worsley.) nearly extremely fine £3,000-£3,600

Provenance: Brian Ritchie Collection, Dix Noonan Webb, March 2005.

James Henry Worsley, the son of Francis Worsley of Birchfield, was baptised on 7 July 1834, at Arreton on the Isle of Wight. He was educated at Christ’s Hospital, at Mr Duncan’s in Southampton, and under one Charles Howard in St John’s Wood. He was nominated for a Cadetship in the Bengal Infantry by William Butterworth Bayley, Esq., on the recommendation of William Henry Whitbread, Esq. He embarked for Bengal in the Devonshire on 7 July 1854, and landed at Calcutta on 12 November. Posted Ensign on departure, he was appointed to do duty with the 11th Bengal N.I. in December, prior to joining the 71st N.I. at Lucknow.

The 71st mutinied on the evening of 30 May 1857, being the most conspicuous of all the mutinies at Lucknow having being told off to murder their officers and fire the buildings. Several, however, left their comrades and fell in alongside troops of H.M. 32nd Regiment, remaining loyal throughout the siege. The officers of the 71st together with officers of the Oudh and Bengal Cavalry and civilians that could ride were formed into a small body of Volunteer Cavalry under the command of Captain Charles Wilbraham Radcliffe, 7th Bengal Light Cavalry, totalling about 36 in number.

Worsley rode in the disastrous action at Chinhut on 30 June 1857, where the Volunteer Cavalry distinguished themselves by driving some 500 rebel horse from the Kokrail bridge, thus securing the line of retreat, and also by carrying in many of the wounded on their horses. This action was to save the Lucknow garrison from almost certain annihilation although losses were nonetheless 118 killed.

Worsley was one of the original defenders of the Residency and his statement of ‘Services in the Field’, state he commanded ‘an out-post’ for part of the time. He was mentioned in Inglis’s despatch of 26 September 1857, and subsequently received the thanks of the Governor-General in General Orders on 8 December 1857. Following the Second Relief of Lucknow he took part in the victory over the Gwalior rebels at Cawnpore on 6 December, in the action at Khodagunge, and in the re-occupation of Fatehgar. In April 1858 he was appointed Baggage Master to Brigadier Walpole’s force, and, in March, he served under Hope Grant at the storming and capture of Lucknow, and in the affairs at Baree and Nugger.

In June he joined the Oudh Military Police and on 9 September became District Adjutant, prior to being appointed Divisional Adjutant on the 18th following. The next month, he commanded the 7th Police Infantry at the relief of Semdulah and in the action at Jhumoo under Brigadier Barker, and was subsequently mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 31 January 1859). Promoted District Commandant in January 1859, he continued to hunt down the last of the rebels in Oudh, taking part in operations under Brigadier Evelegh, and being present at the action of Poorwah, the capture Sunree, the actions of Beerah and Dhoondeah Kherea, the capture of Oomerah and Trans-Gogra.

In January 1861, he was appointed to do duty with H.M’s 20th Regiment and to officiate as Interpreter. In April 1862 he was made Assistant Superintendent, Bengal Police, and took part in quelling the disturbances in the Cossyah and Jynteah Hills. He was granted furlough on sick certificate for fifteen months, and embarked for England at Bombay aboard the Nemesis on 16 July 1864. He died of ‘dropsy’ en route to England and was buried in Steamer Point Burial Ground, Aden. An inscription on the tomb of his father in the Isle of Wight states ‘died on his passage home from India July 30th 1864 aged 36.’

Sold with comprehensive research together with a photograph taken just a few days before the outbreak of the mutiny by Ahmed Ali Khan.