Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria, to include the Brian Ritchie Collection (Part I)

14th Bombay Native Infantry, a very fine portrait miniature on ivory of a young officer in the Light or Grenadier Company, he wears the single breasted shell jacket and undress crescent shaped ‘wings’ peculiar to the flank companies, the crimson cords and tassels of his waist sash are looped up to the fourth button, the stand-up collar and linings to the wings are buff coloured, these with gold lace trim and gilt metal crescents, gilt buttons, inscribed in period hand on the reverse ‘Painted by/ Chas T Taylor/ Bath 1849’ accompanied by the officer’s calling card ‘Captain William Spry Horwood/ 14th Regiment N.I.’, glazed and set within an original gilt metal oval frame which in turn sits within the original green velvet lined leather bound wooden case, excellent condition £500-700

Provenance, by descent to the present owner. William Spry Horwood born 20 October 1822, was the son of Edward Horwood of Aston Clinton, Bucks. He was commissioned Ensign in HEIC 11 December 1839 and was with the 14th Bombay Native Infantry when he was promoted Lieutenant 25 August 1841, further promoted to Captain 2 March 1846. He married in Bombay 1846. He died 4 May 1849, presumably shortly after his portrait miniature was completed.