Orders, Decorations and Medals

A C.B. and Army of India pair to Colonel Robert Smith, Bengal Engineers

The Most Honourable Order of The Bath, C.B. (Military) Companion’s breast badge, 22 carat gold and enamels, hallmarked London 1815, fitted with later narrow swivel-ring bar suspension and gold ribbon buckle; Army of India 1799-1826, 2 clasps, Nepaul, Bhurtpoor (Captn. R. Smith, Commg. Sappers & Miners) short hyphen reverse, officially impressed naming, the first with some chips to enamels, otherwise generally good very fine (2) £3000-3500

Army of India medal ex Sotheby, July 1891.

Robert Smith was baptised at Nancy, Lorraine, on 13 September 1787, third son of James Smith, of Bideford. A Cadet of 1803, he was commissioned as Ensign in April 1805 and admitted to the Bengal establishment in June 1805, at which time he transferred from the Infantry to the Engineers. He was employed superintending the works of the gun-carriage agency 1807-08, and of the construction of the light-house at Kedgeree from August 1808. He acted as Adjutant, Engineers, from 1809 to 1816, during which time he took part, as Field Engineer with the Bengal Division, at the capture of Mauritius in 1810-11. In November 1814 he was appointed Field Engineer and Superintending Engineer at Prince of Wales Island, Penang. The following year he took part in the Nepaul campaign as Assistant Field Engineer with the 2nd Division (India Medal). He returned afterwards to Prince of Wales Island where he remained until going on furlough in July 1819, until October 1822. He was appointed Garrison Engineer and Executive Officer at Delhi in December 1822, and subsequently took part in the siege and capture of Bhurtpoor as Captain in Command of the Sappers and Miners. He was slightly wounded outside Bhurtpoor on 26 December 1825, and mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 10 June 1826) and given the brevet of Major from 19 January 1826 for his services at Bhurtpoor. He was confirmed in the rank of Major in September 1827, promoted Lieutenant-Colonel in June 1830, and created a Companion of the Bath on 26 September 1831. He retired in July 1832 and was given the honorary rank of Colonel in November 1854.

A talented architect and artist, Smith’s views of Penang, engraved by William Daniell, were privately printed and published in 1821 as Views of Prince of Wales Island, a beautiful and richly coloured set containing William Daniell’s finest aquatints. Smith returned to Indiain October 1822 to take up his appointment as Garrison Engineer of Delhi. Officially his duties included designing Delhi’s Gothic fortifications, the construction of the Doab Canal and St James’s Church, a classical building. Some of the private houses belonging to such people as Metcalf and Skinner may also be attributed to him. It also fell to his charge to restore some of the Mughal monuments, including the Red Fort and Jami Masjid. After retiring Smith spent some years on the continent before returning to England by 1850. He sold the family home at Bideford and moved to Paignton where he set about designing his new house, variously described as Redcliffe, Redcliffe Castle or Redcliffe Tower, a massive red sandstone house with Indian, Gothic, and Classical influences which created a truly eclectic fantasy that survives as a hotel today. In 1858 he began to build another ‘fairy palace’, on the Mont Boron peninsula, Nice. Chateau Smith, now called Chateau de l’Anglais, was even more fantastic than Redcliffe. With its Oriental pavillions, grottoes, temple and circular swimming pool, it was a curious blend of Gothic, Oriental and Scottish baronial. Smith subsequently returned to Redcliffe and died at Torquay on 16 September 1873. Sold with further research including copies of two articles on Smith from Country Life and a photograph of an oil portrait believed to be of him in uniform circa 1830.