The Brian Ritchie Collection of H.E.I.C. and British India Medals

The Indian Mutiny medal to Major David O’Brien, 84th Regiment, an original defender commanding the small 84th detachment and severely wounded during the siege of Lucknow

Indian Mutiny 1857-59, 2 clasps, Defence of Lucknow, Lucknow (Capt. & Bt. Major David O’Brien, 84th Regt.) very fine £3000-3500

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Brian Ritchie Collection of H.E.I.C. and British India Medals.

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David O’Brien was born at Fort St George, Madras, on 27 April 1828, and commissioned Ensign in the 2nd West India Regiment at the age of sixteen on 22 November 1844. He exchanged without purchase into H.M’s 84th Regiment on 21 March 1845, and was promoted Lieutenant by purchase two years later on 21 July 1857.

At the outbreak of the Mutiny he accompanied some hundred men of ‘E’ and ‘G’ Companies up country to Benares where the native troops seemed only to be waiting for the signal of their confederates in the area to break out into revolt. Notwithstanding this dangerous state of affairs and the great temptation to retain the newly arrived reinforcements, H. C. Tucker, the Commissioner at Benares, wrote to Lord Canning on 27 May: ‘I had another telegram this morning from Sir Henry Lawrence, begging me to spare no expense in hurrying up European aid. We send up all the men we get from Calcutta. Thirty-eight more will go this evening [via Cawnpore]’.

At Cawnpore the hand of fate was relatively kind to David O’Brien. Instead of being detained there like his brother officer Lieutenant Frederick Saunders (see Lot 48), who was to suffer all and more than that nominally entailed, he was ordered by General Wheeler to proceed to Lucknow just three days before Nana Sahib and his followers attacked Wheeler’s entrenchment. Accordingly O’Brien together with some fifty N.C.O’s and men arrived at Lucknow about three weeks before the Lucknow Residency was surrounded by rebel forces. During the siege the detachment of the 84th provided the garrison with its only central reserve and was frequently called from its post in the Residency building to assist in the repulse of the enemy at points of pressure.

O’Brien is recorded as having been severely wounded in the right arm during the siege but no date is given. For services in the defence he was granted an additional year’s service and was also honourably mentioned by Brigadier Inglis in his despatch dated 26 September 1857, and received the thanks of the Governor-General in General Orders on 8 December 1857.

He subsequently rejoined the main body of the 84th which had fought its way up from Allahabad under Sir Henry Havelock, and served in the Alum Bagh garrison under Major-General Sir James Outram. He was present at the assault and capture of Lucknow, and later took part in Brigadier Douglas’s campaign in Bihar against the guerillas under the Rajput noble Ammar Singh whose forces remained active until the end of 1858. ‘Several times mentioned in despatches’, O’Brien, who was promoted Captain on 21 July 1857, was advanced to Brevet Major on 24 March 1858. On 30 June 1865 he exchanged into the 4th West India Regiment (Sierra Leone) but died on passage to England on 27 May 1866.

Refs: WO 76/346; WO 12/11526; Roll of Officers (84th) York & Lancaster Regiment (Raikes & Key); The York and Lancaster Regiment, 1758-199 (Wylly).