£500 - £700
Indian Rebellion relics. A silver mounted and etched steel carving set, incorporating a sword blade and fragments of wood, the blade etched TAKEN BY H C WILKINSON AT THE ASSAULT AND CAPTURE OF THE CITY OF KOTAH CENTRAL INDIA IN 1858 or THE HANDLE OF AN INDIAN CORN MILL TAKEN BY H C WILKINSON AT ROWA ON THE 6TH OF JANUARY 1858, the ferrule and crosspiece with etched decoration and inscribed J S W FROM H C W, silver pommels stamped with bovine heads and festoons, 65.5 and 35.5cm l, pommels maker J R, Sheffield, date letter rubbed, cased (2)
Provenance: Bosley's Auctioneers, Militaria, 3 July 2019, lot 610
Henry Clement Wilkinson spent his boyhood in the Wilkinson family home at Mount Oswald, Durham, Durham, England. His grandfather Thomas Wilkinson (1752-1825) purchased the large manor house in 1806. Thomas Wilkinson's son Rev. Percival Spearman Wilkinson (1792-1875), the father of Henry, owned the manor house from 1825 to 1875. The family had several servants including a governess. The children were well educated, attending prestigious English universities. Henry's oldest brother, also named Percival Spearman Wilkinson owned the property until his death 1898.
Henry Clement Wilkinson spent his working years with the British military. As a youth he attended Sandhurst Royal Military College as a gentleman cadet. To best illustrate his illustrious military career the following article is quoted from 'The Army and Navy Gazette' of Nov 28, 1908:
"Lieut.-Gen. Sir Henry Clement Wilkinson, retired, Colonel of the 4th dragoon Guards, died on the 23rd inst. at Kenora, Ontario, Canada, after a weeks illness, aged 71.
He was the son of the late Rev. P. S. Wilkinson, of Mount Oswald, County Durham, and obtaining his commission in the army was posted to the 95th Regiment as Ensign Feb. 15, 1856. He served with that regiment during the Indian Mutiny 1857-59, and was present at the assault and capture of Rooyah, the siege of Rowa and Kotah, the battle of Kotah-Ke-Serai, the assault of Gwalior, the siege of Powrie, the battle of Beejapore and the action of Koondrye (medal with clasp).
On Aug 5, 1859, he went as Lieutenant to the 17th Regiment, and on March 30 the following year exchanged to the 16th Light Dragoons, subsequently the 16th Lancers, with which he spent the remainder of his regimental service. He was promoted to Captain Sept 22, 1863, Major July 30, 1870, Lieutenant-Colonel July 3, 1872, and Brevet Colonel July 3, 1877, being placed on half-pay July 21, 1877. Wilkinson was only three months on half-pay, as on Oct 13 he became Inspecting Officer of Auxiliary Cavalry, Great Britain, a post he held until March 19, 1880, a week later (March 27) he being appointed Military Secretary to the Commander-in-Chief, East Indies.
He left the secretaryship Aug 6, 1880 to command the Cavalry Brigade in the Afghan Campaign in the force under Major-General Phayre and marched from Quetta to the relief of Kandahar (mentioned in dispatch, medal with clasp). At the close of the campaign he was appointed Brigadier-General, Cavalry Brigade, Quetta District, he holding that command from May 23 to Oct 23, 1881. Then Oct to Dec he was in command of a force which operated against the Bozdars (thanked by the Commander- in Chief in India and by the Governor General in Council). On Jan 30 of the following year he was appointed Brigadier-General, Bengal, and took command of the Sialkot Brigade. In August he was selected to take to Egypt the cavalry brigade of the Indian contingent to join Sir Garnet Wolseley's force. He took part in the operations at Kassassin, the reconnaissance before and the battle of Tel-Et-Kebir, the subsequent pursuit and the occupation of Cairo (twice mentioned in dispatches, medal with clasp, bronze star, C. B., 2nd Class of the Medjidich). Returning to India in Oct, he continued to act as Brigadier-General, Bengal, until Jan 30, 1887, when he completed his 5 years, he commanding successively the Saugor and Presidency Districts and the Meerut, Rawal Pindi, and Allahabad Divisions. Promoted to Major General Mar 9, 1887, his next and last appointment was as Major-General, North-Eastern District, which he held from April 1, 1891 to Sept 30, 1894., having while at last post been granted a Distinguished Service Reward April 1, 1892 and promoted to Lieutenant-General May 26, 1894. General Wilkinson was appointed to the Coloneley of the 4th Dragoon Guard Oct 4th, 1896 and retired Oct 1, 1899. He was awarded the K. C. B. June 22, 1897."
Wear consistent with age. Wood handles with minor shrinkage cracks. Lid of case detached with old adhesive tape repairs, now perished. Red cloth lining moth holed
Fees apply to the hammer price:
Room and Absentee Bids:
28.80% inc VAT*
Online and Autobids:
30.6% inc VAT*
