Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A rare Peninsula and Waterloo group of three awarded to Captain J. R. Budgeon, 95th Rifles, who was one of the rearguard in the celebrated retreat from Corunna, was wounded during the crossing of the Bidassoa and again at Aranjues in October 1813, and later fought at Waterloo

Military General Service 1793-1814, 8 clasps, Corunna, Barrosa, Vittoria, Pyrenees, Nivelle, Nive, Orthes, Toulouse (J. R. Budgeon, Lieut. 95th Rifles); Waterloo 1815 (Capt. J. R. Budgen, 1st Batt. 95th Reg. Foot); 95th Foot (Rifle Brigade) Gold Cross, gold and green enamel, the arms inscribed with battles ‘Corunna’, ‘Barrosa’, ‘Vittoria’ and ‘Pyrenees’, the centre with ‘95’ on a white ground surrounded by a gold wreath, the reverse inscribed ‘Lieut. J. R. Budgeon’, fitted with gold and green enamelled ribbon bar inscribed ‘Portugal’ (Ref. Balmer R564), contact marks, otherwise good very fine
£20000-25000

From the Collection of Napoleonic War Medals formed by the late R. W. Gould, M.B.E.

This group was first sold by Debenham’s in November 1899 and subsequently in the Littledale Collection at Sotheby in November 1910. Another Waterloo exists to Budgeon, named to him as a Lieutenant in the 2nd Battalion, which was part of the Mackenzie Collection at Glendining’s in July 1927. It should be noted that he was promoted to a Captaincy in the 1st Battalion just days before Waterloo.

Of the eight 95th officers who survived to claim the MGS for Corunna only four were also at Waterloo. Of these, one was a Surgeon, the other two being Sir Harry Smith and his brother, both of whose medals are in the Rifle Brigade museum, leaving Budgeon as the only fighting officer of the 95th with medals for Corunna and Waterloo available to collectors.

John Robert Budgen/Budgeon was born on 1 December 1791, eldest son of Thomas Budgen, late Lieutenant-Colonel Royal Engineers (of the Budgen family of Ballindoney, Co. Wexford). He was aged sixteen on his first appointment to the Army, as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 95th Foot, on 17 March 1808. He served in the Peninsula with the 1/95th, which formed the rearguard in Moore’s retreat to Corunna. He was present at the creditable rearguard action at Cacabelos on 3 January 1809, in which the French General Colbert was killed by Rifleman Thomas Plunket, and at the battle of Corunna on the 16th. He was promoted to 1st Lieutenant in April 1809, and in July of the same year embarked on the Walcheren expedition.

Returning to the Peninsula in March 1810 with the 2nd/95th, he served at Cadiz and Tarifa, and participated in the battle of Barrosa, the action at San Millan, the battle of Vittoria, the campaign in the Pyrenees, action at Vera, crossing of the Bidassoa, and subsequent battles of Nivelle, Nive, Orthes, Tarbes, and Toulouse, in France. He was slightly wounded during the crossing of the Bidassoa, 7-9 October 1813, and again wounded at Aranjues on 29 October, subsequently receiving a pension of seventy-five pounds, commencing 27 October 1813.

Promoted to Captain in the 1st Battalion 95th on 15 June 1815, he took part in the battle of Waterloo immediately afterwards, and was placed on half-pay in 1818. Budgeon exchanged briefly into the 73rd Regiment on 9 August 1833, but retired from the Army on the 23rd of the same month.

Budgeon was later J.P. and D.L. for Surrey and J.P. for Co. Wexford. He married, 13 January 1823, Williamza Caroline Mary, 3rd daughter of Colonel Lorenzo Moore of the Battle Axe Guards (bodyguard at Dublin Castle, similar to Yeomen of the Guard at the Tower, disbanded on grounds of cost in 1831), by Henrietta, only daughter of Sir S. T. Janssen Bart. He was resident at Richmond House, Twickenham, Middlesex, at Ballindoney, County Wexford, and at Beaulieu, Jersey, where he died on 4 December 1866.

See Siborne’s Waterloo Letters for an interesting account from Budgeon written in 1834.