Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Pair: Major Edward Robert Wiggins, late 35th Native Infantry, attached Bengal Artillery

Cabul 1842, 1 uninscribed ‘Indian Mutiny’ style clasp (Ensign E. R. Wiggins, 35th L.I.) impressed in contemporary irregular serifed capitals; Indian Mutiny 1857-59, 1 clasp, Delhi (Captn. E. R. Wiggins, 35th N.I. with Bengal Art.) minor edge bruise and contact marks, good very fine and better (2) £1200-1400

Edward Robert Wiggins, the son of Matthew and Mary Wiggins, who resided at The Rookery, Hawley, Deptford, Kent, was born at Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, England, on 23 May 1820. He was a scion of the well known industrialist 'Wiggins' family, famous for 'Paper Manufacturing' trading as 'Wiggins Teape Ltd'. The family home being at The Rookery, Hawley, Deptford, Kent, near their paper mills located nearby

After receiving a 'Classical' education, Edward Wiggins, applied for a Cadetship with the Honourable East India Company, subsequently being appointed an 'Ensign' in the Bengal Army on 8 March 1841. Prior to an opportunity being found for him to join his regiment, the 35th Native Infantry then in Afghanistan, he was on 30 July 1841 appointed to do duty with 59th Native Infantry at Loodianah, Punjab, followed by a posting to the 33rd Native Infantry doing duty at Meerut from 28 October 1841. He was then to do duty with a detachment of the 60th Native Infantry from 15 January 1842. By the order of Major General Pollock commanding the troops west of the Indus, he was directed to do duty with the 53rd Native Infantry from the 10 February 1842. Ensign Wiggins is confirmed as having accompanied the avenging force of General Pollock in 1842, being present at the forcing of the Khyber Pass and in the various engagements leading to the re-occupation of Cabul

The 35th Bengal Native Light Infantry did not Mutiny in 1857, however the regiment - while forming part of Nicholson's Column marching for Delhi - was disarmed and disbanded at Phillour, Punjab, on the 25th of June, 1857. The British officers of the 35th Native Light Infantry, including Wiggins, were subsequently attached to the diverse regiments that laid siege to, and later captured Delhi.

During his long career, Edward's promotions and appointments were; Ensign 8 March 1841; Lieutenant, 24 January 1845; Brevet Captain, 8 March 1856; Captain 4 June 1857. Edward Wiggins was appointed Major, and retired from the Bengal Army on 15 November 1861.

Major Wiggins is recorded as having died at Essex House, Wood Street, Ryde, Isle of Wight, England on 2 April 1909.

Wiggins was a pioneer of photography in Oudh, India, immediately prior to the annexation of that kingdom by the H.E.I.C. Oxford Journals ‘Notes & Queries issue 10 S.XI. April 24, 1909 records:

‘Photography at Lucknow: Major E. R. Wiggins.- Major Edward Robert Wiggins, late of the Bengal Light Infantry, who died, aged eighty-nine, at Ryde on 2 April (see The Times of 5 April), was the first person, British or Indian, who practised the art of photography in the city of Lucknow.

Lieut Wiggins (as he then was) in 1853 was stationed in the cantonment of Murison, which lies to the north of the Residency, but is now deserted; and equipped with all the best photographic outfit of that period, in the use of which he was adept, he soon attracted the attention of his Majesty Wajid Ali Shah, the King of Oude. One of his Majesty's courtiers, the late Nawab Mushkoor-ud-Dowlah, became a pupil of the Lieutenant, and attained great proficiency in the art. In fact, the King assigned a suitable portion of the grounds of the still existing Hosseinabad Emambarah for photographic studio purposes, and caused a large and varied assortment of cameras, chemicals, and the like to be imported for this royal studio, which was in use until the annexation of Oudh in 1856.

From the beginning in 1853 may be traced the sequence in Lucknow to the present day of many amateur and professional Indian photographers.’ With a folder of copied research.