Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The Peninsula War medal awarded to Corporal John Duffy, 50th Foot, who was wounded in the right hip in the action at the Pass of Maya in July 1813; he later emigrated to Australia where he worked and resided in Sydney, and died there in August 1867, “an old and respected colonist” who was buried in the Petersham Cemetery, Sydney

Military General Service 1793-1814, 7 clasps, Fuentes D’Onor, Vittoria, Pyrenees, Nivelle, Nive, Orthes, Toulouse (J. Duffy, Corpl. 50th Foot) nearly extremely fine £3,600-£4,000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Collection of Medals formed by the late Ron Wright.

View
Collection

Provenance: Hamilton Smith Collection, Glendining’s, March 1927; Needes Collection, Glendining’s, February 1930; Elson Collection, Glendining’s, September 1963; Dix Noonan Webb, July 2016.

John Duffy was born in the Parish of Drumand, near Randlestown, County Antrim, and enlisted for the 50th Foot at Hastings, Sussex, on 27 May 1810, aged 18 years, for limited service of 7 years. He was discharged at Londonderry on 26 May 1817, ‘his period of service having expired and his being further rendered incapable of service in consequence of a gun shot wound received 25 July 1813 at the Pass of Maya in the right hip.’

He was admitted to an out-pension at the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, on 25 June 1817, and appears tom have been married in the same year. He emigrated to Australia with his family in about 1828. They had nine children, at least three of whom died in childhood. By 1854, if not before, he was employed as a messenger at the Crown Law Office in Macquarie Street, Sydney, where he resided with his family. In noting his death on 8 August 1867, the Sydney Morning Herald described him as “an old and respected colonist”, an apt description for a reliable man who had spent nearly 40 years in New South Wales. He was buried in the Petersham Cemetery in Sydney, along with his wife who pre-deceased him by five months.

Sold with copied discharge papers and copied Pension Certificate from the Commissariat Office, New South Wales, Sydney, confirming Duffy’s intention to reside at Sydney [and collect his pension there] and notes that he died on 8 August 1867, together with other research and photographs of his headstone.