Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria, to include the Brian Ritchie Collection (Part I)

The Indian Mutiny medal to Private Richard Sutcliffe, 90th Light Infantry, a member of the First Relief Force, killed in action at Lucknow

Indian Mutiny 1857-59, 1 clasp, Defence of Lucknow (R. Sutcliffe, 90th Lt. Infy.) extremely fine
£800-1000

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

View
Collection

Richard Sutcliffe declared that he had no trade on enlistment into H.M.’s 90th Light Infantry on 15 August 1854. The 90th returned from the Crimea in June 1856, and in April of the following year embarked ten companies strong at Portsmouth in two transports, the Himalaya and the Transit, for service in China - Sutcliffe being a member of one of the seven companies under Colonel Campbell in the Himalaya. En route, however, the main body of the regiment was diverted to India, and without waiting for the other three companies, which had been shipwrecked in the Transit, landed at Calcutta and marched up country to join the force under Major-General Sir James Outram, which, reinforcing Havelock’s Allahabad Moveable Column, fought its way into Lucknow on 25-26 September. Sutcliffe was killed in action at Lucknow on 6 October 1857.

Ref: WO 25/3259.