Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Army of India 1799-1826, 1 clasp, Poona (Lieut. W. Wilkins, 4th N.I.) short hyphen reverse, officially impressed naming, fitted with silver ribbon buckle, extremely fine £3,000-£4,000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Napoleonic-Era Campaign Medals.

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Collection

Tombs Collection 1918; Hamilton-Smith Collection 1927; Loxley Collection 1949; Glendining’s, March 1968; Magor Collection, Dix Noonan Webb, July 2003.

William Wilkins was born in Somerset on 22 October 1788, son of Rev. George Wilkins. He was nominated a cadet for the Bombay Infantry for the season 1804/05 by East India Company Director John Manship, being examined and passed by the Selection Committee on 17 October 1804. He proceeded to India on board the Royal George and arrived there in June 1805, proceeding to Mahim College the following month. He was appointed Ensign on 21 March 1806, and removed to the 1st Battalion 4th Native Infantry on 19 September 1807, having been promoted to Lieutenant two days beforehand.

Wilkins was present at the capture of Poona in November 1817 and received a share of the Deccan prize for general captures. He was promoted to Captain on 1 January 1818, appointed to the temporary command of the Northern Division of Gujerat in April 1827, and promoted to Major on 30 December 1832. He retired from the service in November 1833 and returned to England in May 1834. In 1839 he was permitted to use the surname of De Winton in place of Wilkins, announced under Royal License 24 July 1839. The medal roll for the Army of India medal, held at the India Office Library, in fact states that his medal was awarded for services “as Lieutenant Wilkins”.

Sold with research notes from the India Office Library.