Military Awards from the Collection of John Tamplin

The C.B. and Waterloo pair awarded to Colonel Charles Gold, Royal Artillery, commanding the artillery of the 2nd Division at Waterloo

The Most Honourable Order of The Bath, C.B. (Military) breast badge in silver-gilt and enamels but with gold centres, fitted with gilt straight bar suspension and ribbon slide, a well made contemporary copy badge to replace the original which would have been returned at death; Waterloo 1815 (Lieut. Col., Royal Foot Artillery) fitted with original steel clip and straight bar suspension and silver ribbon slide, the pair contained in a contemporary fitted case which also has provision for the Sutlej medal awarded to his son (see lot ***), together with his Order of the Bath Chapel Stall Plate (Charles Gold Esquire, Lieutenant Colonel in the Royal Regiment of Artillery, Companion of the Most Honourable Military order of the Bath, Nominated 22nd June 1815) this with its original tissue and wrapping paper, good very fine (3) £2000-2500

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Military Awards from the Collection of John Tamplin.

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See Colour Plate I

Charles Gold was born on 1 November 1768, son of Captain Richard Gold, an officer in the 47th Foot, who served at Quebec in 1759 under Major-General James Wolfe, and was killed at the battle of Bunker’s Hill on 17 June 1775. Charles Gold was specially appointed a Gentleman Cadet at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, on 17 April 1776, by command of His Majesty King George the Third in recognition of the services of his father. He was granted a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Artillery on 2 June 1790.

Gold left Woolwich early in 1791, and sailed for India with the East Indies detachment of volunteers from the R.A. which formed two Companies under Captains Ross and Cockburn. The East Indies detachment was under the command of Major David Scott, R.A., and they landed at Madras in October 1791. Gold served under Earl Cornwallis at the defeat of Tippoo Sahib’s army on 6 and 7 February 1792, and at the subsequent siege of Seringapatam, the Sultan surrendering half his country, great treasure, and his sons as hostages.

Gold was promoted First Lieutenant on 17 January 1793 and in August of that year took part in the siege and capture of Pondicherry from the French. He also took part in the operations against the Poligar Chief of Manapar in 1795, at the conquest of Ceylon in the same year, and at the capture of Colombo in February 1796. Later that year he went to the Cape of Good Hope, and from thence returned to England. Promoted Captain-Lieutenant on 1 October 1796, he then served in 2 Battalion, R.A., until his next promotion, to Captain, on 11 February 1802, when he took over command of Captain H. Rogers’ Company.

In July 1803, Gold was appointed Garrison Quartermaster of Woolwich Garrison, and he exchanged Companies with Captain H. Phillpott of 7 Battalion, R.A., which Company was stationed in Barbados. He held this appointment until July 1809, and during this period produced his Oriental Drawings, sketched, with the assistance of Lieutenant James Hunter, R.A., whilst in India between the years 1791 and 1798. These sketches were of the principal objects that attracted their attention, particularly of ‘those poor infatuated creatures who, in devotion to their gods, subjected themselves to horrible tortures, such as remaining in painful or ridiculous positions, etc.’. These customs had not been much illustrated in England at that time, so that when Gold published his sketches in 1806 they were considered valuable additions to our knowledge of the Hindoos.

Gold was promoted Brevet Major on 25 April 1808, and Major on 30 April 1809. During his period of service in the West Indies, detachments of his Company took part in the expedition against Surinam in 1804, in the defence of Dominica in 1805, and in the attack on Martinique in 1809. In December 1809 he arrived with two Companies as reinforcements to cover the embarkation from Walcheren, arriving just in time to witness the destruction of the Arsenal, and landed for a few hours, going to Flushing and Middleburg, and crossing the Island. Major Gold accompanied the expedition to Holland under Sir Thomas Graham in November 1813, and was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel in December of the same year. He served at the attack of the French at Merxem and at the bombardment of Antwerp in February 1814.

Lieutenant-Colonel Gold served in the campaign of 1815, in command of the artillery of the 2nd Division under Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Clinton, G.C.B. The Companies under Gold’s command at the battle of Waterloo were: Captain C. G. Alms’ Company, R.A., temporarily commanded by Captain S. Bolton, who was killed; and Major A. Sympher’s Horse Troop of the King’s German Artillery. Gold was mentioned in the despatch of Colonel Sir George Wood, R.A., to the Master-General of Ordnance, dated Le Cateau 24 June 1815, for his service and zeal during the battle. He was appointed a Companion of the Bath on the recommendation of the Duke of Wellington, which honour was Gazetted on 22 June 1815.

Gold marched with the army to the investment and surrender of Paris in July 1815, and was subsequently quartered at Paris, St Cloud, and Versailles. In 1816, he commanded the Royal Artillery at the Headquarters of the Allied Army of Occupation, and from time to time, the whole force of British Artillery in that Army until its return from France. From 1817 to 1825, he was in command of 6 Battalion, R.A., and from late 1821 to the summer of 1825 he was also C.R.A. at Gibraltar. On 29 July 1825 he was promoted Colonel, R.A., and from that time commanded 4 Battalion, R.A.

Colonel Charles Gold retired by the sale of his commission on 31 December 1827. He died at Leamington on 17 April 1842, leaving three sons in the service, Lieutenant-Colonel William George Gold (see following Lot), Captain Henry Yarborough Gold, and Lieutenant-General Charles Emilius Gold. The last named officer commanded the 65th Regiment for many years in New Zealand, including the period of the Taranaki Wars. Sold with a substantial quantity of related family research including an original but amateur pencil and water-colour portrait of Colonel Charles Gold and a photograph of an oil painting.