Medals from the Collection of Gordon Everson

A superb Indian campaign C.B. group of four awarded to General Thomas Pearson, 11th Light Dragoons and 16th Lancers, who succeeded to the command of his regiment at Aliwal

The Most Honourable Order of The Bath, C.B. (Military) breast badge in 18 carat gold and enamels, hallmarked London 1869, complete with gold swivel suspension and gold ribbon buckle; Army of India 1799-1826, 1 clasp, Bhurtpoor (Cornet J. H. Pearson, 11th Dragns.) long hyphen reverse, officially engraved naming; Maharajpoor Star 1843 (Captain T. H. Pearson, H.M. 16th Lancers) fitted with contemporary silver bar suspension; Sutlej 1845-46, reverse Aliwal 1846, 1 clasp, Sobraon (Capt. T. H. Pearson, 16th Lancers) some light contact marks, otherwise good very fine and better (4) £4000-5000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals from the Collection of Gordon Everson.

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Thomas Hooke Pearson was born on 7 June 1806, son of John Pearson, Advocate General of India. He was educated at Eton, and entered the Army as a Cornet in the 11th Light Dragoons on 14 March 1825. In November of that year he served at the siege of Bhurtpoor under Lord Combermere; and when, owing to the scarcity of European infantry, volunteers were called for from the cavalry to take part in the assault, he was one of those who offered themselves. The arrival of an additional infantry regiment made it needless to use them, but the cavalry did good service in preventing the escape of the usurping rajah and his followers. He was for some time aide-de-camp to the governor-general of India, Lord Amherst, and in that capacity visited the court of Ranjeet Singh, then ruler of the Punjab. He astonished and delighted the Sikhs by mounting and controlling an almost wild horse, which had never before allowed a rider to remain on its back, and Ranjeet Singh, as a proof of his admiration of the young officer’s skill and courage, gave him a sword inlaid with gold.

Pearson obtained a Troop in the 16th Lancers on 16 August 1831, and served with that regiment at the battle of Maharajpoor, where Sir Hugh Gough defeated the Mahrattas on 29 December 1843. At Aliwal on 28 January 1846, he commanded one of the squadrons which broke through an infantry square. This charge, led by Major Smyth and Captain Pearson, deserves special notice. Notwithstanding the steadiness of the enemy, the lancers broke the square, charged through, re-formed and charged again - a feat very rarely accomplished even against Asiatic troops. Captain Pearson wrote later: ‘We broke into the centre of their best infantry who went down before our charge, yet retiring fighting, and at one time 200 of the 16th were in the midst of 10,000 of their choicest troops, drilled by French officers in the past few years. There was no support for us, and we were about three-quarters of a mile in advance of our line... I, of course, led the charge, and was the first man over the enemy’s entrenchments, and at no point of the whole affair had I a man in front of me. This is only for you, or it might look like a brag. Sir H. Smith came to me on the field and said, “You may rely on me for a majority for this.”

Major Smyth was severely wounded in the charge and Captain Pearson brought the regiment out of action. As the depleted squadrons returned through the smoke and dust to their lines, Sir Harry Smith shouted above the battle-din, “Well done, the 16th ! You have covered yourselves in glory today !” In the absence of Major Smyth, wounded, Pearson again commanded the 16th Lancers at the battle of Sobraon on 10 February. He was twice mentioned in despatches and, true to his word, Sir Harry Smith obtained for his a brevet majority on 19 June 1846. He became Major in the regiment on 23 April 1847, but saw no further service in the field and was placed on Half Pay in April 1848. He was made a Companion of the Bath on 2 June 1869, became Lieutenant-General on 1 October 1877, and was then retired with the rank of General. On 4 February 1879 he was given the colonelcy of the 12th Lancers. General Pearson died at his home in Bedfordshire on 29 April 1892.