Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Indian Mutiny 1857-59, no clasp (Bt. Major C. Gill, 17th. M.N.I.) nearly extremely fine £400-£500

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals from a Mutiny Collection.

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Provenance: George McIlroy Collection.

Charles Gill was born in Nottingham on 25 September 1812, and was educated at Rugby School. He was commissioned Ensign on 13 December 1833, and was promoted Lieutenant on 25 May 1839; Captain on 28 March 1845; and Brevet Major on 28 November 1854. He served with the 17th Madras Native Infantry during the Great Sepoy Mutiny - in common with the rest of the Madras Army the regiment remained loyal, as the following extract, published in The Morning Post some 30 years later illustrates:
‘A small party of ladies and officers were riding along the beach at Madras one afternoon shortly after the mutiny had broken out, when Major Synge, of the 43rd Light Infantry, then quartered at St. George, galloped up and reported something wrong at the guard of the 17th Madras Native Infantry, which he had just visited as officer of the day. Major GiIl, who was commanding the regiment, and who happened to be one of the party, at once rode back, and found an emissary from Bengal had been tampering with the men, who were anxious to hang him on the spot. Major GiIl expressed his regret that he could not oblige them, but the man was afterwards hanged, and the 17th Native Infantry did good service against the mutineers.’

Gill was subsequently advanced Lieutenant-Colonel, and died in Twickenham, Middlesex, on 10 June 1902.

Sold together with a photographic image of the recipient taken in later life; and copied research.