Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Army of India 1799-1826, 5 clasps, Allighur, Battle of Delhi, Laswarree, Battle of Deig, Capture of Deig (Cornet Patk. Dunbar, 3rd Lt. Cavy.) short hyphen reverse, officially impressed naming, some light contact marks, edge bruises and nicks, otherwise good very fine and extremely rare £12,000-£16,000

Dr A. A. Payne Collection 1911, Glendining’s 1918; M. J. Kennard Collection, Sotheby, June 1924; G. Hamilton Smith Collection, Glendinings, July 1927; Elson Collection, Glendining’s, February 1963.

Only 9 Army of India medals issued with 5 clasps, 8 of which with this combination, including 3 officers all in the 3rd Bengal Light Cavalry. The 5-clasp medal to William Eleanor, 76th Foot, sold in these rooms in September 2004 (£13,000).

Patrick Dunbar was born at Auldearn, Nairn, on 6 September 1777, 5th and youngest son of Captain Alexander Dunbar, of Boath, co. Nairn, and Jean his wife, 4th daughter of George Burnett, of Kemnay.

In 1798, Dunbar was appointed a Cavalry Cadet on the Bengal establishment, and in 1799 commenced his military career, by joining a battalion of the 15th Native Infantry, with which corps he continued until June 1800, when the 5th and 6th regiments of cavalry were ordered to be raised at Ghazeepoor, and he was directed to join and do duty with the latter corps. He continued with it until the adjustment of rank of the cadets of 1798, when he was permanently posted to the 3rd Light Cavalry, as Cornet, and joined, in August 1801, at Cawnpoor.

At this station the corps remained until the beginning of 1802, when it was ordered to form part of the escort selected to attend the Marquess Wellesley, on his visit to the late Newaub of Oude. The regiment proceeded to Lucknow, and afterwards escorted his Lordship down the country, as far as the zillah of Juanpore, where the services of the corps were dispensed with, and it was ordered to Rohilcund. It was stationed at Barreilly until the disturbances with Bauguan Sing, and other chiefs in the Dooaub, in the end of 1802, occasioned a force to be assembled for their subjection and the reduction of their forts. The 3rd cavalry was one of the corps employed on the service and Dunbar was present at the sieges of Sasnee, Catchoura, &c.

In 1803, the war broke out with the Mahrattas: “the grand army under the Commander-in-Chief, the Lord Lake, took the field, and the 3rd Light Cavalry was one of the first corps that joined it. Cornet Dunbar was present at General Perron’s defeat near Coel, 29 August 1803; at the capture of Allyghur, 4 September; at the battle near Delhi, 11 September; at the siege and fall of Agra, 18 October; and at the hard-fought battle of Laswarree, 1 November. He was also at the capture of Tonk Rampoora; at the battle and siege of Deig; at two of the storms of Bhurtpoor; and with General Smith's division, in pursuit of Ameer Khan, when that chieftain invaded Rohilcund.

At the termination of the latter campaign, the 3rd Light Cavalry was cantoned at Muttra, and after having remained for some time at that station, this officer was detached with his troop to Bundlecund, and employed under various commanders in that troublesome province, and particularly with Colonel Arnold above the Ghauts. On leaving Bundlecund, he was sent into the province of Oude, where he was employed at the reduction of many of the mud forts. He was with the army under General Marshall, at the bombardment and capture of the fort of Hattrass, in the Dodaub; with the grand army assembled under the personal command of the Marquess of Hastings, and subsequently detached from his Lordship's camp, and proceeded with Major-General Sir Thomas Brown’s light division, towards the south, and was present at the attacks made on the fortified towns of Rampoora and Jawud; he was afterwards sent to join the Neemuch field force, under Lieutenant-Colonel Ludlow, C.B.

Major Dunbar had the honour of commanding his regiment for a short time, when Lieutenant; he held the command of it a second time, when captain; and got the command a third time, when major. He joined in 1801, and continued with the corps till September 1821, when he returned to his native country.

On 11 March 1805, he obtained the rank of lieutenant; he was promoted to brevet-captain, 5 January 1816, and regimentally, 1 September 1818; and to Major, 8 May 1821; late hon. lieutenant-colonel. He retired on 26 April 1824 and returned to England. Lieutenant-Colonel Dunbar died at Westbourne Terrace, Hyde Park, London, on 18 July 1864, aged 86.