Campaign Groups and Pairs

A scarce Napoleonic Wars group of three awarded to Private J. Gosnell, 42nd Highlanders, who was severely wounded at Toulouse, and by a lance at Waterloo Military General Service 1793-1814, 5 clasps, Pyrenees, Nivelle, Nive, Orthes, Toulouse (Jas. Giosnell, 42nd. Foot.); Waterloo 1815 (James Gosnell, 42nd or R.H. Reg. Infantry.) with hinged silver straight bar suspension; 42nd Foot Medal 1819, by Parkes, 32mm, silver, the obverse featuring St. Andrew with his cross at top, legend above, ‘Nemo Me Impune Lacessit’, with soldiers marching through mountainous country below, the reverse featuring the winged figure of Fame above the battle honours, ‘Corunna, Fuentes d’Onor, Pyrenees, Nivelle, Nive, Orthes, Toulouse, Peninsula’, with ‘42 R.H.Rt.’ below, the edge impressed (Js. Gosnell) with hinged silver straight bar suspension, edge bruising and contact marks, otherwise nearly very fine or better and a scarce group (3) £4,000-£5,000 --- Provenance: Glendining’s, July 1940 and September 1953. James Gosnell was born in Durrus, co. Cork, and attested for the 42nd Highlanders at Limerick on 14 May 1811, aged 25, having previously served as a volunteer in the South Cork Militia. He served with the Regiment in the Peninsula, and in Captain Alexander Fraser’s Company during the Waterloo campaign, 16-18 June 1815, and was discharged on 24 August 1821 on reduction of the Regiment, after 12 years and 103 days’ service. His discharge papers state that he ‘was severely wounded in the side at Toulouse - also received a [wound] from a lance in the right leg at Waterloo and has been frequently in hospital at Clonmel with pulmonic complaints.’ These papers bear the stamp ‘Royal Kilmainham Hospital 12 Sep 21’. Gosnell subsequently re-enlisted at Naas, co. Kildare, into the 1st Royal Regiment of Veterans on 25 December 1821, and served in that regiment until its disbandment on 24 April 1826, after a further 4 years and 121 days’ service. Sold with a 42nd Highlanders badge and copied research.