Campaign Groups and Pairs

Three: Surgeon Major Thomas Farquhar, M.D., Bengal Medical Establishment Punjab 1848-49, 2 clasps, Chilianwala, Goojerat (Asst. Surgn. T. Farquhar, M.D. Bengal Army.); India General Service 1854-95, 1 clasp, North West Frontier (Asst. Surgeon Thos. Farquhar. Bengal Horse Artillery); Indian Mutiny 1857-59, no clasp (Asst. Surgeon T. Farquhar M.D. Civil Agra) naming officially engraved in fine running script, light contact marks, otherwise better than very fine (3) £1,200-£1,600 --- Thomas Farquhar was appointed Assistant Surgeon in the Bengal Medical Establishment on 20 October 1847, and arrived in India on 8 January 1848. He served with the Army of the Punjab in 1848 and 1849, was present at the battles of Chilianwala and Goojerat, and subsequent pursuit of the Sikhs and Afghans to Peshwar (Medal with two clasps). He accompanied the force under Sir Colin Campbell which went into the Esufzai in May 1852 and was present in the various frontier fights including that of Shakote. While in medical charge of the Frontier Forts of Shubkudder and Abazai in 1852 and 1853, with the Guides in 1854-55 and 1856 was present in the several smaller expeditions for expelling incursions of the Frontier Tribes (Medal with clasp). In the Mutiny, while the Civil Surgeon of Agra, went out with the troops that fought on the 5th of July and 10th of October, 1857, in the neighbourhood of Agra (Medal), and was Senior Medical Officer attached to the Depot Hospital established in the Fort to receive charge of the wounded after the latter engagement. Was on three occasions sent out on special duty to help the people of Esufzai, Chuch, Hazara and Allygurgh in dealing with destructive fevers that raged in the districts. The first medical school opened in the Bengal Presidency outside Calcutta was that at Agra, founded in 1853, the first principal being Surgeon John Murray, who was succeeded in 1857 by Assistant Surgeon T. Farquhar. The school continued its work with only a short interruption throughout the Mutiny of 1857-58, although a member of its staff, Sub Assistant Surgeon Wazir Khan, teacher of Materia Medica, became prominent among the rebels. Farquhar was promoted to Surgeon-Major on 16 December 1861, and during his Army career he was attached to the following regiments and held these several appointments: Bengal Horse Artillery, 6th Irregular Cavalry, Engineers, 29th Foot, 13th Native Infantry, 24th Foot, Sappers & Miners, Divisional Staff, 10th Light Cavalry, 11th Light Cavalry, 3rd Sikh Regiment, Corps of Guides, Civil Surgeon Agra, Agra Police, Superintendent of the Central Jail, 1st Native Infantry, 1st Bengal Cavalry, Surgeon to the Viceroy, Sir John Lawrence. Farquhar held this post from 1864 until Lawrence’s Viceroyalty ended in 1869. Farquhar afterwards returned to his native Aberdeen where he immersed himself in philanthropic work. He was a District Councillor for Kinellar parish on Aberdeenshire County Council and was also a Justice of the Peace for Aberdeenshire. He died on 5 January 1891, aged 65.