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Auction: 25112 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 795

Army L.S. & G.C., V.R. (Q.M. Sergt J. Stevens, Rl Denbigh Mil:) officially impressed, very fine

John Stevens was born at Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, Ireland in 1831. He originally enlisted for the 97th Foot as Boy number 2285, age 14, on 27 June 1845, becoming 'Lad' exactly a year later. On 27 June 1849 he is classified as Private having now reached the age of 18. He was promoted to Corporal on 1 October 1852 and to Sergeant on 6 March 1854 and shortly afterwards to Quartermaster Sergeant on 5 June 1854. The regiment landed at Balaklava on 20 November 1854 and took part in the Siege of Sebastopol and on 30 August 1855. Sergeant John Coleman won the V.C. at Sebastopol followed shortly after on the 8 September 1855 at the Battle of Redan Brevet Major Charles Lumley wins another V.C.. The regiment returned to England in July 1856 for a short time before being sent to Bombay in November 1857 to help quash the Indian Mutiny. It joined the column to relieve Lucknow in April 1858 with the mutiny ending in June. Stevens reverts to Sergeant on 6 October 1865 but was promoted to Colour Sergeant on 1 December 1866. The 97th returned to England in 1867 and on 12 July Stevens again reverts to Sergeant. On 6 August 1869 he is attached on loan to the Royal Denbigh Militia and was discharged at "Dou" on 26 July 1870, having completed 6 years and 5 months in Malta and North America and 2 years and 1 month in Greece and Crimea and 9 years and 7 months in the East Indies. In 1875 he was selected to join the Board of Guardians and on 14 August was awarded his L.S. & G.C. with £5 gratuity. However, he resigned from the Board of Guardians the following year under difficult circumstances which were heavily reported in the local press. Stevens died at Havant, Hampshire on 24 January 1905.

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Sold for
£140

Starting price
£70