The Peninsula War medal awarded to Sergeant William McKay, 3rd Foot, formerly of the Reay Fencible Highlanders, with whom he was severely wounded in two places and his skull fractured at the battle of Tara Hill during the Irish Rebellion of 1798; he was afterwards wounded by a musket ball through the head at Talavera, and wounded again through the leg and thigh at Albuhera

Military General Service 1793-1814, 3 clasps, Talavera, Busaco, Albuhera (W. McKay, Serjt. 3rd Foot.) original ribbon with sewn buttonhole, lightly toned, good very fine and a very rare casualty £2600-3000

William McKay was born in the Parish of Reay, Sutherland, and enlisted into the Reay Fencibles in 1791 at the age of 19 years, becoming a Sergeant in the following year. While serving in Ireland the regiment took part in the suppression of the rebellion of 1798 and McKay was ‘severely wounded in two places and his skull fractured on 26 May 1798’. After 10 years 335 days service in the Fencibles, McKay enlisted as a Sergeant into the 3rd Foot on 12 November 1802. He served with this regiment in the Peninsula from 1809, was ‘severely wounded by a Musquet Ball thro’ the head at Talavera, 28 July 1809, and wounded again thro’ the leg and thigh at Albuhera, 16 May 1811’. This doughty old sergeant was transferred to the 5th Royal Veteran Regiment on 19 October 1812 and was finally discharged at Steyning on 7 April 1814, after 22 years 256 days service, all but 335 days in the rank of sergeant.

Lord Reay’s Fencible Highlanders and the battle of Tara Hill, 26 May 1798

The service of the regiment, which had been stationed in Belfast and neighbourhood, was of an uneventful and routine character until 1798, when the rebellion broke out and assigned formidable proportions. The object of the rising was to bring about the separation of Ireland from Britain, and for this purpose the conspirators had been promised substantial aid from France. A day had been fixed when Ireland was to rise in arms, but the scheme had been made known to the government and many of the leaders were arrested. Those who escaped determined that a general insurrection should take place, and the 23rd of May was fixed upon for that event.

It was under these circumstances that the Reays were moved from Belfast to Cavan, and then to Dublin. The battle of Tara Hill was fought on the 26th of May, 1798. In this engagement the rebels had a force of about 4000 men, while the government had only the Reays, less than 800 strong, and two troops of yeomanry. The rebels were well posted on top of the hill, protected by old walls and other shelter, which gave them a great advantage, but the Reays marched boldly on and gradually fought their way up. When reaching the top, notwithstanding the great odds against them, they furiously charged the rebels with the bayonet, tumbling them over at every stroke, and eventually dispersed and chased them off the hill. The yeomanry then charged the retreating masses, who fled panic stricken and in disorder. The loss of the Reays was 30 killed and a considerable number wounded. The rebels had about 500 killed, besides many wounded. It was a complete victory, and the battle broke the back of the rebellion. After this engagement the Reays marched to Dublin, where they met with a hearty reception from the citizens.

Note: The Reay Fencible Highlanders were raised in 1794 by Lord Reay, Chief of the Clan McKay, and a great number of McKays enlisted into it. Although William McKay’s discharge papers show him as serving from 1801, he must have been in a different unit but he was clearly a sergeant by 1802 and appears as such in the muster list of the Reays for the period October 1794 to June 1795. The regiment was disbanded at Stirling on 13 October 1802.

Sold with copied discharge papers. For more detailed information about the Reay Fencibles refer to The History of the Reay Fencible Highland Regiment of Foot, or Mackay's Highlanders 1794-1802, by Captain I. H. Mackay Scobie, available on-line.