The Peninsula War Medal awarded to Lieutenant R. Blake, 3rd Foot, who was severely wounded and lost a leg at St Pierre in December 1813 when in command of the Light Company of the 57th; he later assumed the additional name of Humfrey and left a hand-written journal ‘A brief Chronological History of my Life’, R. Blake-Humfrey, 1872

Military General Service 1793-1814, 2 clasps, Nivelle, Nive (R. Blake Humfrey, Lieut. 3rd Foot) toned, extremely fine £3,000-£4,000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Alan Cathery Collection of Medals to The Buffs, the East Kent Regiment.

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Charles Lusted (List No. 78) June/July 1970.

Robert Blake (afterwards Blake-Humfrey) was born on 23 November 1795, at Horstead, Norfolk, second son of Thomas Blake, Barrister at Law, J.P., and Theodora Colombine. He was gazetted Ensign, by purchase, into the 3rd Foot (Buffs) on 30 April 1812, with the influence of General Leigh, the Colonel. Promoted to Lieutenant on 23 September 1813, he served in the Peninsula from September 1813 to March 1814, being present at Nivelle and Nive, being severely wounded at St Pierre on 13 December 1813, where his left leg was amputated. He was placed on Half-pay in December 1816, having been ‘Rendered incapable of Duty by my wounds, and removed to the 9th Royal Veterans Battalion in January 1820, ‘Incapable of service by the loss of my leg and other severe wounds.’ He was awarded £100 pension per annum for the loss of his leg, commencing from 14 December 1813.

Robert Blake married Charlotte, daughter of Colonel Harvey, of Thorpe, at Thorpe St Andrew, Norfolk, on 4 August 1838, with whom he had seven children. He assumed the name Blake-Humfrey by Royal Licence on 10 August 1847. He later became Deputy Lieutenant of Norfolk and Justice of the Peace, and lived at Wroxham Hall, Norfolk, where he died, aged 90, on 15 October 1886. There is a memorial tablet to him in the church of St Mary the Virgin at Wroxham, Norfolk.

The following narrative, including extracts from Blake’s hand-written journal “A brief Chronological History of my Life” (R. Blake-Humfrey, 1872), was published in Charles Lusted’s List No. 78 in June/July 1970; Lusted clearly had access to the original journal which was then in possession of the family but made it very clear that the journal was not for sale. The present whereabouts of the journal are not known.

‘Departed for the Peninsula, July 1813 to join the lst Bn in Spain. During some very rough weather between Portsmouth & Plymouth, a mutiny among a large part of both soldiers and sailors broke out aboard ship (on account of some regulations relative to the issue, and drinking, of the grog served out to the men), the men refused to serve the ship, and some soldiers set their officers at defiance, and a party of American seamen, engaged at Liverpool, proposed "to take the ship into Boston!". Lieutenant Blake Humfrey was sent, with a small party, to the escort Frigate of the convoy, through a heavy sea, and an armed crew from the Frigate arrested the chief sailor mutineers.

Landed in Spain Aug 28th, 1813, near St. Sebastian (which was then under siege), and the detachment was ordered to march to join the Regiment. They were attacked en route, and several of the men were wounded. “Lord Wellington and his Staff passed by and stopped to enquire who we were? I saw him thus, for the first time, by flashes of lighting, in heavy rain - enveloped in his large cloak, and cocked hat covered with oil-silk - as represented in the pictures.”
Aug 30th 1813 - Joined the Ist Bn The Buffs encamped in the mountains near the Pass of St. Jean Pier de Porte, under command Colonel Bunbury (Sir John Byng’s Bde), 2nd Division (Lord Hill). Appointed Lieutenant (London Gazette 28th Sept, 1813), and attached to Light Company (Capt. Cameron). At that time the Light Co’s of every Regt in the Bde were formed into one Company of which Capt. Cameron has sole command.
Nov 10th - took part in the attack and capture of the heavily fortified French positions on the Heights of Ainhoue (beyond the River Nivelle); November - crossed the River Nive, and “the Buffs, wading up to their chests, the stream running strong, succeeded in crossing the river, with the loss of a few men by enemy fire, and a young officer and a private or two, carried away by the current, which they were too feeble to stem.”
December, 13th - “Cameron directed me to take command of a company of the 57th, attached to the Light Companies, all the officers of which had been wounded. About four o’clock in the afternoon, while doing duty with this Company, and exposed to a severe fire of artillery, I fell to the ground, badly wounded in both legs above the knee, either by grape-shot, or part of a shell.”
“Lord Wellington having, early in the morning, received intelligence, from Sir Rowland Hill, of the strong attack made on his, the right wing of the Army, came from St. Jean de Luz some 20 miles, to learn the result. He galloped up close by my party, and seeing me severely wounded, supposed I was an officer of high rank, for he sent his A.D.C. to enquire who I was. Upon being informed, he remarked that my wounds seemed to require immediate attention, and ordered his A.D.C. to send a surgeon to the farm house close by. I had the satisfaction of meeting the Assistant Surgeon of my own Regt coming out to meet me, by Lord W’s orders!” His left leg was amputated (at the age of 18 years). “Sir Rowland Hill and Sir John Byng called upon me, and sent English roast beef, in tin cases, then a novelty.”

Lieutenant Blake was then returned to England, and in due course was discharged on medical grounds: “my wounds entitled me to a year’s pay for each leg, and a pension for the loss of my left leg - which was made £100 - that of a Captain, in consideration of my being in command of a company when wounded.”

May 1815 - “I went to Bradford in. Yorkshire to have an artificial leg made by Mr. Mann, then of great fame as a mechanician in that way.”

July 1815 - “On returning to Bradford, I found a Russian officer, Colonel Christzoffs, who had lost his leg at Leipzig, and hearing of the fame of Mr. Mann, had come from Paris to have a leg made.”

August 1815 - “Though so soon after the loss of his leg at Waterloo, the Marquis of Anglesea also arrived, for a like purpose. He invited Colonel Christzoffs, myself, and several other officers, to dinner at his hotel - all at table being one-legged-men, except his son Lord Uxbridge!”

The last entry in the Journal reads: “Dec 1882, returned home - by train.”