Orders, Decorations and Medals

The Peninsular War pair awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Purvis, 1st Royal Dragoons, later Canadian Fencibles

Field Officer’s Gold Medal 1808-14, for Vittoria (Major Chas. Purvis, Rl. Drags.) complete with gold ribbon buckle; Military General Service 1793-1814, 3 clasps, Fuentes D’Onor, Vittoria, Toulouse (C. Purvis, Capt. 1st Dgns.) extremely fine (2) £12000-15000

Charles Purvis was born on 19 February 1777, eldest son of Charles Purvis Esq., J.P. and D.L., high sheriff of Suffolk 1794, of Darsham Hall, Suffolk, and was appointed a Cornet in the 1st Dragoons on 5 June 1796, becoming Lieutenant in October 1798, and Captain in February 1801. He saw action in the Peninsular at Fuentes D’Onor, when the regiment made several distinguished charges and captured the French Colonel Latour. He was praised by Major-General Slade for his services in covering the retreat of the Light Division from Gallegos in June 1811, when the Royal Dragoons under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Clifton, and one troop of the 14th Light Dragoons, successfully fought off concerted attempts by the French cavalry under General Montbrun to outflank the British... ‘Major Dorville of the Royal Dragoons, and of Captain Purvis of the same regiment, “who had opportunities of distinguishing themselves.”

Promoted to Major in June 1812, Purvis, according to his entry in Burke’s Landed Gentry of 1875, ‘served throughout the Peninsular war, and was present at the battle of Vittoria, for which he received a gold medal, and for Fuentes d’Onor and Toulouse, a silver medal with two clasps.’ This conforms to the medal rolls but his M.G.S. is clearly as issued and must have been fitted with the clasp for Vittoria in error and never rectified. He exchanged to half-pay of the Canadian Fencibles in 1818 and retired as Lieutenant-Colonel. He resided at Darsham House, near Yoxford, Suffolk, and died on 6 November 1859, just five days after the death of his wife, Margaret-Eleanor. For related family medals see Lots 13 and 56.