Orders, Decorations and Medals

The important G.C.B. and Large Army Gold Medal group awarded to General Sir George Anson, Light Cavalry Brigade Commander, formerly commanding 16th Light Dragoons and later Colonel of the 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards, Governor of Chelsea Hospital, Equerry to the Duke of Kent and Groom of the Bedchamber to Prince Albert

The Most Honourable Order of The Bath (Military) G.C.B., breast star in silver, gold and enamels, the reverse backplate inscribed with maker’s name Rundell Bridge & Co., Jewellers to Their Majesties and all the Royal Family, Ludgate Hill, London, fitted with gold pin, enamel chips to ‘Ich Dien’ scroll and green wreath and lacking one stalk

General Officer’s Large Gold Medal, for Talavera 1809, 2 clasps, Salamanca, Vittoria (Brigr. General George Anson) complete with all proper gold suspension fittings and full neck cravat

Portugal, Royal Order of the Tower and Sword, Knight Commander’s set of insignia, comprising large neck badge in solid gold, 67 mm, and a magnificent breast star of large size, 100 mm, in silver, gold and enamels, this with enamel damage to central wreath, one letter of legend lacking and two other letters damaged; together with another superb quality neck badge, 47 mm, in gold and enamels, and a fine period miniature badge in gold and enamels, the large badges with original neck cravats, unless otherwise described, generally good very fine and attractively displayed in an old frame within an oval gilt floral border with inscribed ivorine label (6) £40000-50000

Only 10 General Officers received the Large Army Gold Medal with two clasps, this combination being unique. General Anson’s group of medals was first sold by Christie’s in April 1902.

George Anson was born in 1769, second son of George Anson and Mary Vernon, and a nephew of Admiral Lord Anson. He entered the Army as a Cornet in the 16th Light Dragoons on 3 May 1786; he obtained a Lieutenancy in the same corps in 1791, and exchanged into the 20th Light Dragoons, with which regiment he served for five years in Jamaica. In 1792 he obtained a troop in the 20th, and his Majority in December 1794. He exchanged back into the 16th Light Dragoons in September 1797, became Lieutenant-Colonel in the 20th Light Dragoons the same year, and exchanged into the 15th Light Dragoons in September 1798, with whom he served in Holland. In January 1805, he was appointed Aide-de-Camp to the King, and received the rank of Colonel in the Army. In December of the same year he became Lieutenant-Colonel of the 16th Light Dragoons.

In 1809, Anson proceeded to Portugal and commanded the 16 Light Dragoons in the advance upon and battle of Oporto on 10th-12th May. On 24 May 1809, he was appointed Brigadier General and given command of a brigade of light cavalry consisting of the 23rd Light Dragoons and the 1st Light Dragoons of the King’s German Legion. Anson commanded the brigade at the Battle of Talavera on 27th and 28th July, and at the Battles of Busaco in 1810, Salamanca in 1812, and Vittoria in 1813, besides various other less important affairs. He received the thanks of both Houses of Parliament, on separate occasions, for his services at Talavera, Salamanca, and Vittoria, and received the Gold Medal and two clasps in commemoration of those battles. In May 1813, he was granted a Royal Licence to accept and wear the insignia of a Knight Commander of the Portuguese Order of the Tower and Sword, ‘for the distinguished courage and intrepidity displayed by him in several actions with the enemy in the Peninsula.’ He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Bath on 2 January 1815, and a Knight Grand Cross of the Order on 29 July 1833. Anson became Lieutenant-General in August 1819, Colonel of the 4th Dragoon Guards in February 1827, and a full General in January 1837. Besides taking a seat in the House of Commons as Member for the city of Lichfield, Anson had a long association with the Royal Hospital at Chelsea, and was holding the highest office as Governor when he died on the 4th November, 1849.

Anson married in 1800, Frances, daughter of John William Hamilton and the sister of Sir Frederick Hamilton. They had six sons and daughters, of whom Talavera Vernon Anson became an Admiral in the Royal Navy, and Thomas Anson was a first class cricketer. Lady Anson died in 1834, fifteen years before the death of Anson himself. In Who Do You Think You Are? transmitted by the BBC in October 2007, it was discovered that Sir Matthew Pinsent, the multiple gold medal Olympic rower, is a direct descendant of Sir George Anson.