Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine ‘Chin-Lushai 1889-90’ C.B. group of six awarded to Surgeon Major-General E. C. Markey, Army Medical Department, who served as Principal Medical Officer for the Chin-Lushai Expedition of 1889-90, having already been Mentioned in Despatches for services at Kandahar during the Second Afghan War, and also for services at El Gubat during the Nile Expedition, 1884-85

The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, C.B. (Military) Companion’s breast badge, gold and enamel, hallmarks for London 1887, with swivel ring and straight bar suspension, complete with gold buckle; Afghanistan 1878-80, 2 clasps, Ahmed Khel, Kandahar (Surgeon Major E. C. Markey, A/B R.H.A.); Kabul to Kandahar Star 1880 (Surgeon Major E. C. Markey, A.M.D.); Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, undated reverse, 1 clasp, The Nile 1884-85 (Surgn. Maj: E. C. Markey, Med: Staff); India General Service 1854-95, 1 clasp, Chin-Lushai 1889-90 (Surgeon Colonel E. C. Markey Medl. Staff) with official corrections; Khedive’s Star 1884-6, unnamed as issued, slight pitting to Egypt, generally good very fine (6) £3400-3800

Provenance: Riddick Collection, DNW, September 2006.

C.B. London Gazette 14 November 1890.

Edward Corrigan Markey, L.R.C.P.I., L.R.C.S.I. was born in Dublin in 1837, and entered the Army as a Staff Assistant Surgeon on 1 March 1859. He advanced to Surgeon-Major in April 1874. He served in the Afghan War of 1878-80, and was present at the engagement at Saif-u-deen, the advance to Kelat-i-Ghilzie, the engagement at Ahmed Khel; served on the march to Kandahar and was present in the battle of Kandahar for which he was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 3 December 1880). He also served in the Marri Expedition and then in the Nile Expedition. In the latter he was in charge of the Moveable Field Hospital with the Desert Column and was for some time Principal Medical Officer at El Gubat, for which he was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 25 August 1885). Markey was promoted to Brigade Surgeon in April 1885 and thence Surgeon Colonel in September 1890. Serving in the Chin-Lushai Expedition 1889-90, he was P.M.O. for which he gained the thanks of the Government of India, was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 25 July 1890) and was created a Companion of the Order of the Bath. He was promoted to Surgeon Major-General in April 1895, and was Principal Medical Officer in the Southern District at the time of his sudden death at Southsea on 19 November 1896.