Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Duke of Wellington’s Interment, being General Blakeney’s autographed signed ticket (12.5 x 7.9 cms) for the supply of officially sanctioned mourning attire to be worn at the Duke of Wellington’s funeral. Double sided document, the obverse printed ‘Interment of the Remains/of the late/?Field Marshal, The Duke of Wellington/Please deliver to the Bearer the Mourning fittings to be/worn by me at the Funeral./(Signature) E. Blakeney/Lt. General/(Particulars overleaf.)’. The reverse printed, ‘...For each Carriage which will form part of the Procession, Hatbands and Gloves will be provided for Servants (not exceeding three in number) ...’ Framed and glazed to each side, very good condition £200-£400

Note: At the time of Wellington’s funeral Field Marshal Sir Edward Blakeney, G.C.B., G.C.H. (1778-1868) was the Lieutenant-General commanding the troops in Ireland. He participated in the funeral procession as the Army representative of the Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath. The other three Knights Grand Cross of the Bath sharing his carriage were Admiral of the Fleet Sir George Cockburn representing the Navy; General Pollock, commander of the Army of Retribution in Afghanistan in 1842, representing the East India Company Service; and Viscount Palmerston representing the Civil division.

Blakeney was a distinguished veteran of Wellington’s campaigns in the Peninsula. Born in Newcastle, he commanded 1st Btn 7th Royal Fusiliers at the battles of Busaco and Albuhera (wounded right thigh); the sieges of Cuidad Rodrigo and Badajoz (severely wounded in the arm during the assault); battles of Vittoria, Pamplona, Pyrenees and Nivelle. He also served in the West Indies in the 1790s being captured by privateers on three separate occasions and enduring great hardships. He exchanged into the Royal Fusiliers in 1804 and served in the expeditions to Copenhagen (1807) and Martinique (1809). He later became Colonel-in-Chief of the Rifle Brigade and the Lieutenant-Governor of the Royal Hospital Chelsea.