Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Indian Mutiny 1857-59, no clasp (Wm. Muir, Bengal Civil Service) latter part of naming officially re-impressed, otherwise very fine £500-600

William Muir was born on 27 April 1819 at Glasgow and educated at Kilmarnock Academy, Edinburgh and Glasgow Universities and Haileybury College. He entered the Bengal Civil Service in 1837 and was engaged in land revenue work in the districts of Cawnpore, Bundelkhand and Fatehpur. He married Elizabeth Huntley Wemyss in 1840 and was to have 15 children. In 1847 he became Secretary to the Government of the North Western Provinces, India.

During the Indian Mutiny he was in Agra, in charge of the Intelligence Department, and was responsible for steadying the nerve of the British during the siege after the death of the Lieutenant-Governor, J. R. Colvin. During 1858-61 he served Viceroy Canning as Secretary to the Government for the reorganisation of the North Western Provinces and during 1864-67 he was selected a Provisional Member of the Viceroy’s Legislative Council. In 1867 he was created a Knight Commander of the Most Exalted Order of the Star of India (K.C.S.I.). During 1867-68 he was Foreign Secretary to the Government of India and for the period 1868-74 was Lieutenant-Governor of the North Western Provinces. There, he established the Muir College and abolished Hindu female infanticide. In 1874 he was appointed Financial Member of the Viceroy’s Council and during 1876-85 served as Member of the Council of India. The recipient of several degrees (LL.D., D.C.L., Ph.D.), and the author of several books, in his later life he was Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh (1885-1902). Sir William Muir died on 11 July 1905.