An Important Collection of Medals for the Maori Wars, 1845-1866

Pair: Sergeant C. T. Benzoni, Army Hospital Corps, later Acting Under-Secretary for Public Works at Wellington

China 1857-60, 2 clasps, Canton 1857, Taku Forts 1860 (Ordy. Chas. Thos. Benzoni, Medical Staff Corps) officially impressed naming, the clasps neatly soldered together; New Zealand 1845-66, reverse undated (-ergt. Charles Benzoni, Army Hospital Corps) officially impressed naming, first letter of ‘Sergt.’ obscured by suspension claw, the edge a little rubbed but as issued, both medals contained in their original named card boxes of issue together with War Office registered packet for the second, this addressed to the recipient ‘Care of Colonel Gorton, Inspector of Stores Office, Wellington, New Zealand’, the packet creased and the boxes with some damage, otherwise toned, extremely fine (2) £1000-1200

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, An Important Collection of Medals for the Maori Wars, 1845-1866.

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‘Few Public Servants past or present can have lived the varied and exciting life of Charles Thomas Benzoni. Born in London in 1835, he was educated at a private school in St. Albans, Hertfordshire. For a time he worked with T. and T. Gates, Bat a d'or et Fabricants, de Baudruche Anglaise, in London. Later he entered the Imperial Service during the Crimean War, and was attached to the Army Medical Department. After that he was a member of Lord Elgin's expedition to China, but was wrecked in the H.M.S. Transit in the Straits of Sunda. Eventually the force was diverted to the Bengal Presidency, consequent on the Indian Mutiny. Benzoni was subsequently employed in China on gun-boat duties on the Canton River. Later he was present at the destruction of the forts at Taku, in the Gulf of Pi-tchi-li. Returning to England he studied in the General Surgery at Aldershot. He volunteered and proceeded to Canada with the Guards and Rifle Brigade. After returning to England he was sent to New Zealand and served with Lieutenant-General Cameron's force in the Waikato campaign. Later he followed mining and journalistic pursuits in Auckland until 1870, when he was appointed Field Quartermaster in the expedition against Te Kooiti in the Patatere district.

On 20 January 1870 he commenced duty as Officer in Charge of Stores, Auckland and on 17 October following he became Chief Clerk, Stores Department, Wellington. A leading article in the Evening Post of 27 March 1873 contained rather trenchant criticism of his action in keeping notes about the conduct of one of his officers, the subject of an inquiry.

In the latter part of 1872 when immigration activities were handed over from the Public Works to the Crown Lands Department, the first Chief Clerk of the Department, H. J. H. Elliot, was also transferred. On 10 March 1873, Mr Benzoni took up his position. On 22 March 1879, he was promoted to Assistant-Undersecretary. John Knowles, the First Under-Secretary, retired on 31 March 1883, and Benzoni became Acting Under-Secretary. Later that year C. Y. O'Connor, an Inspecting Engineer, who was deputy to W. N. Blair, Engineer-in-Charge of the South Island, was appointed Under-Secretary. In December 1884, Benzoni applied for 6 months leave of absence which was granted from 1 January, but on 5 February he acknowledged a letter dispensing with his services after expiration of his leave of absence.

In September 1885 Benzoni was elected a member of the Wellington City Council but resigned in April 1887. The same year he was appointed Clerk of the Friendly Societies' Registry Office and in 1892 he became Deputy-Registrar of the Friendly Societies.’ Ref: By Design, Rosslyn J. Noonan, p. 280, ‘Some Early Public Works Personalities’.