The Collection of Medals formed by the late John Darwent

Five: Troop Sergeant-Major R. Williams, Duke of Lancaster’s Own Yeomanry, late 17th Lancers, who rode in the famous charge with a painful boil on his nose and wore a scarf round his face for protection: nonetheless, his ‘visage was so fearsome that the Russians even held their fire’

Crimea 1854-56, 4 clasps, Alma, Balaklava, Inkermann, Sebastopol (Troop Sjt.-Mjr., 17th Lancers), officially impressed naming; Indian Mutiny 1857-59, no clasp (Troop Sergt., 17th Lancers); Army L.S. & G.C., V.R., 3rd issue, small letter reverse (750 T. Serjt.-Maj., 17th Lancers), later officially impressed naming; Army Meritorious Service Medal, V.R. (Tp. Sergt. Major, (Late) 17th Lancers), officially engraved naming; Turkish Criimea 1855, Sardinian die, unnamed, the first with several unofficial rivets and the fourth with minor official correction to rank, contact marks and edge bruising, generally about very fine and a rare group (5) £6000-7000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Collection of Medals formed by the late John Darwent.

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Richard Hall Williams was born near Bath and enlisted in the 17th Lancers in London in November 1843, aged 22 years. Advanced to Corporal in June 1848 and to Sergeant in September 1851, he rode in the charge of the Light Brigade at Balaklava, in addition to being present at Alma, Inkermann and in the operations before Sebastopol. During the charge, as alluded to above, he was suffering from a painful boil on his nose, a factor to which he later referred:

‘ ... My visage was so fearsome that the Russians even held their fire. But the pain was so great that on the following day I had to report to the Regimental Surgeon - a step not to be lightly taken then ... Two orderlies held me and I received a smart buffet on the nose, which dispersed the fluid ...’

Peculiarly, his name is not on the appropriate roll for the ‘Balaklava’ clasp, but research undertaken by J. L. Boys confirms that ‘from all the evidence ... there can be no doubt that he did ride’, a contention with which Lummis and Wynn entirely concur in Honour the Light Brigade. Williams gained advancement to Troop Sergeant-Major in February 1855, embarked for India aboard the S.S. Great Britain in October 1857 and saw action in the Mutiny, albeit in the latter stages of the conflict between December 1858 and January 1859, when he was present at the engagements at Zeerapore and Baroda. He was subsequently awarded the Medal without a clasp.

Williams was discharged at Brighton in November 1867, having been awarded his Army L.S. & G.C. Medal earlier in the same year. Afterwards he became a Troop Sergeant-Major in the Worsley Troop of the Duke of Lancaster’s Own Yeomanry and sub-postmaster in Worsley village, near Manchester. He also taught drill to the school children on the Ellesmere estate. A keen mason, and a member of the Balaklava Commemoration Society from 1879, Williams signed the Loyal Address in 1887 and attended the Annual Dinners in 1892, 1894, 1895, 1899 and 1908. Awarded his M.S.M. in April 1884, he would have “forfeited” his original L.S. & G.C. Medal at that time, but just when he received his later impressed issue remains unknown.

Williams died at Eccles in July 1910, aged 91 years, and was buried in the churchyard at Worsley, where he had been a sides-man for over 20 years. Remarkably, as late as the 1970s, one of Williams’ sons, Clement, was still living in Worsley. He died on 10 April 1974, aged 100 years, and was buried in the same plot as his father. Sold with an original “In memoriam” card issued by Williams’ local masonic lodges, which includes a fine picture of him wearing his awards, both military and masonic.