The Collection of Medals formed by the late Tim Ash

Three: Captain John Robertson, 78th Highlanders, dangerously wounded in the head at the first attempt to relieve Lucknow and awarded an Annuity M.S.M. for gallantry on that occasion
India General Service 1854-95, 1 clasp, Persia (Color Serjt. J. Robertson, 78th Highlanders); Indian Mutiny 1857-59, 2 clasps, Defence of Lucknow, Lucknow (Qr. Mr. Serjt. J. Robertson, 78th Highlanders); Army Meritorious Service Medal, V.R. (Qr.-Mastr. J. Robertson, 78th Highldrs.) minor contact marks, otherwise good very fine (3) £2500-3000

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

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John Robertson was born at Peterhead on 1 July 1824, and enlisted into the 78th Highlanders on 5 March 1842. He became a Corporal in January 1844, and was promoted to Sergeant in June 1848 and to Colour-Sergeant in January 1854.

Colour-Sergeant Robertson served with the 78th Highlanders in the Persian War, including the night attack and battle of Kooshab, the bombardment of Mohumrah, and the expedition to Ahwaz (Medal with clasp). He served also in Bengal in 1857-58, was with Havelock’s Column in the several actions leading to the relief of Lucknow, and was dangerously wounded by a ball through the head on 25th September. He took part in the subsequent defence of Lucknow, with Outram’s Force at the Alumbagh with the repulse of numerous attacks there, the operations ending in the final capture of Lucknow, the Rohilcund campaign and the capture of Bareilly (Medal with two clasps, and a year’s service for Lucknow).

For his services at Lucknow Robertson was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal with an Annuity of £15, to be dated from 25 September 1857, the date he was wounded at Lucknow. Further details of his wound are furnished by his obituary published in The Rossallian:

‘At a certain point in the entry [to Lucknow] he [Robertson] was ordered by the officer in command of his company or regiment to turn back with a few men in order to carry out some order or other of by no means vital importance. Robertson thought it an absolutely useless mission, involving the almost certain death of his men and himself: but after a word of expostulation, like the brave soldier that he was, he obeyed orders and went.

But the streets were lined with sharpshooters firing from the roofs and upper rooms of the houses, and a bullet struck him in the head, entering near the right temple and lodging not far from the left jaw. It was a terrible wound (he was afterwards reported mortally wounded), but somehow, in spite of it, he managed to stagger back and reach the Residency.

Then lockjaw set in, and for days there seemed no hope; but his splendid constitution, and the temperate life that he lived, triumphed, until at last the clenched teeth opened sufficiently to admit of some nutrient being passed into his mouth, and his life was saved.

To the end he preserved the bullet, dinted by its impact with his head, in a gold locket attached to his watch chain, and it was his pride to shew it to anyone interested in that gallant struggle at Lucknow. Not long before his death he shewed it to some of the King’s grandchildren. Such a wound would have caused most men to apply for sick leave, but Robertson was not made of that sort of stuff. He fought on in the subsequent defence of the Residency and in the ultimate capture of the town from the rebels.’

Promoted to Quarter-Master-Sergeant in July 1857, Robertson served in that capacity until 15 July 1861, after which he was appointed Quarter-Master to the 23rd Depot Battalion at Aberdeen and, in April 1865 as Quarter-Master to the 35th Foot, which position he held until his retirement on 6 March 1872 with the honorary rank of Captain.

In 1873 he took up the appointment of Bursar at Rossal School, Fleetwood, Lancashire. The school was in great financial difficulties, with a debt of between £25,000 and £30,000 hanging over it. With characteristic resolution Robertson set to work to put things right. Soon afterwards numbers began to rise, and year after year saw large balances to the credit of the school, with a diminishing indebtedness, in spite of the fact that new buildings, costing many thousands of pounds, were built in his 25 years of office. In 1898 he retired from the Bursarship and went to Liverpool to live with his daughter, Mrs Catherine Browne, a widow who had been his housekeeper at Rossal.

Regimental dinners, and especially the Lucknow dinner, called him up now and then to London. In 1907 he attended the King’s Levee for the Indian Veterans and also the Indian Mutiny Commemoration dinner given by the proprietors of the Daily Telegraph at the Royal Albert Hall. This latter event, held on 23 December 1907, was probably the last occasion on which Robertson proudly wore his medals for, shortly afterwards, he contracted bronchitis and died on 23 January 1908.

Sold with a comprehensive file of research, and an original copy of the Daily Telegraph booklet, The Golden Commemoration of the Indian Mutiny Veterans at the Royal Albert Hall December 23rd 1907, in which his name is recorded amongst the lists of all known surviving Officers and Men.