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Auction: 21001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals (conducted behind closed doors)
Lot: 426

(x) Pair: Captain J. Bedingfield, 48th Regiment

Crimea Medal 1854-56, 1 clasp, Sebastopol (Lieut J. Bedingfeld 48th Reg); Turkish Crimea 1855, Sardinian Issue, (Lieut* J * Beddingfeld * H * M * 48th * Reg.), contact marks, nearly very fine (2)

John Bedingfield was born on 16 August 1831, the second son of John Longueville Bedingfield and the Hon. Mary Henniker-Major, daughter of John, 3rd Baron Henniker. He purchased a commission as an Ensign in 48th (Northamptonshire) Regiment on 14th December 1849 at the age of 18 for £450. In order to do this his father lent heavily upon the favours of his Grandfather, Lord Henniker; their correspondence shows Bedingfield asking to:

"trouble you in order to ascertain if the Commr in Chief will do the (…) to place on his list of candidates for purchase of commissions"

Bedingfield continued on with the 48th, reaching the rank of Lieutenant on 27 December 1852. It was with this rank that he took part in the Siege of Sebastopol, arriving on 3 September 1855. The city surrendered on the 11 September after the allied forces took the strategically important Malakoff and Great Redan Bastions. On 31 December 1857 Bedingfield purchased the rank of Captain from a Captain A. E. C. Coethurst for £1650. John Bedingfield died unmarried on 2 December 1870; sold together with copied correspondence relating to the purchase of commissions and copied entries from Hart's Army List 1860.

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Sold for
£400

Starting price
£160