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Auction: 6017 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals & Militaria
Lot: 199

Army of India 1799-1826, three clasps, Allighur, Battle of Delhi, Capture of Deig (Lieut. J. Pester. 2nd. N.I.), short hyphen reverse, officially impressed in serif capitals, extremely fine and rare Estimate £ 6,000-8,000Lieutenant Colonel John Pester, 13th Native Infantry (1778-1856), was born at Odcombe, Somerset, and at the age of 20 enlisted as a cadet. He was commissioned Ensign 5.9.1800, and soon after arrived in India 8.12.1800, where he was posted to the 1st Battalion, 2 Native Infantry 17.4.1801; three months later he was promoted Lieutenant 17.7.1801. Lieutenant Pester served in operations against refractory zemindars in the Shikohabad district August 1802, and in Jumna Doab 1803, Sasni, and Kachaura, where he was wounded. Later, he saw action in the Second Mahratta War 1803-05, as part of General Lake´s forces in the Hindustan Campaign, at Koil, at the assault on the fortress at Aligarh 4.9.1803, at the Battle of Delhi 11.9.1803, and at Agra, before being promoted Brigade Major of the 4th Infantry Brigade 26.10.1803. The following year he was present at the siege and Capture of Deig 11-23.12.1804, and at the unsuccessful siege of Bhurtpore, before peace was concluded in 1805. Promoted Captain 29.10.1812, he was appointed Brigade Major at Benares 7.8.1813, before transferring to the newly raised 1st Battalion, 30 Native Infantry in 1815, where he was in charge of the Guide and Intelligence Department with Brigadier-General W. Toone´s Division during the Third Mahratta War 1817-19. Appointed Brigade Major and Duty Postmaster at Cuttack 1821, before being promoted Major 11.7.1823. Transferred to the 59 Native Infantry in May 1824, and promoted Lieutenant Colonel 16.12.1824, taking up a posting to the 13 Native Infantry the following year. Lieutenant Colonel Pester retired from the service 6.1.1826, and died at Millbrook, Hampshire, thirty years later. His journal for the years 1802-06, edited by his great-nephew, was published in London under the title of War and Sport in India, 1802-6 in 1913. Of the 149 Army of India Medals awarded with three clasps, 28 had the Allighur clasp, 24 the Battle of Delhi clasp, and 25 the Capture of Deig clasp.

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