Transmittal Letter for Military General Service Medal 1793-1814

[Owen]

Lieutenant (later Sir) William Henry Watson, 1st (or Royal) Regiment of Dragoons & 6th (or Inniskilling) Regiment of Dragoons

Thought I would share a document in my collection that is not often seen. It is a transmittal letter for the MGSM 1793-1814 and clasp awarded to Lieutenant William Henry Watson of the 6th Inniskilling Dragoon Guards (formerly of 1st Royal Dragoons). Letter is from Horse Guards, signed by Fitzroy Somerset and dated 6th Feb 1849 (Fitzroy Somerset - later Lord Fitzroy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan, served in the Peninsular and was at Waterloo (as Military Secretary to the Duke of Wellington) where a musket ball shattered his right elbow and caused his right arm to be amputated in the field. Someset famously commanded British forces during the Crimean War. At the time of signing this letter, Somerset was serving as Military Secretary to Horse Guards.

A check of the medal roll confirms that William Henry Watson was entitled to a single clasp, for 'Toulouse' (last battle of the War, fought on 10th April 1814). Simple research throws up the following potted history for Lieut WH Watson:

Military Cadet at the Royal Military College:

Entered as a Gentleman Cadet on 4^th September 1810, aged 14yrs & 5 months (taken from the College Register - held at RMAS and accessible on-line).

Military Service:

14 November 1811 - Joins 1st Regiment of Dragoons (from RMC) as a Cornet, by purchase (London Gazette 16542 & Army List for 1811). Army List shows 1st Dragoons serving in Portugal at this time.

7th May 1812 - Promoted to Lieutenant (Army List 1812). 1st Dragoons still in Portugal.

7th May 1814 - Moves to Half Pay with the 6th Inniskillings on (Army Lists for 1814 & 1815). He is one of a number of 1st Dragoon officers transferred to the half pay list as the regiment was reduced - an effect of the 'Peace Dividend' after Napoleon's surrender and exile on Elba. Britrish forces were very quick to downsize.

13th April 1815 - Listed as a Lieutenant (on full pay) with the 6th Inniskillings (Army List 1816). The 6th were famously at Waterloo - they charged with the Union Brigade & captured the eagle of the French 105th Line Infantry Regiment.

25th March 1816 - Transferred to half pay with 6th Inniskillings (Army List of 1816 & Harts List of 1840).

Civilian Life:

After military service William Henry Wason followed an illustrous career in law and politics - he was Knighted in 1856. His biography is on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia....am_Henry_Watson). Extracts follow:

" born at Bamborough, the son of John Watson, Captain in the 76th Foot, by Elizabeth, daughter of Henry Grey of Bamborough, Northumberland. He was educated at the Royal Military College, Marlow, and given a commission in the 1st Royal Dragoons by the Duke of York on 7 May 1812, serving with his regiment in the Spanish peninsula. When it was reduced in 1814 he exchanged into the 6th Dragoons on 13 April 1815, with whom he served in Belgium and France. He was present at the Battle of Waterloo and at the entry of the allied armies into Paris" My comment: Wikipedia is quite explicit about his service at Waterloo and then Paris, but I can not find him on the Waterloo Roll (a mystery that needs some investigation). It certainly seems that he came off half pay to rejoin the 6th Inniskillings as they headed to Belgium (pre Waterloo), so it is odd that he is not on the roll.

"placed on the half-pay list on 25 March 1816, and the next year entered as a student at Lincoln's Inn..."

"1832...called to the bar in Lincoln's Inn"

"1841 he entered the House of Commons as liberal member for Kinsale, for which borough he sat till 1847"

"1843 he became a Q.C. and a bencher of his inn"

"1854 he was elected Liberal member for Hull"

"3 November 1856 he was created Baron of the Exchequer, to succeed Sir Thomas Joshua Platt. He was knighted on 28 November of the same year. Watson proved himself a judge possessed of clear head and strong mind, but his career on the bench was very short. On the conclusion of his charge to the grand jury at Welshpool, 12 March 1860, he was seized with apoplexy, and died the next day"

His Grave: Sir WH Watson was buried at Christ Church in Welshpool (Powys) - picture of his gravestone is here:

The Church is now a private house, but, amazingly, the Church and WH Watson's headstone and 2 others (including a 1915 headstone to a LCpl Edwards of the Montgomershire Yeomanry) have been pictured and placed online here: http://www.martin-ni...terywelshcc.htm

There is more about the Christ Church project here: http://christchurchw...blogspot.co.uk/

So, I just need to find the his MGSM to accompany this letter!

P.S. I also have another MGSM letter to an Officer of the 25th Foot (Martinique & Guadaloupe clasps).

[peter monahan]

Monkey Very nice story and all garnered from one piece of paper. well done!

"My comment: Wikipedia is quite explicit about his service at Waterloo and then Paris, but I can not find him on the Waterloo Roll (a mystery that needs some investigation)"

Sadly, this illustrates the limits of Wiki as a research source. Unless the source of the info. on Waterloo is footnoted in the Wiki article, it is possible that it is simply incorrect. Could be either a transcription error or perhaps a 'fact', part of the story of the man among his descendants, a common phenomenon in which descendants 'improve on' the deeds of a distinguished ancestor.

[Owen]

Peter, many thanks for taking the time to comment, I'm pleased you find it interesting and I do agree with you about Wiki. Two of their reference sources are below (and it is clear where the confusion about his presence at Waterloo arises). In many ways, as I am still a 'new boy' with regard to medal etc research, this is all good practice. I am learning, as I go, just what sort of reference material is out there and how to access it.

Source: The 'Dictionary of National Biography' (Volume 60, Page 47). This dictionary apparently still serves academic institutions as a standard work of reference on key people in British history (originally published in 63 volumes between 1885 and 1900). I have checked Watson's full biography entry in the 1899 version and it records him as being at Waterloo (following is an extract from the full biography) "He was present at the Battle of Waterloo and at the entry of the allied armies into Paris" (word for word as it appears in the Wiki entry). Of course, it doesn't actually state that he was at Waterloo with his own Regiment...perhaps he was detached?

Source: Watson's obituary also appears in 'The Gentleman's Magazine' (January to June edition of 1860) and it talks of him having served with the 6th Dragoons in Belgium & France in 1815 (it does not mention Waterloo):

At the moment then, according to the Army List - he transferred back to the Colours (full pay list) of 6th Dragoons, in April 1815, and then returned to the half pay list (almost a year later), in March 1816. April 1815 would have been the time that his Regiment were ramping up to meet Napoleon head on and so it seems likely that he did go to Belgium with them and then on to France (many regiments were returning to England from France about this time in 1816). However, I have checked (online) the 6th Dragoon''s original manuscript Waterloo Medal muster lists & their Waterloo Medal Roll (held at the National Archives) and he is not listed as being at Waterloo with them.

I feel that the omission of 'Waterloo' from his headstone, whilst mentioning Belgium, is significant. Clearly, I need to get to the National Archives in person and have a look at what they have for Watson's service with the 6th Dragoons. But this will have to be a 'rainy day' job.

Thanks again for the encouragement...

[Ulsterman]

Hmmmmm....have you tried the 1815 page on Facebook? I'd wager money Paul Dawson or Mr. Franklin could track him down.

[Owen]

Hmmmmm....have you tried the 1815 page on Facebook? I'd wager money Paul Dawson or Mr. Franklin could track him down.

Thanks for the suggestion - I am actually not on Facebook (although it seems like I might be the only one left who isn't!)....John Franklin was very helpful recently when I was trying to pin down a Brunswick Waterloo Medal recipient....so, maybe its time to take a look.

[Ulsterman]

The Waterloo Roll CAll is filled with errors. John seems to have tracked down an enormous number of British officers and their careers. I learn something almost every week on the site. Who knew so many ALLIED battalions lost their colours at Waterloo?

[geofft]

Just to let you know that I have W H Watson's M.G.S. which I am about to offer for sale. Hopefully you will be able to bid & make a re-unite !

Geoff

[Mervyn Mitton]

Geoff - what a small world - it would be a great thing for the medal and the historical document to re-united. Welcome to GMIC.

Owen - just a note to say I have enjoyed reading your research - a fascinating man with a great history. Mervyn

[Owen]

Just to let you know that I have W H Watson's M.G.S. which I am about to offer for sale. Hopefully you will be able to bid & make a re-unite !

Geoff

Hello Geoff,

Power of the internet! Very interesting indeed - thanks for letting me know. I have sent you a PM asking where/when you are selling it (as guessing it can't be mentioned on here). Also gives you my own e-mail address.

Do you have any research material that adds anthing to what I have discovered so far?

Regards,

Owen

[peter monahan]

That would indeed be 'one for the books' if the two could be re-united because of the GMIC!

Owen,

Those look like a couple of good sources indeed. I have been a real skeptic about family stories ever since I was 12-14 when a girl I knew told me about her Dad's "Victoria Cross". He'd flown in the Battle of Britain. I spent months angling for an invitation to meet he and his lovely medal and, not surprisingly, when I managed it, it wasn't a VC! I've also done research on a group owned by a colleague whose family had gotten everything right about the medal except to arm of service, the war it was earned in and which side he was on!

Edited November 28, 2012 by peter monahan