THE CRIMEA PAIR AWARDED TO CAPTAIN R.M. BARNES, 50TH FOOT, WHO ALSO SAW SERVICE DURING THE SUTLEJ CAMPAIGN OF 1845-46 AND IN NEW ZEALAND, 1863-65. Two: Crimea Medal, 1 clasp, Sebastopol and Turkish Crimea Medal, Sardinian flag to the fore

THE CRIMEA PAIR AWARDED TO CAPTAIN R.M. BARNES, 50TH FOOT (THE POST 1880 1ST BATTALION QUEEN’S OWN ROYAL WEST KENT REGIMENT), WHO ALSO SAW SERVICE DURING THE SUTLEJ CAMPAIGN OF 1845-46 AND IN NEW ZEALAND, 1863-65. Two: Crimea Medal, 1 clasp, Sebastopol and Turkish Crimea Medal, Sardinian flag to the fore (both medals officially named by Hunt & Roskell, engraved in serifed capital letters in the style of the “Split S” engraver: CAPTn. R.M. BARNES, 50th. REGt.). Turkish Crimea Medal pierced to take original silver ring and jump ring suspender, Generally Good Very Fine and both medals with a length of original ribbon.

Captain Barnes was a member of the Barnes family of Baltrasna House, Oldcastle, Co. Meath, Ireland.

Group accompanied by copied extract 1851 census return, extracts from Army Lists and London Gazettes for the period, extract from the Sutlej casualty roll, and from the Crimea and New Zealand Medal rolls, the Crimea Medal roll confirming medal and clasp, along with copied research re the Barnes family of Baltrasna House, Oldcastle, Co. Meath and extract from probate register.

Richard Moore Barnes (1823-1899) was the son of John Coote Barnes (1809-1889) of Baltrasna House, Oldcastle, Co. Meath. He was first commissioned Ensign (by purchase) 1st November 1842, and promoted Lieutenant (without purchase) 5th July 1845. Barnes is recorded in the 1851 census as a 28 year old lieutenant in the army resident in Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire. He was promoted Captain (without purchase) 3rd March 1854 and retired from the army by the sale of his commission on 16th January 1866. On retirement, Captain Barnes settled in Dublin, and is recorded in the 1874 Dublin City Directory as being resident at 1 Airhill Terrace, Kingstown (now Dun Laoghaire). Barnes was subsequently resident at 16 Herbert Street, Dublin, where he died on 14/2/1899. Probate of his will was granted to his wife, Mary R.W. Barnes, on 18/4/1899, Captain Barnes leaving a considerable estate valued at over £6,000 (group also accompanied by a copy of the will of Captain Barnes’s daughter in law, Mary Barnes (died 1896), in which she bequeathed her husband’s silver plate and £2,000 to Captain Barnes, along with £500 each to Captain Barnes wife and daughter).

Captain Barnes first saw active service as a Lieutenant during the Sutlej campaign of 1845-46, being severely wounded at Moodkee, 18th December 1845 (also entitled Sutlej Medal). William Ewart’s “Returns Relating to Officers in the Army (Crimea)” records Captain Barnes as having arrived in the Crimea on 6/9/1855 (awarded medal and clasp and Turkish Crimea Medal). Captain Barnes also saw service in New Zealand, 1863-65, where he took part in the Waikato and West Coast campaigns (also entitled New Zealand Medal with 1863-1865 reverse).

Harts Army Lists of the period record Barnes as having been present at both Feroseshuhur and Moodkee during the Sutlej campaing, and entitled to the medal with one clasp for that campaign. Published Sutlej Medal roll, however, only credits Barnes as being present at Moodkee, and thus only entitled to a medal for Moodkee only, without clasp.

At Moodkee the 50th advanced independently of the native infantry brigaded with them, driving back the Sikh infantry from their positions and capturing 17 guns. At Ferozeshuhur the 50th led the charge into the Sikh trenches, being the first regiment to enter the Sikh trenches. They subsequently drove the Sikhs back into their camp and captured two Sikh standards. During these two actions the regiment lost 24 other ranks killed and 6 officers and 89 other ranks wounded.

British Battles and Medals states only four New Zealand Medals with 1863-1865 reverse to the 50th Foot.

For details of the Hunt & Roskell “Split S” engraver, see “By Order of Her Majesty, The Crimea Medal” by Satterley, Pickering and Martin (Orders & Medals Research Society, 2017).

The Barnes family of Baltrasna House traced their descent from the Derbyshire born Lieutenant Thomas Barnes, who was granted extensive landholdings in counties Meath, Kildare and Wexford during the Commonwealth, 1653-1659, following the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, the grant of those lands being confirmed by Charles II in 1666. Afterwards, for over 300 years, the Barnes family were prominent economically and politically in Meath, Kilkenny and Wexford. Lieutenant Thomas Barnes’s eldest son, John Barnes, was the sovereign (mayor) of New Ross, Wexford, in 1704. John Barnes’ second son, Thomas, was mayor of Kilkenny in 1725. Thomas Barnes’ grandson, John Coote Barnes, Captain Barnes’ father, was the first membe of the Barnes family to live in Baltrasna House. The family got into financial difficulty during the potato famine in Ireland during the 1840s, and as a result Baltrasna House and a large portion of the family’s landholdings were sold off by the Encumbered Estates Court in November 1859. Following this economic setback, members of the Barnes family, like many of their countrymen, emigrated to the U.S.A., some of them enjoying successful careers and became prominent in politics and business circles. One of Captain Barnes’ cousins was Private Secretary to President Theodore Roosevelt and another cousin was at one time the editor of the New York Times.

Group also accompanied by details of Baltrasna House from Mark Bence-Jones’ “A Guide to Irish Country Houses”. Baltrasna House, originally the seat of a branch of the O’Reilly family, was built in the 18th century, but demolished and re-built in 1815, the later house being destroyed by fire in 1878 and again re-build in the 1880s as a substantial Italianate mansion.