PRIVATE (LATE SERGEANT) CALEB BELL, 15TH (YORKSHIRE EAST RIDING) REGIMENT (THE POST 1880 2ND BATTALION THE YORKSHIRE REGIMENT. Military General Service Medal 1793-1814, 2 clasps, Martinique, Guadalupe (officially impressed: CALEB BELL, 15th FOOT.).
£2,450.00
PRIVATE (LATE SERGEANT) CALEB BELL, 15TH (YORKSHIRE EAST RIDING) REGIMENT (THE POST 1880 2ND BATTALION THE YORKSHIRE REGIMENT. Military General Service Medal 1793-1814, 2 clasps, Martinique, Guadaloupe (officially impressed: CALEB BELL, 15th FOOT.). Attractively toned, couple of small, scattered rim nicks, otherwise Good Very Fine and mounted on a rectangular silver “buckle” type top brooch suspender.
Medal accompanied by biographical details, baptism record, 2 pages of copied discharge papers, Chelsea Pension admission record, extract 1851 census and copied medal roll extracts (2), original and published, confirming medal and clasps.
47 Military General Service Medals to the 15th Foot, with a total of 26 Martinique clasps and 44 Guadalupe clasps (23 medals with the Martinique-Guadalupe combination of clasps).
Caleb Bell was born at Barnard Castle, Co. Durham, 1781 (baptised Abbey, St Alban’s, Hertfordshire, 14/1/1781), the son of Caleb Bell senior (1756-1794). He enlisted into the 15th Foot at Edinburgh on 12/11/1799, aged 17. He served for 18 years 73 days, including 12 years in the West Indies, 1805-17. At a Regimental Board of Enquiry held at Halifax, Nova Scotia, on 24/9/1818, Bell was recommended to be discharged “in consequence of being worn out and inpaired vision. He was discharged with the rank of Private on 2/2/1819 and admitted to a Chelsea Pension on the same day. Bell served 18 years and 73 days with the colours, including 12 years in the West Indies, 1805-17. Prior to being discharged as a Private, Bell served for 5 years and 180 days as a Corporal and 157 days as a Sergeant. Caleb Bell is recorded in the 1851 census as a 70 year old Chelsea Pensioner living in Barnard Castle, Durham.
PROVENANCE: Dix Noonan Webb 13/12/2007 lot 160. Hammer price £1,000 (£1,300 approx including fees).