Broke Family Peninsular War and Waterloo medals in London auction Peninsular War and Waterloo medals awarded to Major-General Sir Charles Broke Vere KCB KCH are expected to sell for up to £80,000 in specialist auctioneer Morton & Eden's London sale on December 15.
News-Antique.com - Nov 30,-0001 - Peninsular War and Waterloo medals awarded to Major-General Sir Charles Broke Vere KCB, KCH (1779-1843) are expected to sell for up to £80,000 in a London sale by specialist auctioneer Morton & Eden. The sale, in association with Sotheby's, will take place on Friday December 15.
The sale of the medals, together with those to other members of the historic family of distinguished military and naval figures, follows the £4.5 million sale of the contents of Shrubland Park in Coddenham, near Ipswich, Suffolk, the home of the Broke family in the 19th century.
The second son of Sir Philip Bowes Vere Broke of Nacton, Suffolk, Charles Broke joined the 5th Foot as Ensign, 23 June 1796. He was promoted to Lieutenant in October 1796, Captain on 21 February 1799, Major on 4 February 1808 and Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel, 27 April 1812.
Broke served in the Helder Expedition, 1799 and was posted to Gibraltar in 1802. He took part in the Hanover Expedition before joining Crawfurd's Expedition to South America, and was present at the attack on Buenos Aires. In 1809 he was appointed to the Staff and was briefly Assistant Quartermaster-General in Ireland before being called to the Peninsula.
He was present at the battle of Albuhera (gold medal), the siege of Badajoz, and all the succeeding battles of Salamanca, Vittoria, Pyrenees, Nivelle, Nive, Orthes and Toulouse. He was created a Knight Commander of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath on January 2, 1815. He served with distinction at Waterloo, being decorated with both the Netherlands Order of Willem and the Russian Order of St. Vladimir.
In 1822, he adopted the additional surname 'Vere' and later became A.D.C. to King William IV. He was appointed Knight Commander of the Royal Guelphic Order and represented East Suffolk as Member of Parliament from 1835. In 1837 he received the rank of Major-General and died on 1 April, 1843.
The group of nine medals is headed by the Army Gold Cross for Albuhera, Vittoria, Nivelle and Pyrenees, with five clasps: Badajoz, Salamanca, Nive, Orthes and Toulouse. Of a total of 163 Army Gold Crosses issued, only seven were awarded with five bars (there were also three six-bar and two seven-bar Crosses, and the unique nine-bar award to the Duke of Wellington.
The medals also include: the Small Army Gold Medal; the Waterloo Medal, 1815; from the Netherlands, the Order of Willem, a breast badge in silver and enamels, with gold and enamel centre; from Portugal, the Order of the Tower and the Sword, a high quality Officer's breast badge in gold and enamels and from Russia, an Order of St. Vladimir, 4th Class badge, in gold and enamels, and a gold and enamel Order of St. Anne, 2nd Class badge, both circa 1815, with gold riband buckle on a long riband. The group is estimated to realise £60,000-80,000.
Captain Sir Philip Broke (1804-1855) was the eldest son of Sir Philip Bowes Vere Broke and nephew of Sir Charles. He joined the Navy from
