An Excellent & Rare (HEIC)
“Officer’s” Sutlej Medal with Two Clasps:
FEROZESHUHUR & ALIWAL,
with MOODKEE 1846 Reverse.

To:

Lieutenant Godfrey Stapylton Smith.
48th Regiment (Bengal) Native Infantry.
An Honourable East India Company (HEIC) unit.

Officially Impressed: “LIEUt. G:S:SMITH 48th REGt. N:I:”

[BIOGRAPHY]
Godfrey Stapylton-Smith, was born in 1823 and was the eldest son of John George Stapylton-Smith ( 5th March 1798 - 23rd October 1862) and of Harriott Stapylton Smith (nee Uppleby) (1795 - 24th December 1847).

He joined the army in 1841 at age 18 and sailed to India to take up his HEIC commission on the Oriental Steamer HINDOSTAN from Falmouth on 2nd January 1842.
The route was operated by The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company’s purpose-built, 1,800 tons, wooden paddle steamer HINDOSTAN which later in the autumn of 1842 commenced operating the United Kingdom to India Mail Service.

After an honourable army service of nearly 9 years, he lost his commission by sentence of a court martial in 1850, for acting as a second in a duel, (An illegal act under King’s Regulations). The duel apparently took place at Banda in Bundelkhand at about the end of June 1850.

He had served at the actions at:
FEROZESHUHUR (21st-22th December 1845)
and
ALIWAL (28th January 1846)

After leaving the army and returning to England in 1850 at age 27, he joined the Royal North Lincolnshire Militia, where he was made a Captain.

Later, Godfrey Stapylton-Smith became a Barrister-at-Law, A High Steward of the City of Lincoln, A Commissioner in Bankruptcy, & a Judge of the old local courts (15th jurisdiction), Judge of the Lincolnshire Circuit, No.17, and a Captain in The Royal North Lincolnshire Militia.

The medal, which still retains its original silver claw top brooch, comes direct from the family and is supplied with an early, excellent and well posed sepia tone studio photograph of Mr Godfrey Stapylton-Smith in classic mid-Victorian period civilian dress, holding a cane. This was clearly taken some time after he left the army, and probably in about 1857 when at age 34 he was practicing as a lawyer.

After a ten year career with the Militia and in distinguished legal service in Lincolnshire, he died on 12th February 1860 aged only 37.

Also included are his extensive and interesting HEIC (colour copy) officer cadet application papers, birth & baptism confirmation, his own letter of sailing confirmation & his head master’s education confirmation letter from his school at Wakefield, Yorkshire.

A very unusual early medal with a rare early photograph of the recipient & very good confirming documents.

Nice EF SOLD