A VERY IMPORTANT CRIMEA MEDAL 1854. (SEBASTOPOL)
and Turkish Crimea (British,un-named as issued)

To:
CAPTAIN EDWYN FREDERICK TEMPLE. 31st (Huntingdonshire) Regt.
Superb contemporary cursive script engraved to:
Capt E.Temple.HM's 31st Regt.

WITH THE 55th (Westmorland) Regt IN IRELAND. The 55th Foot took part in the Assault on the Quarries on the evening of the 7th June 1855.

WITH FAMILY MILITARY LINEAGE DATING BACK TO THE REIGN OF EDWARD THE CONFESSOR, KING OF ENGLAND BEFORE THE NORMAN CONQUEST OF 1066.



AN EQUESTRIAN PORTRAIT OF LT/COL JOHN TEMPLE, EDWYN's FATHER

EDWYN FREDERICK TEMPLE was born at Emsworth in Hampshire on 21st April 1835 the son of Lt Colonel John Temple and the Grandson of Sir Grenville Temple, 9th Baronet of Stow. He served in 55th Regiment with time in India (no medal entitlement) and was Ensign 19th May 1854, Lieutenant 15th December 1854, Captain 22nd June 1858. He served through the Crimean war and was at the siege and fall of SEBASTOPOL. 11th February 1855 - 31st were stationed at Corfu. In the same year the Crimean War broke out. The 31st strength had been brought up to 1,000 men with a draft of seven officers and 306 other ranks. 15th May 1855 - the 31st emabrked for Balaclava where, ten days later, they relieved the 79th Highlanders. The 31st were used to plug the gaps from one brigade to the next. During the Assault on Sebastopol a detachment stormed the Redan and captured the enemy parapet. The Regiment was able to add 'Sevastopol' to its Colours, their only action in this arena.

[EMIGRATION TO NEW ZEALAND]
Captain Temple resigned his commission in 1870 and emigrated to NEW ZEALAND in 1879. He sailed from Plymouth in the RANGITIKEI and landed at Lyttelton. Residing for many years at his home called "CASTLEWOOD", which was near GERALDINE, he was an artist of great repute. He later lived in Christchurch for two years where he founded the Christchurch & Canterbury Society of Art. He died at WAI-ITI Road TIMARU on Wednesday 24th June 1920, in his 86th year.

[SOME TEMPLE FAMILY HISTORY..."THE AMERICAN CONNECTION"]
The Temple family were greatly wealthy and have over the many centuries developed a family structure all over the world. Indeed, in 1670 Robert Temple arrived in British America and built a mansion on a farm.

MAP OF TEN HILLS FARM
(Ten Hills, Massachusetts)

The structure was of best British oak and was prefabricated in England and shipped out to the colonies.

JOHN TEMPLE
John Temple (1731-17 November 1798) was the first British consul-general to the United States and the only British diplomat to have been born in what later became the United States. He was sometimes known as (but not universally acknowledged to be) Sir John Temple, 8th Baronet.

The second generation 'American' Robert Temple, son of the original emigrant, was loyal to the British crown, and just prior to the declaration tried to flee Massachusetts in 1775, but he didn't get very far. His ship sprang a leak and had to put into Plymouth for repairs. Temple was captured, along with quite a lot of letters from unhappy British soldiers. The letters, of course, were opened. Robert Temple came from an old English family that had risen above the rank of small gentry late in the 15th century. He and his family lived on Ten Hills Farm, part of the original estate of Gov. John Winthrop and now a neighborhood in Somerville, Mass. Robert Temple II was born on March 10, 1728, and baptized at Christ Church in Boston. He married Harriet Shirley, the daughter of William Shirley, who served for 11 years at governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay. They had three daughters.

Temple was described as a 'high-flying Tory.' He had been collector of the customs, a warden at Christ Church and member of the governor's council and in 1775 he was a captain in the British army. After his capture, and at the instructions of George Washington, he was taken to a camp in Cambridge. His wife and daughters were allowed to stay at Ten Hills. Eventually he and his family made their way to Ireland, where Robert Temple died.

Another of Edwyn's military ancestors Captain Robert Temple-Blackwood of 69th Foot was killed in action at the Battle of Waterloo.
An excellent & greatly historically important pair to a commissioned officer born into the 1000 year ancient line of the British aristocracy.

In 1999 there was an excellent exhibition of Captain Temple's art & paintings. This was organised by Mr Neil Roberts of New Zealand. Mr Roberts has generously given permission to use some of the early illustrations from his magnificently illustrated book " EDWYN TEMPLE, HIS LIFE & ART, a copy of which will be included with the group.

This is a highly important medal to a superbly documented recipient with a family lineage dating back to pre-Conquest, Saxon England.

The medal is in EF+ condition, is uncleaned and retains its original deep graphite grey colour & toned patina.

Fit for the finest collection.

CURRENTLY RESEARCHING