COLOUR SERGEANT J. LACEY, KILDARE MILITIA (THE POST 1880 3RD BATTALION ROYAL DUBLIN FUSILIERS) (LATE 1ST MADRAS EUROPEAN FUSILIERS, THE POST 1880 1ST BATTALION ROYAL DUBLIN FUSILIERS). WOUNDED IN ACTION AT LUCKNOW 25/9/1857. Two: Indian Mutiny Medal, 1 clasp, Defence of Lucknow (unnamed) Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, type 3, small letters reverse, impressed naming (issue of 1874-1881) (officially impressed: C. SERJt. J. LACEY, KILDARE RIFLE MIL:). Both medals with an Aattractive old dark tone, Good Very Fine to Almost Extremely Fine, the LSGC rare named to the Kildare Militia.
NOTE: The Indian Mutiny Medal in this group is not Lacey's original medal. It is an unnamed example (not name erased) that has been added to his Long Service Medal to complete his entitlement for display purposes.
Group accompanied by copied extracts East India Company Register of Madras Army European Soldiers (L/MIL/11/104), Madras Infantry Description Book (L/MIL/9/44), Madras Presidency Embarkation List (L/MIL/9/101), Madras European Veteran's Battalion Muster Rolls for 1/4/1863 and 1/4/1865 (L/MIL/11/233), Muster Rolls, Indian Mutiny casualty roll, which confirms that Lacey was wounded in the right thigh at Lucknow, 25/9/1857 (entitled Indian Mutiny Medal with Defence of Lucknow clasp), East India Company Embarkation Record June 1865 (L/MIL/11/104), Dublin Pensions Office record book (East India Company veterans) for April 1882, 1901 census return, Irish Registry of Deaths entry for 1904.
Born 1828, John Lacey is recorded in the Register of Madras Army European Soldiers, Description Books and Embarkation Lists as having been born in the parish of Rathmichael, Cabinteely, Co. Dublin and enlisted as 2558 Private into the 1st European Regiment of Fusiliers (1st Madras European Fusiliers) at Dublin on 16/4/1846. At the time of enlistment Lacey was a 19 year old married man, stood some 5 feet 6 inches tall, and gave his trade as that of labourer. Lacey embarked for Madras aboard the hired transport "Asiatic" on 3/6/1846, accompanied by his wife, Sarah. Lacey, then a Sergeant in the Madras European Fusiliers, was wounded in the right thigh at Lucknow on 25/9/1857. Lacey subsequently saw service as a Sergeant with the Madras European Veteran's Battalion. Lacey was pensioned on 28/2/1865 and embarked for England on 1/6/1865. After returning to Ireland, Lacey was for over 20 years a Sergeant and Musketry Instructor with the Kildare Militia.
Lacey is recorded in April 1882 as a Chelsea "Indian" Out-Pensioner (former Sergeant, East India Company) registered in the Dublin pensions district, receiving a pension of 2 shillings per day payable at the Straffan Pension Station, Co. Kildare. Lacey is recorded in the 1901 census as a 73 year old married "Pensioner late E.I. Compy. G. Instr." (Pensioner, late East India Company and Gunnery Instructor), resident in Clonaghlis, Donaghcumper, Co. Kildare, with his 34 year old wife, Mary. John Lacey died in 1904, age 76, his death being recorded in the Celbridge, Co. Kildare, registration district.
Lacey saw service with the First Relief Force under Brigadier General Neill at Lucknow, and was wounded in action at Lucknow on 25/9/1857 as that relief force fought its way in to the besieged Residency. That relief force then also found itself besieged with the survivors of the original garrison for the remainder of the Siege of Lucknow until the Residency was successfully evacuated on 23/11/1857, after being relieved for a second time.
Brigadier-General Neil, the Commanding Officer of the First Relief Force, was himself killed in action, also on 25/9/1857, at the moment of victory, as the First Relief Force finally entered the Residency.
The First Relief of Lucknow was a VC action for the Madras Fusiliers, Private John Ryan of the regiment being awarded the Victoria Cross for resuing Captain Arnold of the Madras Fusiliers and preventing the massacre of wounded men from the regiment by rescuing them under fire.
