The trio of Military General Service medals 1793-1814 earned by the Hardy brothers of the 7th Fusiliers sold for £38,000 at London auction house Dix Noonan Webb (24% buyer’s premium) in its December 11-12 sale.
The brothers were born in Manchester. Sgt-Major John Hardy was wounded at the battles of Albuhera and Salamanca, and was a volunteer at the storming of St Sebastian. His medal had 14 clasps.
Corp Peter Hardy, who was wounded in the neck at the capture of Martinique, twice by musket balls in the leg and thigh at the battle of Albuhera, and again in the arm at the battle of Salamanca earned 13 clasps. Pte James Hardy, the first of the three brothers to enlist and whose health on discharge in 1824 was ‘much impaired by hard services’, had an MGS with 13 clasps.
The provenance of the collection can be traced back to the Lord Cheylesmore Collection of 1880.
The medals, estimated at £20,000-30,000, sold to an online bidder.
