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1730

W Lyttleton watercolour, View of Fort MacDonald, Ceylon, formerly called Nuwara Eliya and renamed...

Currency:GBP Category:Everything Else / Other Start Price:NA
W Lyttleton watercolour, View of Fort MacDonald, Ceylon, formerly called Nuwara Eliya and renamed...
W Lyttleton watercolour, View of Fort MacDonald, Ceylon, formerly called Nuwara Eliya and renamed in Major Macdonalds honour after he helped quell the Kandy rebellion in Ceylon in 1818, 7.25 x 13 ins. Together with a ruby and jargoon set gold brooch, formerly the King of Kandys' thumb ring. A framed letter from Diana Magniac (1863-1941) to her sister which speaks of Diana's grandfather Donald Macdonald. A cased bronze medallion commemorating J.F.J.Macdonald Duc de Tarente, Marchal de France, issued 1825 and two reprinted volumes - The Recollections of Marshal Macdonald (1987 Worsley Publications). In our sale of April 29/30 and May 1st there were a number of lots relating to the late Colonel Sir William Campion KCMG, Governor of Australia 1924-1931. Through research we now offer a further lot which tells of an extraordinary connection between the families of the Campions and the Macdonalds. The exotically named Jacques Etienne Joseph Alexandre Macdonald was born in 1765 into an exiled Scottish family living in pre-revolutionary France; his father Neil Macdonald, a Highland dunnie-wassel (poor gentleman) and a fine linguist, had escaped there with the Pretender Charles Edward Stuart. Jacques Etienne rose through the ranks of the French military with remarkable speed; from a lieutenant in 1791 to General of Division in 1794, aged just 29. In 1809 Napoleon sent Macdonald to serve in the Italian campaign where he pursued the Austrians into Hungary. Distinguishing himself at Wagram by facing down 200 cannon, Bonaparte created Macdonald a Marshal of France on the battlefields, with the title of Duke of Tarentum and a gift of 60,000 francs (£2,400). While not establishing a link between Marshal Macdonald and Donald Macdonald, the Campion family are linked to Donald Macdonald (c.1777-1847), who as a major in the 19th Foot, Green Howards, served in Ceylon and who in 1818 played a powerful part in the quelling of the Kandy Rebellion at NuwaraEliya. Major Macdonald made a stand with 600 men for eight days against 7000-8000 Kandyans and as a gift from the grateful King of Kandy, he was presented with the King's own ruby and diamond thumb ring and as a further honour NuwaraEliya was renamed Fort Macdonald. This thumb ring which was made into a brooch for Donald Macdonald's wife appears in this Lot as does a framed letter from Macdonald's granddaughter, Diana Magniac sent around 1930 to her sister Flora Porteous - the David mentioned in the letter is Diana's great nephew and Flora's grandson David Campion £1,500-2,000
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