[Edward Mason Wrench] Three hectograph duplicates of manuscripts describing his service and that of his uncle Captain Henry Kirke in the 12th Royal Lancers, during the Sepoy Mutiny [Indian Rebellion] of 1857. With typed transcript and commentary.

Wrench was the son of a clergyman, and well educated and well connected (being presented to the Prince of Wales and staying at Chatsworth in his old age). His obituary in the British Medical Journal (27 April 1912), describes how, after service in the Crimea, 'he was transferred to the 4th Lancers, went to Madras with that regiment in the following month, and served with it during the whole of the Indian Mutiny. For his services in India he received the Indian medal and clasp for Central India. He returned to England in 1860, and married in 1861 his cousin, the daughter of Mr. William Kirke, of Markham Hall, Nottinghamshire'. The four items in the present collection are all in good condition, on lightly-aged paper. The three duplicates - all closely and neatly written in a vivid and informative style - are among ones produced by Wrench for circulation within his family, there being copies in the collection of Wrench papers in Nottingham University Library. They comprise two letters and a narrative account. The typescript, by an unnamed individual, is not present at Nottingham. None of the four items is in the Imperial War Museum catalogue. ONE: Duplicate of Autograph Letter by Wrench ('Edwd M Wrench M.V.O - F.R.C.S. late asst Sugeon 12 R Lancers'). Dated at beginning 23 December 1907, and at end 'Christmas 1907 - Park Lodge Baslow Derbyshire'. The letter describes the 'Jubilee commemoration' at the Royal Albert Hall, and is headed 'My last Parade'. It begins: 'It was indeed well done (The dinner to the surviving Veterans who fought in the Indian Mutiny campaign in 1857, given by the proprietors of the London Daily Telegraph) a procession of heart stirring episodes from the Inspection by F.M. Lord Roberts on the steps of the Albert Memorial (where I found private Meredith of the 24th who was with me in the trenches at the assault on the Redan Sebastopol June 18 1855) to the surging chorus by the thousands in the Albert Hall of Auld Lang Syne, near the end of what Lord Curzon in his thrilling speech said was a "ceremony" rather than a festival, a speech that made the tears tremble on my eyelids. They overflowed at the solemn sounding of the "last post" recalling to my memory in the words of the poet, O Hara, a charge of the 12th Lancers I rode with at the battle of Banda [...]'. He names others present, including 'Col Robertson [...] he was still the bravest of the brave, for though 86, he was in velvet Levee dress, silk stockings & pumps, without a great coat. (He told me he was a teetotaller) his picturesque appearance attracted Lord Roberts eye, and drew a heavy fire on us, not of rifles, but of snap shot cameras, the result of which has been my portrait in such good company, scattered by the hundreds of thousands in The Daily Mirror of Decr 24 [...] I have looked down the barrel of a loaded musket, near enough to see a Sepoys yellow eyes taking aim at the butt end and ridden with cannon balls hopping over my head like balls in a cricket ground, I cannot compare my perils during the Sepoy Mutiny to many others of the Kirke family'. 2pp., 8vo. TWO: Duplicate of Autograph Letter by Wrench ('Ed M Wrench'). Dated at beginning 'Park Lodge Baslow Aug 1909' and at end 13 September 1909. 3pp., 8vo. The letter begins: 'Having recently discovered that General W A Franks [Major-General William Astell Franks (1838-1929)] now living at Northland Road Southampton, was present when Uncle Henry Kirke died when fleeing from the Mutineers of his Regt. 12 BNI in 1857, I took the liberty of writing to him, he very kindly responded to my enquiries & I feel sure the information he has afforded will be interesting, adding much to our scanty knowledge of that terrible time.' There follow extended transcriptions from Franks's letters: '[...] I saw him the day he died [...] he was on his horse but rolling about on it [...] he looked at me with a vacant stare & was deadly pale. I could see he was dying. Shortly after he fell off his horse, he was the only one of our party that was buried (all the rest being left where they fell) [...]'. Of his own activities Wrench notes: 'I had gone to India (almost direct) from the Crimea in the year previous, 1856. I was assistant Surgeon in the 12th Lancers so was never in the same danger as the Officers of the Native Regiments, though I had my share of dangers [...] and had men blown to pieces by shell not a dozen yards from me [...] We went not as is said to revenge the Mutiny but to protect the loyal natives of which there were many & restore order yet in one battle we killed 500 rebels and looted two Palaces, from one at Kabula we took 40 cart loads of gold & silver; my share of which was £750 .. 0 .. 0, so I have no person[al] grievance'. He continues with reference to the Battle of Banda and 'hunting rebels in the jungles'. THREE: Narrative account titled 'Cousin Henry Kirkes story of his escape from Mutineers June 1857'. The account begins: 'In 1857 Uncle Henry was commanding the Head Quarters of the 12th Bengal N.I. at Nowgong (now spelt Naogaon) Aunt Kirke, Henry & St George were with him - He greatly distrusted the Sepoys and when he heard of the mutiny at Barrackpoor in April, he immediately sent Aunt & St George off to the Hills, just in time for they left Meerut only two days before the fatal 10 May'. A gripping account follows, filled with incident: '[...] At the beginning of June Uncle heard that the left wing of his regiment stationed at Jhansi, about sixty miles distant, had killed the officers and all the Christian women and children there; Uncle forthwith ordered a parade and addressed the men. He told them of the mutiny of their comrades at Jhansi and added "Now I will let any man that wishes go and join the mutineers, but let those who are true come and swear by the Colours". The whole 500 cheered and swore they would be true to him and the Colours. Two days afterwards they broke out into open mutiny, shot the Regtl. Sergeant Major and made the officers fly for their lives. [...] The Europeans, ten officers, two ladies riding on Uncle's charger and a baby that Henry carried in front with a man riding behind him, started for Banda. They asked a Brahmin the way, he refused unless they gave him a rupee, this Henry did when he ran off demanding another and swore by his gods that if given this he would be faithful, but having got it he called to some villagers to come and kill the Faringhees for they had lots of money and so they would be rich for life. Some of the officers wished to shoot the man but Henry dissuaded them, but presently the ruffian threw his lathi or club at the ladies horse which reared and they fell off. The man ran forward to kill them when Henry shot him through the back of the head, he fell on his face. The villagers turned the dead man over and the two rupees fell out of his mouth when Henry heard them say "It is true they are rich for see they have loaded their guns with rupees". [...]'. 3pp., 8vo. FOUR: Mimeographed typescript titled '"Not to Revenge but to Protect."' 18pp., 8vo. Containing a transcriptions of Item One (pp.16-18) and Item Three (pp.4-9), and of passages from Item Two (pp.13-15), with a commentary by a knowledgeable but unrelated party.