Military General Service, 10 clasps, Lieutenant 40th Foot wounded at Pyrenees & severely wounded at Toulouse

Military General Service, 10 clasps, Roleia, Vimiera, Talavera, Busaco, Badajoz, Salamanca, Vittoria, pyrenees, orthes, Toulouse.

T. O’Doherty, Lieut. 40th Foot.

Theolbald O’Doherty

B. -, into an Irish Catholic family at Garculea House in Coolmoyne, near Golden, County Tipperary. He was tone of four sons born to Leonard O’Dogherty and his wife, Anne He entered the army in 1806.

Challis records as served at Roleia, Vimiera, Redhina, 1st Seige of Badajoz, Badajoz, Castalla, Sabugal, Pyrenees, Orthes, Toulouse.

Slightly wounded at Pyrenees, severely wounded at Toulouse.

‘The British army Against Napoleon’records.

‘At least nine officers landed in Portugal in August 1808 and would serve with Wellington’s Army until the end of the war; each served sixty-nine months on active service without a break. Among them was Theobald O’Dogherty, 40th Foot, who would fight in twelve battles, including the first of the war, Rolica, and one of the last of the war, Toulouse. He would be wounded twice and receive the Military General Service Medal with ten clasps. Yet he was never promoted in his whole time in the Peninula.’

Captain Theolbad was dimissed the service in December 1824, whilst serving with the 91st, following Court Martial at Park Camp, Jamaica when along with Lieutenant T.G. Macintyre was charged with making  a public statements to the effect that an Ensign had thrown a glass of wine in the Commanding Officer’s face and the latter had taken no action except to reprimand the Ensign on parade the next morning. MacIntyre received a severe reprimand. Sir william Butler’s autobiography threw a clearer light by stating that O’Doherty had previously, under circumstances of very gross provocation had on the score of his religion, had challenged a superior officer to a duel and having marked his card in this lay the true cause of his dismissal.

His brother, Lieut-Colonel Sir Richard O’Doherty, Governor of Sierra Leone perhaps having observed the apparent obstacle of Theobald O’Doherty’s Irish Catholice background is recorded as having dropping the ‘O’ becoming Doherty and converting to Protestism in order to advance his career.

A fine and rare 10 clasp officer’s medal.