Single Campaign Medals


Graham's medal shows no military rank. He appears on the Civilian Roll ]L/MIL/5/86] under ‘Military Men in Civil Employ.’ His entry reads: ‘Graham G. F. I. 4th Europeans Etawah.’ The Etawah Levy was a civil, locally recruited, force raised by Allen Octavian Hume, the Collector of the district, and consisted of 200 foot, 150 horse, 5 guns and 50 gunners. Graham was the Adjutant. He spent the remainder of his employment, until retirement, as part of the Indian civilian administration in the Military Police and never reverted to military employment. Military officers in civil employ did however retain their rank but were only advanced by time served.


George Farquhar Irving Graham was born on 3 February 1840, at Saint Cuthbert’s, Edinburgh, to Humphrey Graham, Writer to the Signet (W.S.) and his wife, Joanna Wilson. He was educated at the Moravian Schools of Neuwied on the Rhine and Celle Hanover, Germany.


He was nominated by Elliot Macnaghten on the recommendation of his mother and travelled overland to India on the 20 December 1856, arriving 2 February 1857, a day before his seventeenth birthday. He was attached to the 63rd Bengal N.I. as 3rd Ensign and, on 27 September 1857, he is shown attached to 52nd Bengal N.I. based at Jubulpore. The 52nd N.I. was known to be on the verge of mutiny but remained loyal. The local Gond Raja and his son incited the 52nd N.I. to murder all the Europeans in the District but only after the Raja and his son had been blown from the guns did the 52nd regiment slowly desert en masse. Graham was held on the books of the 52nd N.I. and then transferred to the newly raised 4th Bengal Europeans in late 1858. While the 4th Europeans saw no action during the latter part of the mutiny all the officers were actively employed in other parts of Bengal as Military Men in Civil Employ. The 4th Europeans was reduced to cadre strength in 1861 and disbanded in 1867.


Graham's mutiny services were as follow: Adjutant of the Etawah Yeomanry Levies and Military Police Battalion during the rebellion in that district. Actions at Ajeetmul, 6th and 8th July 1858 (commanded a detachment of cavalry on the former occasion); Capture of Fort Bhurree, 28th August 1858 (commanded the infantry, cavalry and artillery); Action at Chuchernugger in September 1858 (commanded the skirmishers) and other minor affairs. Mentioned by A. O. Hume Esq., C.S., Magistrate of Etawah, in a letter to the Govt. of the N.W. P., dated 18th November 1858. Also served with the Force under Brigadier St. G. D. Showers C.B., in the action at Dowsa, 14th January 1859, against Tantia Topee and other Chiefs. Despatches G.G.O. No. 315 of 1859 and Supplement to the London Gazette of 3 May 1859.


Graham was promoted to Lieutenant on 27 September 1857; appointed Adjutant Etawah District Police and Yeomanry Levies, 2 April 1858; appointed Adjutant of the Agra Divisional Military Police, January 1860. Proceeded on furlough with medical certificate, 4 March 1861, returning to India 3 November 1862; appointed Assistant Inspector General of Police in February 1863; appointed 1st Assistant District Superintendent of Police Ajmere and 2nd in Command of Mharwarrah Battalion in February 1866; officiated as Commandant Mharwarrah Battalion and Superintendent of Police Ajmere from 23 April 1866 until 15 February 1868. Appointed District Superintendent of Bustee, February 1868. He took leave for Europe for a period of two years in October 1868, due to the death of his father. He was summonsed to attend the High Court in Edinburgh to defend a case of Non-Entry or failure of a tenant's heir to renew investiture after the tenant's death. The loss of this case caused financial concerns which were to dog his later life.


On 27 September 1869, he married Lilias Jane Dudgeon at Edinburgh. He was appointed Captain, 20 December 1868; Major, 20 December 1876; Lieutenant- Colonel 20 December 1882; and Colonel, 20 December 1886. He retired on 1 August 1887, and was advanced to Major-General on the same date.


George Farquhar Irving Graham was an accomplished linguist fluent in German, French, Persian and Urdu. His mutual understanding with Sir Syed over religion led to a collaboration on Sir Syed's work on the Holy Bible (Tabayyan-ul-Kalam) which is considered an important work. Sir Syed also wrote in Urdu the Asbaab Baghawat-e-Hind (The causes of the Indian revolt) which was translated by Graham and his friend Auckland Collin into English. This was circulated throughout India and England to mixed acclaim. Graham's tour de force was writing The Life and work of Syed Ahmad Khan C.I.E. It is worth recounting that at the outbreak of the mutiny Syed Khan was a subordinate judge at Bijnore near Delhi. The European community consisted of Mr and Mrs Shakespeare C.S. and child; Mr Palmer; Dr. and Mrs Knight; Mr R. Currie; Mr and Mrs Lamaistre and 3 children; Mr Johnson; Mr and Mrs Murphy and 4 children; and Mr Cawood. With the Magistrate's permission the treasury was thrown into a well. The arrival of the Roorkee Mutineers caused consternation but Sir Syed managed to persuade the native officers to leave them unmolested. A few days later Sir Syed heard that the Europeans, living in one house, were surrounded by 800 Pathan troops under Mahmud Khan. Using a secret path, Sir Syed managed to enter the house and it was decided that Sir Syed would go out and talk to the mutineers. Against all advice he threw his pistol and sword to the ground and marched out to meet with Mahmud Khan. Using both verbal skill and threats he succeeded in persuading Mahmud Khan that while things looked bleak for the British at Delhi, he should remember that the British were likely to win any protracted campaign and that he would be chased down and killed if he harmed the Europeans. More importantly he also told Mahmud Khan where the treasury was located and after an exchange of documents the Europeans were put on to a cavalcade of carts and elephants and made a successful but hazardous escape to Meerut. For these services Sir Syed was well rewarded with a grant of land.


George F. I. Graham continued to serve as a Military man in Civil Employ until his retirement. He retired to England living variously in London, Bath and Horsham, West Sussex where he died in June 1928.


Major-General George Farquhar Irving Graham was one of those erudite British Officers who, after the Indian Mutiny, realised that there had to be a better way of governing India. The mutiny had devastating consequences for India, especially the Muslim population who had taken the greatest blame and suffered disproportionally more casualties and retribution. It was whilst acting as the Assistant District Superintendent of Police at Ghazipur in 1864 that he met and became lifelong friends with Syed Ahmad Khan, a high born Muslim, who was later knighted and awarded the C.I.E. from Her Majesty Queen Victoria. The like minded pair formulated the by-laws of the Scientific Society, a forerunner of what was to become known as the Aligarh Movement. This movement of enlightenment had a profound impact on Indian society, and made a lasting contribution to the emancipation of Indian Muslims, not only in Northern India but throughout the Indian sub-continent. Sir Syed, a pro-British reformer, transformed the Aligarh Movement into a secular education facility known as the Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College [MAO] which opened in 1875. Apart from its secular stance the core values were a competence in the English language, which was a taboo at the time, and the teaching of Western sciences. It was later to become the Aligarh Muslim University.


In 1885 Syed Mahmud, the son of Sir Syed said of Graham, “When Indian Muslims remember my father, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, they will also pay a rich tribute to Lieutenant-Colonel G. F. I. Graham”. Graham's immediate superior was Allen Octavian Hume with whom he had served in Etawah during the mutiny. While Graham and Sir Syed were establishing the Scientific Society, Hume was taking a keen interest. As the Aligarh Movement advanced Hume formulated the ideas of another movement to give greater access to government jobs for all educated Indians and in 1885 he established the Indian National Congress. It is perhaps extraordinary to think that two men in the heat of battle at Etawah were to become two of the most far sighted men in India during this period.


Sold with a portrait photograph of Graham in later life wearing his Indian Mutiny medal together with the Order of St. Olav (second type) issued by the King of Norway for services to Norway [returnable upon death], and a compact disc containing the ethics and beliefs of the Moravian Church together with copies of The Life and Work of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan C.I.E and The Causes of the Indian Revolt is included with the lot.


www.dnw.co.uk all lots are illustrated on our website and are subject to buyers’ premium at 20% (+VAT where applicable)


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148  |  Page 149  |  Page 150  |  Page 151  |  Page 152  |  Page 153  |  Page 154  |  Page 155  |  Page 156  |  Page 157  |  Page 158  |  Page 159  |  Page 160  |  Page 161  |  Page 162  |  Page 163  |  Page 164  |  Page 165  |  Page 166  |  Page 167  |  Page 168  |  Page 169  |  Page 170  |  Page 171  |  Page 172  |  Page 173  |  Page 174  |  Page 175  |  Page 176  |  Page 177  |  Page 178  |  Page 179  |  Page 180  |  Page 181  |  Page 182  |  Page 183  |  Page 184  |  Page 185  |  Page 186  |  Page 187  |  Page 188  |  Page 189  |  Page 190  |  Page 191  |  Page 192  |  Page 193  |  Page 194  |  Page 195  |  Page 196  |  Page 197  |  Page 198  |  Page 199  |  Page 200  |  Page 201  |  Page 202  |  Page 203  |  Page 204  |  Page 205  |  Page 206  |  Page 207  |  Page 208  |  Page 209  |  Page 210  |  Page 211  |  Page 212  |  Page 213  |  Page 214  |  Page 215  |  Page 216  |  Page 217  |  Page 218  |  Page 219  |  Page 220  |  Page 221  |  Page 222  |  Page 223  |  Page 224  |  Page 225  |  Page 226  |  Page 227  |  Page 228  |  Page 229  |  Page 230  |  Page 231  |  Page 232  |  Page 233  |  Page 234  |  Page 235  |  Page 236  |  Page 237  |  Page 238  |  Page 239  |  Page 240  |  Page 241  |  Page 242  |  Page 243  |  Page 244  |  Page 245  |  Page 246  |  Page 247  |  Page 248  |  Page 249  |  Page 250  |  Page 251  |  Page 252  |  Page 253  |  Page 254  |  Page 255  |  Page 256  |  Page 257  |  Page 258  |  Page 259  |  Page 260  |  Page 261  |  Page 262  |  Page 263  |  Page 264  |  Page 265  |  Page 266  |  Page 267  |  Page 268  |  Page 269  |  Page 270  |  Page 271  |  Page 272  |  Page 273  |  Page 274  |  Page 275  |  Page 276  |  Page 277  |  Page 278  |  Page 279  |  Page 280  |  Page 281  |  Page 282  |  Page 283  |  Page 284  |  Page 285  |  Page 286  |  Page 287  |  Page 288  |  Page 289  |  Page 290  |  Page 291  |  Page 292  |  Page 293  |  Page 294  |  Page 295  |  Page 296  |  Page 297  |  Page 298  |  Page 299  |  Page 300  |  Page 301  |  Page 302  |  Page 303  |  Page 304  |  Page 305  |  Page 306  |  Page 307  |  Page 308  |  Page 309  |  Page 310  |  Page 311  |  Page 312  |  Page 313  |  Page 314  |  Page 315  |  Page 316  |  Page 317  |  Page 318  |  Page 319  |  Page 320  |  Page 321  |  Page 322  |  Page 323  |  Page 324  |  Page 325  |  Page 326  |  Page 327  |  Page 328  |  Page 329  |  Page 330  |  Page 331  |  Page 332  |  Page 333  |  Page 334  |  Page 335  |  Page 336  |  Page 337  |  Page 338  |  Page 339  |  Page 340  |  Page 341  |  Page 342  |  Page 343  |  Page 344  |  Page 345  |  Page 346  |  Page 347  |  Page 348  |  Page 349  |  Page 350  |  Page 351  |  Page 352  |  Page 353  |  Page 354  |  Page 355  |  Page 356  |  Page 357  |  Page 358  |  Page 359  |  Page 360  |  Page 361  |  Page 362  |  Page 363  |  Page 364  |  Page 365  |  Page 366  |  Page 367  |  Page 368  |  Page 369  |  Page 370  |  Page 371  |  Page 372  |  Page 373  |  Page 374  |  Page 375  |  Page 376  |  Page 377  |  Page 378  |  Page 379  |  Page 380  |  Page 381  |  Page 382  |  Page 383  |  Page 384  |  Page 385  |  Page 386  |  Page 387  |  Page 388  |  Page 389  |  Page 390  |  Page 391  |  Page 392  |  Page 393  |  Page 394  |  Page 395  |  Page 396  |  Page 397  |  Page 398  |  Page 399  |  Page 400  |  Page 401  |  Page 402  |  Page 403  |  Page 404  |  Page 405  |  Page 406  |  Page 407  |  Page 408  |  Page 409  |  Page 410  |  Page 411  |  Page 412  |  Page 413  |  Page 414  |  Page 415  |  Page 416  |  Page 417  |  Page 418  |  Page 419  |  Page 420  |  Page 421  |  Page 422  |  Page 423  |  Page 424  |  Page 425  |  Page 426  |  Page 427  |  Page 428  |  Page 429  |  Page 430  |  Page 431  |  Page 432  |  Page 433  |  Page 434  |  Page 435  |  Page 436  |  Page 437  |  Page 438  |  Page 439  |  Page 440  |  Page 441  |  Page 442  |  Page 443  |  Page 444  |  Page 445  |  Page 446  |  Page 447  |  Page 448  |  Page 449  |  Page 450  |  Page 451  |  Page 452  |  Page 453  |  Page 454  |  Page 455  |  Page 456  |  Page 457  |  Page 458  |  Page 459  |  Page 460  |  Page 461  |  Page 462  |  Page 463  |  Page 464  |  Page 465  |  Page 466  |  Page 467  |  Page 468  |  Page 469  |  Page 470  |  Page 471  |  Page 472  |  Page 473  |  Page 474  |  Page 475  |  Page 476  |  Page 477  |  Page 478  |  Page 479  |  Page 480