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  1. #1
    Stephen Evans
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    Smile 5th Rifle Brigade, Peninsular Wars

    Hi,
    I'm trying to find out any details about the above Regiment and a Joseph Dornford who joined as a volunteer in 1811. Can anyone recommend any leads

    Cheers

  2. #2
    Knowledgeable and helpful keith9351's Avatar
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    regiment.org has only Battalions 1-3 at that time.

    https://web.archive.org/web/200512301.../inf/095RB.htm

    I know the other Rifle Regiment who fought with them in the Peninsular Wars, the Kings Royal Rifle had a 5th Battalion.

    Keith

  3. #3
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    Stephen

    I think you may have made a slight error. Joseph Dornford was awarded the Military General Service Medal with 2 clasps, Vittoria and Pyrenees for service with the 95th, the Rifle Brigade.

    His medal is known to have survived, and was last sold in December 2002 as a singleton, although when first recorded it was sold with other family medals in 1989.

    Martin

  4. #4
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    Stephen

    This is a note that was included with the sale details of his medal:

    Joseph Dornford was born on 9 January 1794, the son of Josiah Dornford of Deptford, Kent. Dornford entered young at Trinity College, Cambridge, which in 1811 he suddenly left to serve as a volunteer in the Peninsular War. A contemporary stated that 'He would rather fly to the ends of the earth and seek the company of cannibals or wild beasts than be bound to a life of tea and twaddle.' He saw some service with the 95th Rifles, and on his return home he entered Wadham College, Oxford, where he proceeded B.A. in 1816. In 1817 he was elected to a Michel fellowship at Queen's and in 1819 to a fellowship at Oriel, where he graduated M.A. in 1820. In that year he joined Dr. Hamel on the well-known ascent of Mont Blanc in which three guides were killed. He was elected tutor, dean and proctor of the University, 1830-31, and in 1832 was presented by his college to the rectory of Plymtree. In 1847 he was collated by Bishop Phillpotts prebendary of Exeter Cathedral. In his bearing Dornford was more of a soldier than a priest, and his talk ran much on war. He was a man of strong will, generous impulses and pugnacious temper. He died at Plymtree on 18 January 1868, aged 74.

    Martin

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