3rd June 2015
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"Ensign E G Hallewell XXth Regiment"

I am currently engaged in research to help an American trace one of his family, thought to be with the XXth when they had two Battalions in Bermuda and were the Garrison Regiment from 1841 to 1847.
As part of that research I came across the name of an Ensign by the name of E G Hallewell.
He had sailed with the XXth main body on the ship " Cornwall" and arrived in Bermuda on the 1st November 1841.
I later tried to find pics of the various locations in Bermuda where the XXth had served and to my surprise came across this in a sale of fine art.

View
COMPLETE SET OF THIRTEEN VIEWS FROM SKETCHES BY EDMUND HALLEWELL
Finely coloured lithographs heightened with gum Arabic, by W. Parrott, circa 1848, the rare set of thirteen plates, bright fresh impressions, trimmed and mounted on card (some watermarked J Whatman, Turkey Mill 1846) as issued, in generally good condition apart from occasional slight foxing and soiling, in addition to some soiling on original mounts. Uniformly framed.
Six views form a panorama of the islands in the Great Sound seen from a hill west of Gibbs Hill lighthouse; four form a panorama from a hill on Spanish Point looking to the Great Sound with the shores of Warwick, Southampton and Sandys parishes beyond; and three views from near St David’s lighthouse form a panorama looking over Smith’s Island to the town and parish of St Georges.
Edmund Gilling Hallewell (1822 – 1869), who was well known as ‘Lieut: & Adjt XX Regt.,’ was commissioned in 1839, in the 20th or East Devons. This battalion was part of the Bermuda garrison between 1846-47.
Hallewell was an unsuccessful candidate for the New Society of Painters in Watercolours in 1850, by which time he was a captain in the 20th Regiment. He gained his majority in 1854, transferred to the 28th or North Gloucestershire and served in the Crimea as Deputy Acting Quartermaster General of the Light Division at Alma, Inkerman and Sebastopol. Promoted took place to colonel in 1860 and he retired from active service in1864. In 1869, the year of his early death, he was Commandant of Sandhurst. He lived at Stroud in England, and between 1850 and 1853 exhibited landscapes in the Royal Academy, British Institution and at the Society of British Artists.
The Bermuda views, of which very few sets now remain, were executed as a test of the surveying skills of young military officers. They give a fascinating impression of the island at a key point in its history. $65,000

Another fascinating XXth Officer for our records!
Joe Eastwood
http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/eGallery/object.asp?maker=HALLEWELLEG&object=711112&row=0


From Ken Marsh-Subject: Major Edmund Gilling Hallewell 20th and 28th Regiments


Have recently acquired the above gentleman's medals, thanks to first being aware of him via your website. I am just starting the research trail, but wonder if you would like a portrait photograph?


Interestingly Hallewell was best buddies with the famous Roger Fenton - the Crimean war photographer. If you go to the Library of Congress website and enter Hallwell's name and rank, you get 5 photographs.(see link)

http://www.loc.gov/search/?q=Hallewell&in=original_format%3Astill+image

Medal group photo attached - as medal dealers' say - the medal ribbons are in "distressed" condition! Medals are [from left to right] - France, Legion of Honour; Queens Crimea [engraved to Capt. 28th Regt]; Kingdom of Sardinia - Al Valore Militaire [ engraved Bt. Lt. Coll. Edmd. Gilling Halliwell 28th Regt.]; Turkish Crimea -Sardinian issue; Turkish Order of Mejidie. Also enclosing a close-up of the naming on the Sardinian medal. Hallewell's photograph album was sold in January, which made a big splash in the world of early photographs - since it had [previously unknown] photos by Roger Fenton. The album was compiled by Hallewell in the 1840s-1850's and was a record of his travels. Also his journals were sold. Both fetched high sums. The medal group I bought from a dealer. I have found out it was previously sold by Dix Noonan Webb in 2010, which made me wonder why I missed it at the time. Searching the DNW database I discovered a crucial error - they said Hallewell purchased a commission in the 28th Regt in Dec 1839 - this should have read 20th Regt!......... Ken.


by Ken Marsh
1st October 2014




Simpson's opinion of the staff.
The Staff here at headquarters have, I am convinced, been very much vilified. They are a very good set of fellows - civil and obliging to every one who comes. I am speaking of the personal Staff, who have no responsibilities further than being generally useful. Nor have I any fault to find with Airey and Estcourt. I think the line that ought to exist, distinguishing their respective departments, was not so distinct as it ought to have been; and as both come to me now, I am trying to make it so, and to keep the two branches from clashing. As far as I can judge, the Officers of the Staff of the Divisions are excellent, some of them first-rate.
In an army like this, one soon finds out men's capabilities. There are three men who are very prominent as really good soldiers - Major Wetherall here at headquarters as Assistant Quartermaster-General; Major Halliwell, Ditto with 4th Division; and Lt.-Col. Pakenham, 14 Assistant Quartermaster-General at headquarters. Among many clever officers these men are prominent. I see no Staff Officer objectionable in my opinion. You will think my views very different from those printed in our newspapers; but I judge from my own observation, and I hope with impartiality. Soon after my arrival I gave out an Order, with Lord Raglan's concurrence, on the dress and appearance of the officers, and they all appear in uniform now, and with their swords. The Press has done them all much mischief by encouraging them to throw off their stocks, to wear beards, and various other absurdities, which of course infected the soldiers, who went the length of throwing away their shakos.
Simpson arrived Feb. 1855

This was sent in by Simon Bradbury, great great grandson of Hallewell

E G Hallewell is my maternal gt gt grandfather. He is the grandson of Rev John and Ellen Hallewell vicar and curate of Nidd and Farnham in Yorkshire. One of 12 children of Edmund Gilling and Martha Hallewell who finished up in Painswick and Pitchcombe Gloucestershire. As you will know he married the governor general's daughter, Sophia Reid, (Major General Sir William Reid, RE) in the West Indies. They were unlucky with their children, rearing 3 out of 8. My Gt grandfather Henry Lonsdale Hallewell was one of them. He was an army man as well and finished as a Brevet Lieutenant Colonel in the Royal Scots his final service was in the Boer war where he was 2 i/c of the Queenstown Rifle Volunteers, mentioned in dispatch and CMG. His son my Grandfather, also Edmund Gilling Hallewell, was a naval man and finished as a Commander (WSR) and his eldest son was lost on HMS Glorious off Norway. I feel rather a fraud bothering you fusiliers, what interested me was what artifacts your correspondent had got. I knew the medals and his son's were sold in the same sale as were the miniatures. I only found out when I found the sale on the internet. The reason that the medal ribbons are in such a distressed condition is that my aunt who was the custodian of them wanted them to stay with their original ribbons while I wanted to replace them!. Possibly they will be replaced now! The miniatures are attached to a bracelet, without ribbons which must have been done by his widow.

"Reproduced by kind permission of the author, Ken Marsh and the Medal News. 2nd June 2015."