BAKEWELL AND DISTRICT PROBUS CLUBAN OUTLINE OF THE PENINSULAR WAR
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It is now over two hundred years since the Napoleonic Wars raged across much of Europe but, remarkably, a collection of artefacts associated with one of the campaigns of that conflict has survived for all that time in the custody of one of our local families. At a meeting of the Bakewell and District Probus Club, member Hugh Wright brought several examples of these artefacts. They had been handed down through generations of his family since the days when one of his ancestors, William Henry Wright, had fought against Napoleon’s army in the Peninsular War of 1808-1814. This particular phase of the wars in Europe took place in Portugal and Spain, with the British army supported by troops from those two countries.
Hugh described how his ancestor had joined the 4th Dragoons (a cavalry regiment) at the age of 18 in 1801 and progressed through the ranks until, by now a Captain, he embarked for Portugal in 1809. He then served throughout the Peninsular War under the Duke of Wellington until returning to England in 1814. During this time, Captain Wright was involved in several of the battles fought across Spain with the object of driving out the French invaders. Probably the most notable of these was the Battle of Salamanca in July 1812 in which the British and their allies inflicted a heavy defeat on their French adversaries.
During his talk, the speaker described his inherited collection which included a ceremonial helmet, belt, spurs, and war medals (one of which, a commemorative ‘clasp’, is being held by Hugh in the accompanying photograph). In the future, Hugh’s family members intend to offer these artefacts to a museum where they hope that they will be displayed for the enjoyment of the general public.
Further details of the Bakewell and District Probus Club, including reports of earlier meetings, can be found on its website at www.bakewellprobus.org
