General Sir Edward Paget, signature as Commander-in-ChieF. India, 1823-25

Paget, General the Honourable Sir Edward, G.C.B. : Edwd. Paget General. A good signature made with the left hand [Paget lost his right hand during the Battle of Villa Nova in Portugal after commanding the reserve at Corunna in the Peninsular Wars]. Signature clipped from a letter also bearing the words Humble Servant above the signatuee and Commander in Chief in India below in a copperplate secretarial hand. On the verso there is his title General Hon Sir Edwd. Paget, G.C.B.  in a contemporary hand and evidence of having been stuck in an album at some time. This signature dates from the time when Paget was C in C india (Jan 1823- Oct 1825). He was uinitially commissioned in to the 1st Life Guards but later commanded the 28th Regt of Foot (Gloucestershire Regt). Paget came from a military family, fourth son of the Earl of Uxbridge and brother of the 1st Marquis of Angelsey. He had served in the Peninsula, was credited with the victory at Corunna, was later second in command to Sir Arthur Wellesley. Before his Indian appointment he was briefly Governor of Ceylon. While in India he received some censure for his very severe reaction to the mutiny of three sepoy regiments at Barrackpore when he had the mutineers of the 47th Bengal Native Infantry shot. He was also c in c during the period of the First Burma War. He eventually retired to Cowes, Isle of Wight where he lived in the Castle.  apr4/3