b. 17/06/1825 Dublin, Ireland. d. 25/05/1904 Horsham, Sussex.
Richard Harte Keatinge (1825-1904) was born in Dublin, Ireland on 17th June 1825, and was commissioned and joined the Bengal Artillery on 15th November 1843. In 1851, he was employed in the Political Department as assistant superintendent and then political agent. He was also appointed Commandant of Nimaur Police Corps. In December 1857, he was captain and political agent attached to General Sir Hugh Rose’s column.
Richard H Keatinge
VC CSI
By early March 1858, the column had reached the fort of Chanderi. It was a large, heavily defended fort and tough to attack. Captain Keatinge was ordered to capture one of the advanced bastions and from there open artillery fire on the main citadel. The fort’s walls were so thick that it took a number of days to make a small breach. Finally, on 17th March, it was wide enough to enable men of the 86th Regiment of Foot to enter and kill all of the rebels apart from a few who managed to escape. Keatinge was later recommended for the VC, though his citation was not published until 25th February 1862. It was one of the last VCs to be invested by Queen Victoria on the Horse Guards Parade.
Keatinge was promoted to major and commanded irregular troops against Seeta Ram Holkar in the Sathpoora Hills and served with Brigadier Parke’s in the pursuit of Tantia Topi in November 1858. He was promoted to lieutenant-colonel in 1866 and Companion of the Star of India. He was appointed Chief Commissioner of Central Provinces in 1870-1872 and Assam in 1875. He retired as a lieutenant general in 1887 and he died in Horsham, Sussex, on 25th May 1904. He was buried in Hills Street Cemetery, Horsham. His medals are not publicly held.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: NOT PUBLICLY HELD.
BURIAL PLACE: HILLS STREET CEMETERY, HORSHAM, SUSSEX. RH SECTION.
Acknowledgement:
Steve Davies – Image of Keatinge VC’s grave in Hills Street Cemetery following his cleaning of the headstone.