Sir David Baird’s Order of the Crescent /a.k.a. "The Baird Jewel"/

Fashioned as an oval diamond pendant, mounted in gold and silver set with a large red polished oval glass cabochon foiled in ruby-red and applied with diamond silver-set star and crescent, the cabachon within a border of small uniform-size old-cut diamonds and further set in a pierced lozenge frame of matching old-cut stones within an outer hoop of larger diamonds additionally decorated with four raised diamond epaulette motifs at the cardinal points; together with a detachable diamond scrolling pendant loop and small gold brooch fitting, approximately 15.75 carats in total.

Maximum width 58 mm.
Overall height 87 mm.​

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In light of the earlier constituents of this badge’s center, some truth may exist in the family tradition that it was actually made from the stone of the "large ruby ring" awarded to Sir David Baird on the Seringapatam prize list in 1799, the so-called ruby famously turning out to be a large piece of coloured glass.

Family tradition also has it that Baird’s magnificent diamond-set badge was re-modelled in Victorian times to become a more readily wearable object for the Ladies of the family, in the form of “The Baird Jewel” as we see it today.

Other insignia of the Order of the Crescent awarded to Sir David Baird was sold in London on 12 September 1989, being described as a Knight’s First Class set of insignia. Interestingly, the relevant sash badge was of plain gold in the form of a Medal of the Order, thereby strengthening the contention that Sir David was presented with, or chose to commission, a more elaborate and valuable badge.

In his Concise Account of the Several Foreign Orders and Other Marks of Honourable Distinction conferred on British subjects, Carlisle actually credits Baird with receiving insignia of the Second Class, the design of which remains in question to this day:

"David Baird, Esq., Major General of His Majesty’s Forces, “to receive and wear The Badge of The Order of The Crescent, which The Grand Seignior hath conferred upon him” - Royal Licence, 31st December 1803." See https://asiamedals.info/threads/imp...tory-classes-and-cavaliers.29503/#post-369505.​

 

Regrettably no account appears to have survived of the manner in which Sir David received his insignia, Theodore Hook referring only to a meeting with the Pacha on 15 May 1802, at which Baird was presented with a magnificent sabre and silver saddle (vol. 2, pp. 57-58). However, an entertaining description of the investiture of some Naval recipients appeared in The Naval Chronicle of 1802:

"On the morning of 8th [October 1801], the Admiral, accompanied by the Turkish Admiral of the Gallies, and suite, and those Officers of the Navy who had been particularly selected, proceeded from General Hutchinson’s tent, to the tent of His Highness the Captain [Capitan] Pacha, and were received by the whole Turkish line, under arms, with music playing and colours flying. When we alighted and approached the tent (which was open in the front), we observed the Captain Pacha (seated upon a maginificent sopha), attended by the Pacha of Egypt, the Chief General of His Highness’s Army, and Reis Effendi. The three latter were seated on each side of the sopha; The Admiral on the right of the Captain Pacha. The Generals of the Turkish army and navy stood at the back of our chairs; behind them were ranged His Highness’s retinue, arrayed in their different badges of distinction; and round the tent, in front, were drawn up his bodyguard.

His Highness was dressed in a white robe of beautiful satin, over which was the robe of state, worn only on particular occasions, made of the finest red cloth, and on it was placed, below the breast, two aigrettes of large diamonds; and in a sash of rich satin, round his waist, was a fixed dagger, the handle of which was so thickly covered with diamonds, as to render it impossible to discover of what other materials it was made. On his head he wore a superb turban, with rows of pearls placed on the different folds. His rich dress, his venerable appearance, having a long black beard, which he was continually stroking, altogether a most interesting figure. The other Grandees that were seated on the same sopha were as magnificently dressed in all respects, excepting the red robe.

Having first been served with coffee and sweetmeats according to custom, the ceremony began by His Highness investing the Admiral with a Pellice, the Star and Red Ribband, and the Medal of the Order of the Crescent; all of which being properly arranged, he was desired to kneel, at which time the Grand Seignior’s Firman edict was read, empowering his Highness to confer the honour of Knighthood, which was immediately performed on the Admiral, upon whose rising a royal salute was fired, and other demonstrations of satisfaction agreeable to the Turkish custom. The Star is most beautifully set with diamonds, and the Pellice is valued at £300.

The Admiral having retired to his seat, the senior Post Captain was invested in the same form with the Pellice and Gold Medal of the Order, and was knighted, and then the three other Captains in succession. Four Masters and Commanders, and Lieutenant Withers, were then knighted in the same manner, but only received a Gold Medal of the Order, without the Pellice vide "Medal Roll" for the recipients. The same ceremony had been performed on General Hutchinson, and the General Officers of the Army, the day before [Baird was absent, being encamped at El Hamed]

General Hutchinson and Sir Richard Bickerton are invested with the first Order of the Crescent. The other General Officers, Post Captains, and Masters and Commanders, are of the second Order, there being only two Orders [Classes or Degrees].

During the whole of the ceremony music was playing. After the ceremony finished, a long history was read, stating the power and magnificence of the Grand Seignor, and consequently the value we were to set upon the different honours conferred. That finished, we were treated with Sherbet; we then arose dressed in our finery, and departed on our horses in the same form we came; at which time another salute was fired.

This ceremony was performed on the spot where the battle of the 21st March 1801 was fought, which decided the fate of Egypt."​

 

General Sir David Baird, 1st Baronet, of Newbyth, GCB (6 December 1757 – 18 August 1829) was born at Newbyth House in Haddingtonshire, Scotland, the son of an Edinburgh merchant family, and entered the British Army in 1772. He was sent to India in 1779 with the 73rd (afterwards 71st) Highlanders, in which he was a captain. Immediately on his arrival, Baird was attached to the force commanded by Sir Hector Munro, which was sent forward to assist the detachment of Colonel Baillie, threatened by Hyder Ali. In the action which followed the whole force was destroyed, and Baird, severely wounded, fell into the hands of the Mysore chief. The prisoners remained captive for over four years. Baird's mother, on hearing that her son and other prisoners were in fetters, is said to have remarked, "God help the chiel chained to our Davie." The bullet was not extracted from Baird's wound until his release.

He was promoted to major in 1787, visited England in 1789, and purchased a lieutenant-colonelcy in 1790, returning to India the following year. He held a brigade command in the war against Tipu Sultan, and served under Lord Cornwallis in the Seringapatam operations of 1792. He captured Pondicherry being promoted colonel in 1795. Baird served also at the Cape of Good Hope as a brigadier-general, and he returned to India as a major-general in 1798. In the last war against Tipu in 1799 Baird was appointed to the senior brigade command in the army. At the successful assault of Seringapatam, Baird led the storming party, and soon took the stronghold where he had previously been a prisoner.

Disappointed that the command of the large contingent of the nizam was given to the then Colonel Arthur Wellesley, and that after the capture of the fortress the same officer obtained the governorship, Baird felt he had been treated with injustice and disrespect. He later received the thanks of parliament and of the Honourable East India Company for his gallant bearing on that important day, and a pension was offered him by the company, which he declined, apparently in the hope of receiving the Order of the Bath from the government.

General Baird commanded an Anglo-Indian expeditionary that had been raised in Bombay early 1801 to co-operate with Sir Ralph Abercromby in the expulsion of the French from Egypt. He arrived after the Battle of Alexandria on 21 March 1801, where soon afterward Abercromby was killed in a skirmish, dying on 28 March. Wellesley had been appointed second in command to Baird, but owing to ill-health did not accompany the expedition on 9 April 1801. Baird reached Jeddah on 17 May, where he was joined by a contingent from the Cape of Good Hope. The force went onto and landed at Kosseir on 8 June, and marched 167 miles across the desert to Qena on the Nile, and then another 253 miles to Cairo. The French surrendered Cairo on 27 June. The Indian contingent then marched on to Alexandria in time for the Siege of Alexandria fought between 17 August and 2 September 1801.

On his return to India in 1802, he was employed against Sindhia, but being irritated at another appointment given to Wellesley he relinquished his command and returned to Europe. In 1804 he was knighted, and in 1805–1806, being by now a lieutenant-general, he commanded the expedition against the Cape of Good Hope with complete success, capturing Cape Town and forcing the Dutch general Janssens to surrender. But here again his usual ill luck attended him. Commodore Sir Home Popham persuaded Sir David to lend him troops for an expedition against Buenos Aires; the successive failures of operations against this place involved the recall of Baird early in 1807, though on his return home he was quickly re-employed as a divisional general in the Copenhagen expedition of 1807. During the subsequent Battle of Copenhagen, Baird was wounded. The same year he was made Colonel of the 24th (2nd Warwickshire) Regiment of Foot, a post he would hold until his death.

Shortly after his return, he was sent out to the Peninsular War in command of a considerable force which was sent to Spain to cooperate with Sir John Moore, to whom he was appointed second in command. It was Baird's misfortune that he was junior by a few days both to Moore and to Lord Cavan, under whom he had served at Alexandria, and thus never had an opportunity of a chief command in the field. At the Battle of Corunna, he succeeded to the supreme command after Moore's death, but shortly afterwards his left arm was shattered, and the command passed to Sir John Hope. Once again thanked by parliament for his gallant services, he was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Bath and a baronet in 1809. He was not employed again in the field, and personal and political enmities caused him to be neglected and repeatedly passed over.

He was not given the full rank of general until 1814, and his governorship of Kinsale was given five years later. In 1820 he was appointed commander-in-chief in Ireland and made a Privy Counsellor for Ireland, but the command was soon reduced, and he resigned in 1822.​