Military Merit Cross, Second Issue

The only information appearing to be available for this unclaimed clasp can be found in the London Gazette issue of 1849, where the approved NGS clasps were published:

Boats of ‘Fawn’ under Lieut. Morgan. Action with cutter and schooner ‘Guadaloupe’, and capture.

A search of the Navy List from 1793-1815 reveals a total of 18 commissioned officers with the surname of Morgan. Of these, 9 have a Lieutenant’s commission date after 25 July 1809 or died before that date and can be ruled out. Of the remaining, three died between 1817-22 before receiving a promotion and must also be ruled out. Out of the remaining six, four have entries in either Marshall’s or O’Byrne’s Naval Biographies, two with service records, but these two do not mention anything about the action, which would be highly unlikely if it resulted in the man’s promotion. This leaves four potential candidates, one being promoted as late as 1827, he is probably not the man. The remaining three were promoted to Commander between 1814-16, and could all have been the man in charge. Unfortunately, all died between 1817-43, and it’s not likely much biographical information on either of them can be found.


Name	Lieut	Cmd	Died
MORGAN, John Fortescue	15 Sep 1806	12 Oct 1814	9 Dec 1843
MORGAN, Thomas	10 May 1809	16 Nov 1814	Apr 1843
MORGAN, Charles	15 Jun 1781	1 Jan 1816	1817
MORGAN, James (1)	2 Sep 1783	25 Apr 1827	1835

One would have to search the muster books for HMS Fawn to identify who the Lieutenant was.

Capt. George Langford, RN

• Examination : in 1797 (PRO ADM 6/95/170-171).
• Lieutenant : on 16 December 1797 (2).
• Commander : on 27 April 1801 (13).
• Post-Captain : on 5 March 1808.
• Died: on 5 October 1832.

Sources:
Marshall, vol ix, p. 295.
The Complete Navy List 1793-1815 (CD).

Commander Thomas Wells, RN

Was made a Lieutenant on 6 July, 1795, and promoted to the rank for Commander on 26th November 1808. On the first of that month, being then acting in the Cruizer sloop, he engaged a Danish flotilla, near Gottenburgh, captured the cutter Lykkelig, of ten four-pounders, and compelled her consorts, about twenty in number, to take refuge under the island of Læsø. In the summer of 1811, he was appointed to the Phipps sloop; and on the 11th March 1812, we find him capturing Le Cerf, French lugger privateer, of five guns and thirty-one men. On the 4th May following, he assisted at the recapture of H.M. sloop Apelles. This officer died on the continent, in 1825.

Sources:
Marshall, vol vi, p. 370.
Vore Søhelte by Cmdr. Victor Hansen. København (1898), p. 473.

Capt Sir Alexander Gordon, KCB

Received the Small Naval Gold medal for Lissa, and also claimed this NGS clasp along with six other clasps. One of 3 confirmed 7 clasp NGS medals. Served on the ‘Flag Officer’s Committee” overseeing the institution of the NGS medal 1847-50. For more details see: O’Byrne (1949)

KCB 2 Jan 1815, Kt.B 29 Jun 1815, GCB 5 Jul 1855
Died on 8 Jan 1869

Capt Sir Edward Hamilton, KCB

Received the Small Naval Gold medal for Surprise wh. Hermione, and claimed the NGS medal with clasp for this action as well. For more details see: O’Byrne (1849)

Kt.B 1 Feb 1800, KCB 2 Jan 1815, Bt 26 Jan 1819
Died on 21 Mar 1851

Capt John Talbot, KCB

Received the Small Naval Gold Medal for Victorious wh. Rivoli, and also claimed the NGS with this clasp. His medal group sold at Spink in Jun 1982. For more details see: O’Byrne (1849)

KCB 2 Jan 1815, GCB 5 Jul 1842
Died on 7 Jul 1851

R-Adm Edward Codrington, GCB

For more details see: O’Byrne (1849).

KCB 2 Jan 1815, GCB 13 Nov 1827
Died on 28 Apr 1851

Admiral Robert Stopford (1768-1847)

Adm the Hon Sir Robert Stopford, GCB

Small Naval Gold medal for St. Domingo. He directed the operations that resulted in the capture of Java on 8 August 1811. His last active post, in his early seventies, was as commander-in-chief of the Mediterranean fleet during the Syrian War. Claimed the NGS medal with six clasps, the medal is in the NMM. Colonel of the Royal Marines on 9 November 1805. Governor of Greenwich Hospital from 1 May 1841 till his death. For more details see: O’Byrne (1849).

KCB 2 Jan 1815, GCB 6 Jun 1831, GCMG 10 May 1837
Died on 25 June 1847

Adm. Sir William James Whitshed, GCB

A veteran of the American Revolutionary War. Received the Small Naval Gold Medal for St. Vincent, which was stolen in 1900 from Greenwich Hospital (with Nelson’s Gold medals). Claimed the NGS medal with ‘St. Vincent’ clasp, the medal is in a private collection in the UK. Shown here as a GCB with Gold Medal. For more details see: O’Byrne (1849).

KCB 2 Jan 1815, GCB 17 Nov 1830
Died on 28 Oct 1849

R-Adm Sir George Cockburn, GCB

The man who burned Washington

Claimed a six clasp NGS medal, supposedly the only medal issued to a Rear Admiral. The medal is in the NMM. For more details see: O’Byrne (1849).

KCB 2 Jan 1815, GCB 20 Feb 1818
Died on 19 Aug 1853

my test 1

This is a test

Sir Thomas Byam Martin, wearing the KCB star only, having been invested, but not installed in the Order yet.

R-Adm Sir Thomas Byam Martin, GCB

A veteran of the American Revolutionary War. As Captain of HMS Santa Margarita captured the French frigate Tamise, June 1796. Commanding HMS Fisgard he captured the French Immortalité off Tory Island in October 1798. In the Baltic in August 1808, as Captain of HMS Implacable, took part in the capture the Russian ship Sewolod. Served on the ‘Flag Officer’s Committee’ overseeing the institution of the NGS medal in 1847-50. For more details see: O’Byrne (1849).

KCB 2 Jan 1815, GCB 3 Mar 1830, Kt.B 1814, KS (Sweden) 1808
Died on 21 Oct 1854

The Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath

• Of the Knights appointed towards the end of the 18th and early 19th century there are a number of notable Naval Officers (list not complete):

• Admiral Lord Rodney, nominated 1780
• Admiral John Jervis, nominated 1782
• Vice Admiral Lord Keith Elphinestone, nominated 1794
• Rear Admiral Sir John Borlase Warren, nominated 1794
• Rear Admiral Sir Horatio Nelson, nominated 1797
• Rear Admiral Sir Thomas Graves, nominated 1801
• Rear Admiral Sir John Duckworth, nominated 1801
• Rear Admiral Sir James Saumarez, nominated 1801
• Commodore Sir Samuel Hood, nominated 1804
• Rear Admiral Sir Richard Strachan, nominated 1806
• Rear Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane, nominated 1806
• Rear Admiral Sir Richard Goodwin Keats, nominated 1808
• Captain Sir Thomas Cochrane, nominated 1809 (expelled 1814)

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