In an earlier blog I wrote about the Ashantee medal with Coomassie clasp. The intent was to introduce a roll compiled by Captain Douglas- Morris and reproduced on the OMSA website. Since I have an interest in medal provenance I began collecting information on all the medals
Read more →In early 1875 the Admiralty decided to discontinue the WIDE suspender LS & GC medal and introduce the Narrow suspender. This took the suspender width from 1½ to 1¼ inches. This doesn’t sound like much, but results in an significant visual reduction when compared side by side. Simultaneous
Read more →Since my last blogs, where I announced the Royal Navy WIDE suspender Long Service and Good Conduct medal roll and extant list, I have now added all the Royal Marines from the Douglas Morris roll, along with some more known extant medals. So please use this roll
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The common approach to awarding British medals or clasps only for victories has a downside. What interesting events took place that were characterized as a defeat and therefore did not end up with a medal or clasp to commemorate the event? I don’t know much about
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When I think of the sieges that took place during the Anglo- Boer War, I am reminded that Wepener gets included with the big three (Ladysmith, Kimberley and Mafeking) by some. I can see the similarities but the siege which lasted 16 days was more a besiegement
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During the Victorian era, there were many sieges, some small, some large, some lasting several days and others many months. Not all sieges resulted in medals or clasps to medals and the details of the defence or relief or a particular town or fort might best be
Read more →The Naval Long Service Medals by Kenneth Douglas-Morris originally published in 1991 contained a partial list of all recipients of the Wide suspender Long Service and Good Conduct medal. This list was based on reviewing thousands of individual RN service records in the ADM29, ADM139, and ADM188
Read more →Collecting Victorian Royal Naval medals has been a serious passion of mine for over 30+ years. It is therefore my desire and goal to pass along the wealth of knowledge that I have acquired and to show new collectors the ins and outs of researching such medals.
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Many medal collectors look at curios made from medals and consider them to be defaced and the practice of converting them to jewelry, belt buckles or other artifacts to be sacrilegious. I find myself drawn to some of them as works of art and if the medal
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While my last blog entry looked at researching a British soldier, this entry will look at researching a British officer in the East India Company’s Army. The medal group to this officer includes an Army of India medal, clasp Bhurtpoor, A Maharajapoor Star and a Sutlej medal
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• 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).
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
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
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
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)
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
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
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
Sir Thomas Byam Martin, wearing the KCB star only, having been invested, but not installed in the Order yet.
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
