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Auction: 18001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 68

Alexander Davison's Medal for the Nile 1798, bronze-gilt, the reverse attractively engraved in running script 'John Sabbage Bellerophon', very fine



John Sabbage was born in London during 1776. He volunteered for the Royal Navy at Portsmouth and served aboard Bellerophon from December 1793 until April 1800. During this time he would see action on the 'Glorious First of June', at the Battle of the Nile and with Vice-Admiral Cornwallis's Squadron in the Bay of Biscay. During the first action, she would play an important role, as part of the Flying Squadron, engaging the 110-gun Révolutionnaire to open the Battle. Her topmast would be severely damaged whilst fighting alone and ahead of the fleet, before later seeing action following the Queen Charlotte into action. Her captain, Admiral Sir Thomas Pasley, lost his leg as the result of a cannonball, famously commenting to two concerned Seamen:

'Thank you, but never mind my leg; take care of my Flag.'

The ship suffered casualties of 4 killed and approximately 30 wounded.

In 1798, the Bellerophon would see spectacular action at the Battle of the Nile, under the command of Captain H. D'Esterre Darby. She would be eighth ship in the line, somehow coming to rest alongside the French flagship L'Orient. With a history of engaging larger vessels, this time the 120-gun ship opened up and inflicted devastating damage in the opening shots of the action. Broadsides smashed her boats, destroyed a number of her guns and the rigging was slashed. French Marines quickly poured musket fire into the upper decks - 70 of the crew were casualties within minutes. Darby himself was unconscious as the result of a head wound. In the next hour, the command would pass no less than four times, as one after another the officer's were cut down. In a sorry state, Bellerophon's mizzenmast and mainmast collapsed. Fires had broken out upon both ships by 9pm, by which point 13-year old Midshipman J. Hindmarsh had command of the ship. Attempting to remove his charge from certain destruction, he attempted to hoist the spritsail, resulting only in the collapse of the foremast. She now began to drift from the action, in turn allowing the Swiftsure to close on L'Orient, eventually pouring activity on the now raging fires which resulted in the immense explosion of the French flagship. By the close of play, a British victory was secured. Bellerophon had suffered 56 killed and 140 wounded.

He served aboard Alligator as Able Seaman from May 1800, being advanced Quarter Gunner in July 1802 and discharged in May 1803.

Sabbage did not claim his Naval General Service Medal, which in all likelihood might have been a 4-clasp award, with clasps '1 June 1794', '17 June 1795, 'Nile' and 'Egypt'; sold with copied muster rolls.


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Sold for
£1,100