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Auction: 19001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 7

The fascinating Naval General Service Medal awarded to Admiral's Domestic W. South, Royal Navy; admitted to the Foundling Hospital at Coram's Fields during his infancy, South joined Lord Nelson's domestic staff aboard Victory as a personal favour from Lady Hamilton, who took an eager interest in his wellbeing

He went on to become Admiral's Domestic to Sir Edward Pellew, 1st Viscount Exmouth, serving aboard his flagship H.M.S. Queen Charlotte at the bombardment of Algiers on 27 August 1816

Naval General Service 1793-1840, 2 clasps, Java, Algiers (William South.), minor edge bruise, otherwise good very fine

Provenance:
Christie's, March 1988.

William South was born in 1787 at Downham on the Isle of Ely, Cambridgeshire. Abandoned at the Parish Workhouse, he was sent to the Foundling Hospital in London, where he was placed in the care of the Matron, Hannah Jameson. On 25 April 1803, a Schoolmaster from the Foundling Hospital recruited him into the Marine Society, a charitable organisation which trained boys for service in the Royal Navy. Each boy had to be at least 14 years of age, and 4'4'' tall. On acceptance he would be stripped, scrubbed, inspected and issued with company clothes. After just two days, on 27 April, young William appears on the Muster Roll of H.M.S. Victory as a Boy 3rd Class, aged 16. Captain Hardy had long-standing connections with the Marine Society, and was only provided with the ablest of boys. Emma Hamilton took a keen interest in the Foundling Hospital, and a fascinating correspondence exists between her and the Matron Hannah Jameson. In a letter of 22 May 1803, Jameson wrote to Lady Hamilton:

'Dear & respected Lady Hamilton, your kindness and condescensions will ever make me love and esteem you… You mentioned, this morning, your intention to write to Lord Nelson tomorrow - if you could send the enclosed statement to him… There is a Foundling boy - William South, on board the Victory, sent there by the Marine Society - he was a good boy and he is very clever, understands writing, arithmetic, waits at table and is quick and active - I have a regard for him as he was one of my little Pensioners here, and I think he has been hardly dealt by - he has no friend in the world, never having been inquired after since put here as an infant - he writes to the Schoolmaster that he is now servant to the First Lieutenant. Whether your Ladyship wishes to mention him to Lord N - I have to yourself that solicit it, - as I know not how far it may be agreeable - and I would not intrude on your time or goodness for the World.'

The letter had the desired effect, Nelson annotating it with the comment: 'enquire after Wm. South a boy have a letter for him'. It is held by the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, as part of the Phillips-Croker Collection, under the reference number CRK/22/93. More information can be found here: http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/484360.html. Lord Nelson hoisted his flag on H.M.S. Victory at Portsmouth on 18 May 1803, sailing for Brest two days later. Victory reached Gibraltar on 12 June and anchored at Valetta, Malta on 9 July.

In February 1805 South transferred to H.M.S. Childers, as a steward. A few months later he transferred to H.M.S. Psyche, a 36-gun fifth rate captured from the French. He appears on Psyche's Muster as a 'Domestic' (ADM.171.1.345), taking part in Rear Admiral Stopford's expedition to Java (clasp) in July-September 1811. He served aboard H.M.S. Hotspur, Iphigenia, Resistance and Boyne between June 1812 and June 1816. On 30 June 1816 he transferred to H.M.S. Queen Charlotte, 100 guns, serving as 'Admiral's Domestic' to Sir Edward Pellew, 1st Viscount Exmouth (ADM 171/1/464). Pellew, a highly successful commander played by Robert Lindsay in the series Hornblower (1998-2003), commanded an Anglo-Dutch expedition to the Barbary States in August 1816. Queen Charlotte was Pellew's flagship throughout the operation, and South was present at the bombardment of Algiers on 27 August (clasp). For eight hours, Pellew's fleet pulverised the city and set fire to Barbary ships in the harbour. The Dey of Algiers agreed to British terms the next day; 1,200 Christian slaves were released from captivity by the Royal Navy.

South married Catherine Garner at Witton, Huntingdonshire in 1824, fathering five children. The 1841 census records him living at Westerham, Kent, working as a publican. On 1 January 1870 he was granted a Greenwich Hospital Pension of 22 pounds, 16 shillings per annum, for life. He died on 7 September 1875 at 107 Church Road, Islington, the cause of death stated as 'Apoplexy'. He was buried at Abney Park Cemetery, Islington; sold with copied Muster Rolls and a photocopy of Hannah Jameson's letter to Lady Hamilton (CRK/22/93).




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Sold for
£5,500