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Auction: 20001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - conducted behind closed doors
Lot: 764

Sold by Order of a Direct Descendant

A superb glazed and framed Family group:

The Arctic Medal awarded to Sergeant H. Irwin, Royal Marines, who served on Captain Edward Parry's expedition to the North West Passage aboard H.M.S. Hecla, 1824-25

Arctic Medal 1818-55, unnamed as issued, good very fine

Pair: Able Seaman J. Moore, Royal Navy

Crimea 1854-56, 1 clasp, Sebastopol, unnamed as issued; Turkish Crimea 1855, British die, replacement floral scroll suspension, very fine

Pair: Fleet Engineer R. Irwin, Royal Navy

Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, undated reverse, no clasp (R. Irwin. Chf. Engr. R.N. H.M.S. Myrmidon.); Khedive's Star 1884-6, unnamed as issued, very fine (5)

Henry Irwin was born in 1800 at Dublin. Having began reading Law at Trinity College, he entered the Royal Marines and served as a Private aboard Captain Edward Parry's expedition to the North West Passage in 1824-25. Parry returned to the Arctic for a fourth time, his third in command, and his last to attempt the passage. Sailing aboard the Hecla, a bomb vessel and converted Arctic Exploration ship, in company with Fury commanded by Henry Parkyns Hoppner. The goal this time was Prince Regent Inlet at the west end of Baffin Island where he had been blocked by ice in 1819. It was a bad year for ice and he did not reach Lancaster Sound until 10 September. He entered Prince Regent Inlet but after 60 miles of ice he was forced to winter at a place he called Port Bowen on the eastern shore. In the early spring of 1825 three land journeys were made and by 20 July the ice had thawed sufficiently to allow them to cross to the western shore. In late July 1825 they freed themselves from ice but 60 miles further south they were caught by wind and ice and the Fury was driven against the western shore. After 48 hours work on the pumps she was deliberately beached. Stores were unloaded in the hope of careening the vessel, but by 25 August it was clear that the keel was broken. Most of the stores were left on the beach and the crew taken on board the Hecla which reached England in October 1825. Parry thought he could see open water south of the wreck site. An account of this voyage was published in 1826.

Advanced Sergeant, Irwin served with the Marines for a total of 24 years, with 16th Company, 4th Division and as Senior and Confidential Clark in the Adjutant's Office under Lieutenant W. Dwyer. Dwyer offered a fine account of his service on 6 March 1839:

'During many years that I have belonged to the Woolwich Division of Royal Marines, I have had much opportunity of judging correctly the merits of Sergeant H. Irwin and I feel great pleasure in having to say, that for zeal, intelligence and good conduct of every description, I have seldom met his equal.'

Married Jayne McNairn at Plumstead on 16 July 1829 with issue of four sons and a daughter, the boys being educated at Greenwich Hospital School. Family repute recalls how Irwin knocked out a surgeon of St. Thomas's Hospital who unsuccessfully operated on the defective eye of his first son. Having retired in 1848, Irwin died on 26 August 1855, with his Medal being issued to his widow. Sold together with the recipient's leather wallet, this embossed 'Sergeant Irwin 1830', his certificate of service aboard Hecla covering 24 April 1824-25 November 1825 judged '...a steady, sober, good man' and signed by Captain Parry, mounted on card, Lieutenant Dwyer's account and a framed portrait of the recipient.

James Moore was a brother-in-law of Henry Irwin's first son James. Moore served with the Naval Brigade during the Crimean War; sold together with a small framed portrait of the recipient.

Richard Irwin was born on 22 September 1863 and served as Chief Engineer in Egypt and Sudan aboard Myrmidon, one of 81 recipients of a no-clasp Medal. Having risen to be Fleet Engineer by 1891, he retired from the service in 1902; sold together with appointment as Staff Engineer, dated 10 August 1887 and a small framed portrait of the recipient.


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Sold for
£3,500

Starting price
£3000