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Auction: 26001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 14

The fine Naval General Service Medal to Admiral's Domestic J. Biggs, Royal Navy, who served aboard H.M.S. Pompee as Servant of Vice-Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane during the capture of Guadaloupe in February 1810

Naval General Service 1793-1840, 2 clasps, Guadaloupe, Martinique (John Briggs.), a couple of light contact marks and highlights lightly polished, otherwise very fine

Provenance:
Glendining's, October 1912 & 26 January 1931 - in the latter sale as Lot 459, the Collection of E. J. W. Sang.

John Briggs (a unique name on the Medal Roll, but variously referred to in documents and rolls as 'Biggs' or 'Briggs') was born at Ilford, Essex, circa 1780 and is first recorded in April 1807 as a Landsman aboard the 64-gun H.M.S. Leyden, a former Dutch vessel captured in 1799. Under the command of Captain William Cumberland she saw service during the Second Battle of Copenhagen, principally as a transport for several companies of the Coldstream Guards. Upon returning home in 1808, Briggs was one of 82 men of the Leyden to be transferred on 25 April to the 74-gun H.M.S. Pompee, commanded by Captain George Cockburn - a man later to make his name for directing the capture and burning of Washington in 1814.

Ordered to the West Indies in anticipation of the upcoming campaign to capture Martinique from the French, Pompee's journey was not uneventful - on 23 May she forced the surrender of a small French vessel off the coast of Cornwall and, off Barbados on 20 October, captured the 16-gun brig Pylade. Participating in the invasion and capture of Martinique (30 January - 24 February 1809), in March Captain William Fahie was appointed to command and, on 17 April, was part of the British squadron which engaged and captured the French 74-gun D'Hautpoul after a running fight lasting several days: smaller British ships had damaged D'Hautpoul's sails and rigging, allowing the larger Pompee to close and finish her off. Coming alongside and engaging broadside-to-broadside at no more than 50 yards, the French fought gallantly for 15 minutes before again attempting to disengage and escape - such was her damage, however, that she eventually surrendered to Pompee after suffering casualties of around 90 men killed and wounded. Interestingly, whilst this action was later commemorated in the clasp 'Pompee 17 June 1809' (note the odd discrepancy in date), Briggs failed to make a claim for it despite being on board at the time - perhaps he was not aware of its existence.

From 11 December 1809 Briggs is recorded as discharged to 'Admiral's Retinue' - this can only be Vice-Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane, commander of the force for the invasion and capture of Guadeloupe, a campaign undertaken from 28 January - 6 February 1810; Pompee was Cochrane's flagship and also transported Lieutenant-General George Beckwith and the staff of the Army. Briggs appears to hold the post of 'Admiral's Domestic' until March 1810, during which time Cochrane was Governor of Guadeloupe: with Pompee being ordered home, it is highly likely Briggs was therefore required to rejoin his shipmates rather than remain on land with the admiral and his staff. For a man rated Landsman (perhaps an indication of no great skill at sea), Briggs's later position must have given him an unusual and interesting insight into the lives of some notable naval officers during the Napoleonic Wars.

Sold with a large quantity of copied research.

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Estimate
£1,800 to £2,200

Starting price
£1400