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Auction: 9022 - Orders, Decorations, Medals & Militaria
Lot: 112

x Naval General Service 1793-1840, two clasps, 14 March 1795, Gut of Gibraltar 12 July 1801(Andrew Wright.), good very fine Estimate £ 2,800-3,200 Andrew Wright served as Able Seaman in H.M.S. Bedford as part of an action with the French fleet off Genoa, when two French ships of the line (Ca-Ira and Censeur) were captured, 14.3.1795; Wright served as Quarter Master in H.M.S. Caesar (Admiral Sir James Saumarez´´s Flag ship) as part of the successful attack upon the Franco-Spanish squadrons under the enemy batteries in Algerciras Bay, 12.7.1801. This resulted in the destruction of the Spanish three-decker, 112-gun Real Carlos and San Hermenegildo together with the French 74-gun St. Antoine. Andrew Wright, joined the Royal Navy as Able Seaman, 1793, and was transferred to H.M.S. Bedford the same year; advanced to Midshipman, July 1795, it is difficult to state what this promotion really meant, since there were two sorts of Midshipmen until the end of the "First Great World War" in 1815. There was the very old "Rate" of Mid Ship Man, a responsible well-paid Petty Officer from whom there was derived in Cromwell´´s time a different function for this "post", that of being a stepping-stone for "makee learn trainee" Officers who were called Midshipmen. Whilst promotion from the Lower Deck to Commissioned Officer was not impossible, it was indeed an extremely rare occurrence. Few ratings could aspire to the essential pre-requisite of being a "Gentleman", which was so necessary. Wright transferred to H.M.S. Caesar, December 1795; re-rated as Quarter Master´´s Mate, October 1797; Wright was borne on the Caesar´´s books when an attempted religion fuelled mutiny in is recorded in the Captain´´s Log as taking place, 29.7.1798; the Irishmen involved were rounded up and Court Martialed, with the result that 6 men were hung and 2 were "Flogged around the Fleet"; Wright was advanced to Quarter Master, August 1800, and paid off in August 1802.

Sold for
£4,200