Previous Lot Next Lot

Auction: 9022 - Orders, Decorations, Medals & Militaria
Lot: 13

x A Scarce N.G.S. and Anchor Type Long Service & G.C. Pair to Master-at-Arms J. Denham, Royal Navy, Later Colour Sergeant, Royal Marines Naval General Service 1793-1840, two clasps, St. Domingo, Algiers (John Denham.); Naval Long Service & G.C., Anchor type, reverse engraved (John Denham Master-at-Arms H.M.S. Indus 26 years), pierced as issued for ring suspension with contemporary silver straight bar suspension, generally good very fine (2) Estimate £ 1,800-2,200 Both the Message and Douglas-Morris published transcriptions of the Naval General Service Roll give the following: John Denham served as Sergeant Royal Marines in H.M.S Donegal for the capture of three and destruction of two French ships-of-the-line by Vice Admiral Sir John Duckworth´´s squadron off St. Domingo, Dominica, 6.2.1806.; he later served as Corporal Royal Marines in H.M.S. Queen Charlotte (Lord Exmouth´´s Flag ship) when the combined English and Dutch fleets attacked the heavily fortified town of Algiers, 27.8.1816. The Muster Roll for H.M.S. Donegal gives two ´´John Denham´´s´´ - the first of which was a Sergeant in the Royal Marines and the second was a Boy 3rd Class. It would appear that they were father and son, given that both made over an allotment of their pay to a ´´Hannah Denham´´ in Portsmouth (presumably wife to one and mother to the other). Both served in H.M.S. Donegal for Algiers, and indeed served together until they were paid off. The young Denham followed in his father´´s footsteps and enlisted as a Drummer Boy in the Royal Marines, 21.7.1808. He was promoted to Corporal, 29.8.1815, in time to serve with H.M.S. Queen Charlotte at Algiers. He was promoted to Sergeant himself, 1822, and advanced to Colour Sergeant, 24.7.1830. He was discharged from the Royal Marines, 20.4.1838, enlisting as a Master-at-Arms with the Royal Navy two years later (Long Service & G.C. 11.6.1844), and serving in H.M.S. Indus. By the time that he came to claim his N.G.S., his father was not alive to claim his and as such there is only one John Denham on the roll, and it appears that the two were confused in rank and rate and as a consequence the young Denham has been recorded in his father´´s rank for the action at Algiers. To confuse matters further Douglas-Morris also gives the recipient of this pair of medals as being entitled to a China 1842, having served in H.M.S. Blonde. However this appears to be in error, as he records him as a Boy Second Class. Even the younger Denham was perhaps a little long in the tooth for such a rate. The medals are, in every sense of the phrase, entirely as issued! Provenance: Glendining April 1940

Sold for
£3,400