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Auction: 9024 - The Property of a Gentleman Orders, Decorations and Campaign Medals
Lot: 751

Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck Medal, silver, Type 1 1824-1862, obverse: head of King George IV facing left (Willm. Askin. Voted 18 Feby. 1829.), contact marks, nearly very fine, pierced as issued for ring suspension Estimate £ 340-380 Askin despite being named ´´William´´ on the medal is listed as James Askin on the citation, which is jointly listed with Philip Lithaby, Chief Boatman, H.M. Coastguard, Ballywater and William Morrison, Branch Pilot and reads, ´´30 December 1828: In a very strong wind and heavy sea, the steam packet Sheffield, Liverpool to Belfast, was seen to be on Scullmartin Rock, about one and a half miles from the shore, at Ballywater, near Donaghadee, Co. Down, Northern Ireland with a distress signal flying. The Coastguard manned their boat; among her crew was Mr. Askin who had volunteered to fill a vacant seat. Because of the wind, the sea and the boat´´s weight, it took an hour and a half to reach the rock. Meanwhile three other boats had been manned, the lead being taken by Mr. Morrison but, on arrival, it was seen that the sea was breaking over the rock with great force and rushing through numerous gullies and chasms that intersected it. Mr. Lithaby succeeded in getting hold of a buoy with a rope attached, by which he was drawn on board the steamer. With the Master, he organised the passage of women and children passengers across a boom on to the rock where the surf was breaking with such force that great judgement was needed to bring the boats alongside. However, in six hours the Master, two Mates, two Engineers, 16 seamen and 24 passengers were landed safely.´´ Provenance: Glendining 1972

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£420