Board of Trade Medal for Gallantry in Saving Life at Sea, V.R., large, silver (Edward Gardner, Wreck of the S.S. “Pelton” on the 26th March 1882) light scratch to obverse left field, otherwise good very fine £400-500

Ex Denham Collection, Sotheby’s 1971.

Edward Gardner of the schooner Uzziah was awarded the Board of Trade Gallantry Medal in Silver for his efforts in attempting to rescue the crew of the S.S. Pelton (of 816 tons), of Newcastle. The Pelton, carrying coal from Newport to Le Havre, foundered in a heavy sea off Ilfracombe, Devon in the Bristol Channel on 26 March 1882. The small schooner Uzziah managed to get alongside the wreck and rescue one of the crew, losing one of her own crew in the process. The rescued man was the only one of the Pelton’s 17 man crew to survive. The loss of the vessel was blamed on overloading - coal was even stowed on the bridge deck! With copied research.