Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, Syria (Saml. F. Short, Mate.) light cabinet marks, good extremely fine £1000-1400

Provenance: Buckland, Dix & Wood, June 1994.

Samuel Frederick Short was born in Yorkshire on 4 April 1804, and joined the Royal Navy as a Volunteer 1st Class for service in H.M.S. Brazen on 14 March 1823. He served as a Volunteer 1st Class in H.M.S. Beaver from 5 July to 18 October 1823; as a Midshipman in H.M.S. Cambridge from 25 December 1823 to 21 June 1826; in H.M.S. Gloucester from 26 June 1827 to 23 June 1828; and in H.M.S. Hyperion from 1 October 1828 to 19 July 1829, before being discharged to Haslar.

Short then attended the Royal Naval College and passed his examination in 1830. He was appointed Midshipman and Mate on H.M.S. Weazel in 7 April 1830, and subsequently served as a Mate in H.M.S. Charybdis, Brisk, Revenge, Megaera, Talbot, and Barham, before being appointed Mate aboard the steam vessel H.M.S. Cyclops on 9 January 1840. He served in that ship during operations on and off the coast of Syria, including the bombardment of St. Jean d'Acre, was officially noticed and promoted Lieutenant on 5 November 1840. He transferred to the Coast Guard as a Lieutenant on 6 September 1844, based at Ramsgate, and was posted to Southampton on 2 February 1857. He retired with the rank of Commander on 4 December 1863.

Sold together with the recipient’s original ‘Passing Certificate’ for Lieutenant, and eight original ‘Appointing Letters’ from his first appointment as Mate of the steam vessel Cyclops in 1840, to the rank of retired Commander in 1863. Also sold with two cap ribbons, for Charybdis and Inflexible, the latter of later manufacture.