Five: Boatswain 3rd Class C. Clarke, Royal Navy

China 1842 (Chas. Clarke, Boatswain, H.M.S. Hazard); New Zealand 1845-66, reverse dated 1845 to 1846 (C. Clarke. Boatswn., H.M.S. Hazard); Crimea 1854-56, no clasp (C. Clark. Boatsn. H.M.S. Prss. Royal) contemporarily engraved naming; Baltic 1854-55, unnamed as issued; Turkish Crimea 1855, Sardinian issue, unnamed as issued, pierced with ring suspension, suspension soldered on Baltic Medal, otherwise nearly extremely fine (5) £1,800-£2,200

Provenance: Captain K. J. Douglas-Morris Collection, Dix Noonan Webb, October 1996

112 China medals issued to this ship which also carried 20 R.M. officers and men. 23 of these men also served in Hazard during the operations in New Zealand in 1845-46, for which the ship received a total of 35 medals. This is one of seven recorded pairs known to have survived to this ship.

Charles Clarke was born in Portsmouth and commenced his service life as a Boy 3rd Class in April 1823, aged 14 years. After serving full commissions aboard H.M.S. Ferret and Royal George, during which he rose swiftly to Petty Officer rank, he received promotion to Boatswain 3rd Class in November 1840, followed immediately by the long commission in Hazard from October 1841 to May 1847. He was pensioned on 7 December 1865, having accumulated 38 years of adult service time.