Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The N.G.S. medal to Captain John Sykes, Royal Navy, who was most actively engaged during the War of 1812, from first contact with the enemy in Belvidera’s celebrated escape from Commodore Rodgers’ powerful squadron in June 1812, and her prominent part in the incredible 3-day chase of the U.S.S. Constitution in July 1812, to the destruction of the American privateer Mars off Long Island by the boats of the squadron under his command in March 1814

Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, 1 June 1794 (John Sykes, Midshipman) edge bruising and contact marks, therefore nearly very fine £6000-8000

John Sykes was born in London in 1774 and Christened on 19 June 1774, at St. Mary's, Whitechapel,
Stepney, London. His brother, Thomas Sykes, was a Commander R.N.; his first cousin, John Sykes, a
Vice Admiral whose brother-in-law was Captain Richard Byron, C.B., R.N.

He entered the Navy on 29 January 1789, as Master's Servant, on board the Blonde 32. In the Charon,
which vessel had been converted into an hospital-ship, Sykes took part in Lord Howe's famous action on 1
June 1794, this being the only officers medal to that ship. In the Dictator he co-operated in 1797 in
the reduction of Trinidad. In the Constance he assisted at the capture of El Duides Spanish national
cutter of 8 guns and 69 men; of the privateers Venture of 2 guns and 27 men and El Cantara of 22 guns
and 110 men; and a vessel mounting 10 guns. He was frequently also, among other services, engaged in
command of her boats in affording protection to convoys in the Gut of Gibraltar. In 1809
Sykes received a silver medal from the Royal Humane Society for having jumped overboard in the Bay of
Palermo and saved the life of a man.

Sykes joined the Belvidera 36 in January 1810, employed as First-Lieutenant of that vessel until October 1814. On the 22nd
of July 1810 boats from the Belvidera and Nemesis 28 chased several Danish vessels off the coast
of Studtland, Norway, who then opened fire on them. These were the Bolder and Thor, schooner-rigged,
and mounting each two long 24-pounders and six 6-pounder howitzers with a crew of 45 men. The third
gun-vessel was of a smaller class, and carried one long 24-pounder with 25 men. On the morning of the
23rd Captain Byron detached upon the service of capturing or destroying these gun-vessels, the launch,
barge, and two cutters of the Belvidera, also, the launch, pinnacle, and yawl of the Nemesis. The
Danes opened a heavy fire upon the boats as they advanced, and received in return a fire from the
carronades in the bows of the launches. In a very short time the two gun-schooners hauled down their
colours and were taken possession of without the slightest loss, but the Danes had four men killed. The
remaining gun-boat ran up a creek, and was there abandoned by her crew and burnt by the British.

After visiting the latitude of Greenland and cruising on the coast of Africa, the Belvidera sailed for
the North American station. On 23 June 1812, Sykes was present at the Belvidera’s celebrated
retreat from a powerful squadron under Commodore Rodgers, with whom she endured a running action
which killed 2 and wounded 22 of her crew, and lasted until the enemy at length surrendered the chase.
The Belvidera thus escaped, Captain Byron being wounded, Sykes was
made the bearer of his dispatches to the Commander-in-Chief, Admiral Sawyer, at Halifax, giving the first notice of hostilities with America. Referring to Mr. Sykes’ conduct on this occasion, Captain Byron stated: “The President [the Commodore's
ship] must have suffered considerably from the excellent direction of the quarter-deck guns by Lieut.
John Sykes, First of this ship, an officer of 17 years’ standing.”

On 5 July 1812, Belvidera and Aeolus sailed from Halifax under Captain Philip Broke in Africa to cruise off the enemy coast. They captured the American brig Nautilus of 14 guns and 106 men off Sandy Hook on the 16th, and the same evening gave chase to the Constitution 56, which was on her way from Chesapeake Bay to New York. At daylight on the 17th both sides had to hoist out boats to tow due to lack of wind but Constitution gained an advantage by warping herself ahead in 24 fathoms until she was about four miles clear of the Belvidera. Captain Byron, however, copied her, working with two kedge anchors at the same time, paying the warp through one side as it was run through the other. This brought the two ships within gunshot and they exchanged fire with bow guns and stern chasers. The chase continued in a light breeze until daylight on the 19th when Constitution, being a clean ship, just out of port, was able to make her escape.

Sykes contributed
subsequently to the capture of a great variety of armed and other vessels. On 7 March, 1814, with the
boats of the Belvidera, Endymion, and Rattler under his orders, he destroyed, near Sandy
Hook, off Long Island, the Mars privateer of 15 guns and 70 men. The entry in the ship’s log reads:

“7 March 1814. Saw a sail; made sail in chase. Saw another; exchanged signals with H.M.S. Endymion. Chase a suspicious schooner ran on shore. Shortened sail; sent boats to baord the schooner. Boats employed bringing English and Prisoners from the American privateer Mars. Received 12 Englishmen and 33 Americans; schooner Mars set on fire. Made sail; observed the schooner burning to the water edge. Saw a sail; made sail in chase. Parted company with the Endymion.”

On 2 November 1814 he was promoted to the rank of Commander, and appointed to the Variable sloop; in
her he served until paid off in Aug. 1816. During that period he captured a piratical vessel and cruised
with activity on the coast of Guatemala and along the Mosquito shore, the most dangerous navigation in
the West Indies. On one occasion, when the town of Port Royal, Jamaica, was nearly destroyed by fire,
he distinguished himself by his exertions in subduing the flames; and succeeded in eliciting the thanks of
the Commander-in-Chief, Rear-Admiral John Erskine Douglas. While the conflagration was raging he
was directed to effect the explosion of a storehouse outside the dockyard; and he accordingly made the
necessary arrangements, but, before he could escape from the building, he was blown out of it, and was
very nearly involved in the general ruin. Since the Variable was put out of commission Commander Sykes saw no further active employment. He was promoted to Captain on the retired list on 15 August 1851.

The medal is accompanied by the most comprehensive research, including a photographic record (on 7 discs) of the Captain’s log of the Belvidera for the period 1 January 1811 to 20 October 1814 (lacking 3 months in 1811); a full and meticulous transcription of the same logs for the period 1 January 1810 to 20 October 1814, but omitting the prevailing sea and weather conditions; and another disc with copies of two paintings of the Belvidera in action with the U.S.S. President.