Orders, Decorations and Medals

Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, 29 Aug Boat Service 1800 (J. Farmar, 2nd Lieut. R.M.) minor hairlines, otherwise nearly extremely fine and scarce

Approximately 25 clasps issued for the cutting out of the French privateer Guepe, in the Redondela narrows, off Vigo Bay.

Jasper Farmar joined the Royal Marines as Second Lieutenant on 21 July, 1796, with the Plymouth Division. On 16 May, 1800, he was borne on the books of H.M.S. Stag and in that ship saw his first action with the enemy, when she assisted the Dart in the capture of the French frigate Désirée in the Dunquerque Road. Although present at this action, Farmar does not appear to have applied for the clasp ‘Capture of the Desiree’ to which he would have been entitled.

In August 1800, in the attack on Ferrol on the north western tip of Spain, Farmar took a detachment of Marines on shore to storm a gun battery. Although successfully completed, the overall strength of the enemy emplacements resulted in a total withdrawal and his squadron proceeded south to Vigo Bay. It was here that Farmar earned the clasp to his Naval General Service Medal when he was present in the boats, under Lieutenant Henry Burke R.N., in the attack on the French privateer Guepe. In the evening of the 29th August, a division of boats, 20 in number, from the ships of the squadron, assembled for the attack, and at about 40 minutes past midniight the boats got alongside the privateer which was mounting 18 long 8-pounders, and manned with 161 men. The crew of the Guepe had cheered the approach of the boats to sow that they were fully prepared to meet the attack. Notwithstanding this, and that the Guepe’s commander, citizen Dupan, had laid over the hatches to keep his men to their quarters, the British resolutely boarded, and in 15 minutes carried the vessel. The British loss amounted to five killed and 25 wounded but the loss aboard the Guepe, as a proof of how obstinately she had been defended, amounted to 25 men killed and 40 wounded, including her commander who subsequently died.

Whilst at anchor off Vigo, one week later, the Stag parted her cables in some worsening gales, and when Captain Winthrop tried to weather the storm, he was blown onto Vigo rock and the ship was holed. The Stag was set on fire but miraculously the entire crew was saved by the squadron’s boats. His next sea-going appointment appears to have been aboard H.M.S. Magnificent, Captain Jervis, stationed off the French coast. On 25 March, 1804, in attempting to cut off a French transport ship heading for Brest, the Magnificent struck an uncharted rock off the Pierres Noire, and although all the crew was again saved, this time many were taken prisoner by the enemy. Amongst those captured was Lieutenant Farmar who was immediately taken to the fortress at Verdun where he was interned for the next 10 years. Sold with additional research.

During his time as a prisoner-of war, Farmar was promoted Second Captain in 1808, and to full Captain on 22 November, 1809. Soon after his release, in 1814, he was sent for service with the Royal Marine Battalion to America. He was placed on the half pay of the Patriotic Fund in 1816 and, four years later, on the permanent half pay of the Royal Marines. He died at his residence at Treago, Herefordshire, on 6 March, 1861, having served for many years as a Magistrate in that county.