Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The outstanding and exceptionally rare Order of St Michael and St George collar chain and associated insignia bestowed upon Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Hussey Moubray, G.C.M.G., K.C.B., Royal Navy, together with an original set of signed orders from Admiral Lord Nelson ‘Given on board the Victory at Sea’, the year prior to his death on the same ship at the Battle of Trafalgar

i. The Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George, G.C.M.G, Knight Grand Cross, an early and fine quality Collar Chain, silver-gilt and enamel, hallmarked London 1836, the links alternatively composed of winged lions royally crowned, Maltese crosses, and the cyphers SM and SG, having in the centre of the collar an imperial crown over two uncrowned winged lions, passant gardant, each holding in his fore paw a book and seven arrows, the reverse with hook suspension for badge, with two similar lions, but royally crowned, at the opposite end of the chain, small solder spots on reverse of enamelled crosses and slightly chipped in places

ii. The Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George, G.C.M.G, Knight Grand Cross, a superb quality breast star, silver with gold and enamel centre, circa 1837, the reverse lightly scratched with initials ‘RHH’

iii. The Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George, G.C.M.G, Knight Grand Cross, an attractive tinsel Mantle Star with unusual polychrome enamelled centre, wear to silk of red cross

iv. The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, K.C.B. (Military) Knight Commander’s breast star, by Salter Widdowson & Tate, London, silver with gold and enamel centre, the reverse lightly scratched with initials ‘RHH’, circa 1832, two old repairs to body of star and minor enamel chips

v. Original signed Orders from Nelson, directing ‘Richard H. Moubray, Esqr., to take H.M.S. Active to the Bay of Rosas or Barcelona, to rest his crew for a week, following which he was to return to rendezvous at ‘Number 100’ with the utmost expedition, ‘Given on board the Victory at sea 8th March 1804’, signed in the Admiral’s own hand ‘Nelson & Bronte’, good very fine, rare (4) £20,000-£30,000

Provenance: Sotheby’s 1983.

Literature: The above insignia of St Michael and St George is illustrated in The Order of St Michael and St George by Peter Galloway [for the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood, 2000] plates 11 and 13.

There is no evidence of the existence of a collar for GCMGs before 1832 when they are first mentioned in the statutes published in that year. However, as there was no budgetry allowance for collars until 1869, Knights Grand Cross prior to that date would have to pay for one to be manufactured. Few did and for many years the collar had little more substance than a description in the statutes. This collar is unusual in that the statutes of 1832 only provide for the two central lions to be with wings, the remainder to be ‘lions of England royally crowned’, to which pattern Queen Victoria’s collar made in 1837 seems to conform, as do later collars.

Richard Hussey Moubray was born at Plymouth in 1776 and entered the Royal Navy as a 14 year old Midshipman in 1789, aboard the Impregnable 98. Intelligent and energetic, he was destined for rapid promotion. He served in the Europa 50, Commodore Ford, at the capture in September 1793, of Jeremie and St Nicholas Mole, St Domingo; and, being shortly afterwards promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, was present as First of the same ship at the reduction of Port-au-Prince. He was advanced in June 1794 to the command of the Fly sloop, in which he assisted at the detention of five Dutch men-of-war and of a large convoy in Plymouth Sound in January 1795. He attained Post-rank on 10 April 1797, just a month after his 21st birthday.

After serving as a Volunteer under his cousin, Captain Sir R. Bickerton on board the Ramillies and Terrible 74’s, Captain Moubray was appointed to the successive command, between 1801 and 1814, of the Maidstone and Active frigates, and Montagu and Repulse 74’s. During that thirteen-year period he was never absent from his duty for a single day, even on leave. In the Active he passed the Dardanelles with Sir John Duckworth in February 1807; and in the Montagu he played an important part in the reduction of Santa Maura in March 1810. He was created a Companion of the Bath in June 1815; a Rear-Admiral in in July 1821; a Knight Commander of the Bath in April 1833; and a G.C.M.G. and a Vice-Admiral in 1837. He assumed the name of Hussey by sign-manual on inheriting the estates of his cousin Admiral Sir Richard Hussey Bickerton, Bart., K.C.B., upon his death in 1832. Sir Richard Hussey Hussey died a Vice-Admiral of the Red on 6 November 1842.