Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Pair: Quartermaster Richard Carey, Royal Navy

India General Service 1854-95, 1 clasp, Pegu (Richd. Carey. A.B. “Fox”.); Baltic 1854-55, unnamed as issued, the first nearly extremely fine, the second slightly loose at claw, nearly very fine (2) £280-£340

Richard Carey was born in Devonport in either October 1824, or November 1823. He first served in the Royal Navy in Termagent on 1 October 1839 as a Boy 2nd Class, moving to Waterwitch on 1 January 1840, rising to Boy 1st Class on 13 February 1842, but was invalided on 15 November 1842. He re-joined in Spiteful on 22 March 1843 as an Ordinary Seaman, he rose to Able Seaman on 6 September 1846 before moving to Amphitrite on 4 Aug 1847. He remained in her until joining Fox, still as an A.B. on 3 September 1850. He joined Edinburgh on 6 May 1854, was promoted to Leading Seaman on 1 November 1854 and did not leave her until 15 January 1855. From Edinburgh he moved to Nankin on 16 Jan 55 as a Leading Seaman. On 17 July 1855 he reverted to A.B. (no reason given) until 27 November 1855 before re-advancing to Leading Seaman. On 28 July 1857, he was discharged from Nankin to Victory and invalided on 18 August 1857. In April 1858 he re-joined in Agamemnon as an A.B., moved to Terrible as a Leading Seaman on 24 September 1858. He then rapidly advanced, on 12 November 1858, to Captain of the Forecastle and on 5 February 1862 moved to Euryalus, becoming Coxswain of the Launch on 25 March 1862. He remained in Euryalus until 25 April 1865, variously as A.B., Captain of the Mast, Boatswain's Mate and Captain of the Forecastle again. On 26 April 1865 he joined Princess Royal, first as Captain of the Forecastle and later as Quartermaster, until 15 August 1867 when he transferred to Canopus as Quartermaster until 11 October, and moving to Indus on 19 October 1867, remaining in her as an A.B. until 10 December 1870. He was then discharged finally to Shore after a total of 26 years and 358 days of service at the age of about 47. There is no mention in his papers of being ‘traced for’ a pension or being discharged ‘to pension’.

In the muster list for Edinburgh he is shown as engaged in “duty on shore” during the bombardment and reduction of Bomarsund, and would have been engaged in the landings there. He is shown on the medal rolls for Edinburgh as in receipt of the Baltic medal which was sent to Victory, 11 days before he was discharged from Portsmouth Barracks. The medal roll for the Second China War shows his entitlement to a no-clasp medal for his service in Nankin, but the roll is not annotated that the medal was ever delivered to him.

Note: The Baltic medal has been added by the vendor as representative of his entitlement.

Sold with copied record of service and other research.