Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Attributed to Admiral and First Sea Lord Sir Richard Vesey Hamilton, G.C.B., Royal Navy
Baltic 1854-55; Arctic Medal 1818-55; China 1857-60, 1 clasp, Fatshan 1857, mounted as worn in this order, all unnamed as issued but attributed to Admiral and First Sea Lord, Richard Vesey Hamilton, Royal Navy, contained in leather case retailed by Phillips of Cockspur St., London, accompanied by extensive research and a copy photograph of Admiral Hamilton wearing the three medals mounted in the same order and style, good very fine, the last better (3) £2,000-£3,000

Sir Richard Vesey Hamilton was born at Sandwich, Kent, on 28 May 1829, the younger son of the Rev. John Vesey Hamilton, vicar of St. Mary’s Church, Sandwich, and his wife Frances Agnes Malone. He was educated at the Royal Naval School, Camberwell, and entered the Royal Navy in 1843, proceeding in the Virago to the Mediterranean. In 1850 he volunteered for service in one of the expeditions fitted out by the Admiralty in that year to search for the Arctic explorer, Sir John Franklin. He proceeded to the Arctic as mate in the Assistance and on his return in 1851 was promoted Lieutenant. He served in the Arctic in Assistance 1850-51, Resolute 1852-54 and with Assistance again 1852-54. He was First Lieutenant of Desperate in the Baltic, from 16 January 1855, and was discharged to Haughty on 4 Mar 1856. He was appointed Lieutenant and Commander of Haughty and, for his part in the action in Fatshan Creek on 1 June 1857, he achieved immediate promotion to Commander and, much later, in 1875, received a C.B. in recognition of this action. He left the ship on 21 September 1857 following his promotion. After leaving Haughty on 6 December 1857, he commissioned Hydra on 4 June 1858, and was promoted to Captain on 27 January 1862. He left Hydra on 15 July 1862 to join Vesuvius. He was promoted Rear Admiral on 17 September 1877; Vice Admiral 17 February 1884; and was created K.C.B. on 21 June 1887, when Commander-in-Chief, China Station; Admiral 18 October 1887; Second Sea Lord, 31 December 1888; First Sea Lord, 24 October 1889 until 27 September 1891, when he became President of the Royal Naval College Greenwich. He was transferred to the Retired List (aged 65) and ceased to be Admiral President on 1 October 1894. He died on 17 September 1912, aged 83.

Attribution: The medals are unnamed but are housed in a contemporary fitted case (Phillips, Cockspur Street, London) and is of a style that a senior officer would have commissioned. The case appears contemporary, and the ribbons are of older weave and seem to be original. Research suggests that that only four officers had this combination of medals - T. B. Collinson, R. P. Jenkins, and R. Wynniatt (medals known) being the other three. None rose to Flag rank apart from Hamilton who was First Sea Lord in 1889-91.
A portrait of Admiral Richard Vesey Hamilton in the National Maritime Museum (Negative No. 6573) shows him in the uniform of a full Admiral (with G.C.B. sash and star) wearing his medal group both in the order as mounted but also with the 2nd China medal significantly lower than the others, just as in this group. The portrait would have been painted in or after 1895 when he received the G.C.B. This medal group has been attributed to Hamilton for many years and the portrait evidence is compelling.