Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Arctic Medal 1818-55 (Robert Ganniclefft H.M.S. Resolute) privately engraved in small upright capitals, solder repair to star suspension at claw, contact marks, nearly very fine £1,400-£1,800

Robert Ganniclift/Ganniclefft appears on the Muster Roll for H.M.S. Resolute, an Able Seaman born in Exeter and aged 26 when he joined Resolute from Fisgard on 2 March 1852. He is noted as having prior service in H.M. Ships America, 1846-47, Stromboli, 1847-50, and St. George, 1850-52. He served in Resolute until he transferred to North Star, when Resolute was abandoned on 29 May 54. From 4 April to 18 May, 1853, he took part in a sledging party led by the French Lieutenant Emile Frédérick de Bray, exploring Melville Island. He was also entitled to the First China war medal as a Supernumerary Boy 2nd Class in H.M.S. Belleisle. When he joined the Navy he had been a seaman by occupation. His normal place of residence was Devonport. In the Muster List for H.M.S. Belleisle his name is shown as Ganniclift, a Supernumary Boy 2nd Class from 11 November 1841, advanced to Boy 1st Class on 24 August 1842. There are thus various spellings of his name from the Muster Lists, the medal roll and other records, including ‘Ganniclift’, ‘Gannicleftt’ and ‘Ganniclefft’. From his own signature contained in documents in the National Archives (ADM 171/9) it seems that the name he used was Ganniclefft, so he very likely arranged for the medal to be privately engraved using the spelling which he used as his own signature.