Naval Medals from the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas (Part I)

Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, Nile (Sutville Isaacson, Clerk.) toned, extremely fine £4,000-£5,000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Naval Medals from the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas.

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Colin Message Collection, August 1999.

Confirmed on the roll as Clerk to Captain Edward Berry aboard Nelson’s flagship Vanguard at the battle of the Nile, the only medal issued in this rank for the Nile.

The battle of the Nile, fought on 1 August 1798, was perhaps the most spectacular of all Nelson's victories. A French fleet under Admiral Bruey lay anchored in line in Aboukir Bay, close inshore in very shallow water. Nelson with 11 of his 14 ships-of-the-line (Culloden having become stranded, and with two others arriving late), attacked in the late afternoon. Dividing his fleet in two, risking the depth of water and bringing the enemy under fire from both sides. Nelson's ships gradually progressed along the French line pouring a concentration of fire on successive ships. Bruey had no answer to these tactics and his fleet was devastated, with only 2 battleships of 13, and 2 frigates of 4, escaping. On the British side, Bellerophon was shot to a wreck and Majestic damaged badly. This catastrophe left a French Army cut off in Egypt and doomed to destruction.

Sutville Issacson was born in London in 1778. His forename was incorrectly entered on the Clasp Application Lists; it should be ‘Stuteville’, as given in Allen’s Navy List and which agrees with his signature on the Admiralty survey into the age and service of Pursers conducted in 1835. Isaacson, whose seniority as Paymaster & Purser dated from 18 March 1802, was then living at Rattesden, near Woolpit, Suffolk, and he gave his age in July 1834 as 57, with 37 years’ service, 10 years in war. Isaacson disappears from Allen’s list after January 1848, and the medal roll indicates that his medal was forwarded to his executors. He had in fact died in London in March 1848, so would never have seen his medal.

Sold with copied Admiralty Survey and notes compiled by Colin Message.