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

The 2-clasp Naval General Service medal awarded to Joseph Beddows, a Private Royal Marines aboard the Stately at the destruction, in company with H.M.S. Nassau, at the destruction of the Danish 74-gun Prinds Christian Frederick in March 1808, and in the boats of the Princess Caroline on 25 July 1809, in a most desperate and sanguinary conflict with four Russian gun-boats and an armed brig in the gulf of Finland
Naval General Service 1793-1840, 2 clasps, Stately 22 March 1808, 25 July Boat Service 1809 (Joseph Beddows.) minor edge bruising and marks, otherwise very fine £8,000-£10,000

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

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Collection

Spink N.C., September 1957 and December 1959; Peter Dale Collection, July 2000.

Joseph Beddows is confirmed on the rolls as a Private Royal Marines aboard H.M.S. Stately at the destruction, in company with H.M.S. Nassau, at the destruction of the Danish 74-gun Prinds Christian Frederick on 22 March 1808; and in the boats of H.M.S. Princess Caroline on 25 July 1809. 31 and 36 clasps issued for these actions respectively.


On 22 March 1808, at 2 p.m., the British 64-gun ships Stately, Captain George Parker, and Nassau, Captain Robert Campbell, proceeding towards the Great Belt, descried and chased a strange sail. At 4 p.m., off the Jutland coast, the stranger was made out to be an enemy, and at 5 p.m., a Danish ship of the line, which evidently intended to run herself ashore, if no other means of escape presented itself.

At 7.40 p.m. the Nassau got up with, and opened fire upon the Danish 74-gun ship Prindts Christian Frederick, Captain Jessen, and, in a few minutes afterwards, the Stately closed and did the same. A running fight was thus maintained, with great obstinacy on the part of the 74, until 9.30 p.m., when the Prindts Christian Frederick struck her colours. At this time the latter was within less than 500 yards of the shore of Zealand, and, before the first lieutenant of the Stately, who had gone on board to take possession, could cut away her anchor, the prize grounded. The two British ships, fortunately for them, had already brought up near her. The remaining part of the night was employed in removing the prisoners, but it was found impossible to get the captured ship afloat. In the evening of the 23rd, as the Danes were preparing their artillery on the coast, and as the wind blew strong on the shore and a good deal of sea was running, the Prindts Christian Frederick was set on fire by her captors, and in a short time blew up.

The loss on the part of the Stately was two seamen and two marines killed, and one lieutenant, the boatswain, one master's mate, 23 seamen and two marines wounded. The Nassau had one seaman killed and one missing, and one first-class volunteer, 10 seamen and five marines wounded; the total British loss amounting to five killed and 45 wounded and missing. The Prindts Christian Frederick, out of a complement on board of 576 men and boys, had 55 killed and 88 wounded.

On 25 July 1809, Captain Charles Dudley Paten, commanding a British squadron, composed of his own ship the Princess Caroline 74, the Minotaur 74, Captain John Barrett, the 18-pounder 32-gun frigate Cerberus, Captain Henry Whitby, and the 18-gun ship-sloop Prometheus, Captain Thomas Forrest, permitted the latter to lead the boats of the squadron, 17 in number, to the attack of four Russian gun-boats and an armed brig, lying at Fredericksham, near Apso roads, in the gulf of Finland. After dark the boats, commanded by Captain Forrest, pushed off from the squadron, and at 10.30 p.m. commenced the attack. After a most desperate and sanguinary conflict, three of the gun-boats, mounting two long 38-pounders each, and having on board between them 137 men, besides an armed transport brig, with 23 men, were captured and brought off.

Costly, indeed, were the prizes. The British loss amounted to one lieutenant, one second lieutenant of marines, one midshipman, and six seamen and marines killed; Captain Forrest himself, one lieutenant, three midshipmen, and 46 seamen and marines wounded. The Russians, on their side, acknowledged a loss of 28 killed and 59 wounded, making a total of 47 men killed and 110 wounded, in obtaining possession of three gun-boats. One of these gun-boats, No. 62, was so obstinately defended, that every man of her 44-man crew was either killed or wounded before she surrendered, 24 of these being killed. The result of this enterprise was a defeat to the Russians certainly, but under circumstances that reflected the brightest honour upon the character of their navy. For the gallantry he had shown on the occasion, Captain Forrest was promoted to post-rank.