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

The Naval General Service medal awarded to Major Jasper Farmar, Royal Marines, for the spirited gun boat action which resulted in the capture of the French privateer Guepe in August 1800; he was unfortunately shipwrecked and captured in March 1804, being interned in the fortress at Verdun for 10 years, after which he joined the Royal Marine Battalion in North America

Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, 29 Aug Boat Service 1800 (J. Farmar, 2nd Lieut. R.M.) extremely fine £6,000-£8,000

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

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Glendining’s, June 1987.

Confirmed on the roll as 2nd Lieutenant aboard H.M.S. Stag. Approximately 25 clasps issued for the cutting out of the French privateer Guepe, in the Redondela narrows, off Vigo Bay, on 29 August 1800.

Jasper Farmar joined the service as Second Lieutenant on 21 July 1796, with the Plymouth Division of the Royal Marines. On 16 May 1800, he was borne on the books of H.M.S. Stag and in that ship saw his first action with the enemy, when she assisted the Dart in the capture of the French frigate Desirée in the Dunquerque Road. Although present at this action, Farmar does not appear to have applied for the clasp 'Capture of the Desiree' to which he would have been entitled. In August, 1800, in the attack on Ferrol on the north western tip of Spain, Farmar took a detachment of Marines on shore to storm a gun battery. Although successfully completed, the overall strength of the enemy emplacements resulted in a total withdrawal.

His squadron proceeded south to Vigo Bay and it was here that Farmar earned his Naval General Service medal for 'Boat Service 29 August 1800.' He was present in the gun boats under Lieutenant Burke R.N., which captured the French privateer Guepe after some fierce hand-to-hand fighting. Whilst at anchor off Vigo one week later, the Stag parted her cables in some worsening gales. When Captain Winthrop tried to weather the storm he was blown onto the Vigo rock and the ship holed. The Stag was set on fire and the entire crew miraculously saved by the squadron's boats. His next sea-going appointment seems to have been to H.M.S. Magnificent, Captain Jervis. Further service off the French coast, however, was to result in disaster for Farmar. On 25 March 1804, in attempting to cut off a French transport ship heading for Brest, the Magnificent struck an uncharted rock off the Pierres Noires, and though all the crew was again saved, this time many were taken prisoner by the enemy.

Amongst those captured was Lieutenant Farmar who was immediately taken to the fortress at Verdun where he was to be interned for the next 10 years. During his time as a prisoner-of-war Farmar was promoted Second Captain, in 1808, and then to full Captain on 22 November 1809. Soon after his release in 1814, he was sent for service with the Royal Marine Battalion to America. He was placed on the half pay of the Patriotic Fund on 1 January 1816, and in 1820 he was placed on permanent half-pay, being promoted to Major on 28 November 1854. He died at his residence at Treago, Herefordshire, on 6 March 1861, having served for many years as a Magistrate in that county.