British Medals from the Collection of James Spencer

Sailing, Royal Thames Yacht Club, a silver award medal by Garrard & Co, yacht in full sail, rev. wreath, named (One Ton Cup, Eliminating Trials, Bunty, Admiral Lord Charles Beresford and J.L. Baird Esq, June 16 1913), 64mm (cf. BDW 10, 463). Tiny nick on reverse rim, otherwise extremely fine with grey tone, an interesting association piece (£120-150)

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, British Medals from the Collection of James Spencer.

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Charles William de la Poer Beresford, KCB, GCVO (1846-1919), second son of the 4th Marquess of Waterford; naval cadet, 1859; Lt 1868; MP for Waterford 1874-80; Commander 1875; Naval ADC to the Prince of Wales in India, 1875-6; commander of the Royal Yacht Osborne, 1878-81; commanded the gunboat Condor during the bombardment of Alexandria, July 1882 (medal and clasp, Khedive’s star, Order of Medjidieh 3rd class, M-I-D); on Lord Wolseley’s staff in the Nile expedition of 1884-5, Commander of the naval brigade at Abu Klea and Metemmeh who rescued Sir Charles Wilson and his party returning from Khartoum (M-I-D for gallantry); MP for East Marylebone 1885-9; appointed Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty 1886 but resigned in 1888 in protest against the nation’s neglect of the Fleet, later remedied by the passing of the Naval Defence Act, 1889; captained the cruiser Undaunted in the Mediterranean, 1889-93; commanded the steam reserve at Chatham, 1893-6; appointed Rear Admiral 1897; MP for York 1897-1900; MP for Woolwich 1902-3; Commander of the Channel squadron, 1903-5, appointed Admiral 1906; Commander of the Channel fleet, 1906-9; MP for Portsmouth 1910-16. Described as ‘the most popular man in the Navy’ and ‘unquestionably one of the ablest officers in the service’, Beresford was known for his outspoken views and following the expiry of his term as Commander-in-Chief in March 1909 agitated for a reorganization of the Navy in the light of revelations as to the increase in size of the German fleet. Beresford’s younger brother, Lord William Leslie de la Poer Beresford (1847-1900), won the VC with the 9th Lancers at the battle of Ulundi on 3 July 1879 (cf. DNW 2 July 2003, lot 226). Sold with further details and a photocopied picture of the recipient