Naval and Indian Marine Medals from the Collection of John Tamplin

India General Service 1854-95, 1 clasp, Persia (C. G. Constable, Lieut. Comg. Euphrates, Brig.) some light contact marks, otherwise good very fine £600-800

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Naval and Indian Marine Medals from the Collection of John Tamplin.

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Charles Golding Constable was born on 29 March 1821, second son of John Constable and Maria, his wife. His parents had seven children in all but Charles, or Charley as he was known in the family, was the only one to have issue. His father, John Constable, was the celebrated landscape painter, who was born on 11 June 1776, the fourth child and second son of Golding Constable, a prosperous corn merchant of East Bergholt in Suffolk. John Constable was elected to the Royal Academy in 1829, and died on 1 April 1837.

Charley Constable was sent to school in Folkestone and, from an early age, was passionately attached to the sea. He was also an accomplished artist, as were his brothers. In 1835 he was enrolled as a Midshipman in the East India Company’s service, aged 14, and joined the Buckinghamshire. His uncle, Abram Constable, put up some money for his uniform, and his father painted a portrait of him wearing it. His father went to the docks with him, accompanied by his youngest brother, Alfred, then aged about 9, and went on deck with him. He would not see his father again.

Constable was appointed a Volunteer on 23 April 1838, and exactly a year later he was appointed a Midshipman, at which time he was serving in the schooner Shannon. He then served in turn in the Mahe, the Hastings and the Coote, being advanced to Mate on 23 April 1839, and to Lieutenant on 4 May 1845. From 1844, when surveys were recommenced by the Indian Marine, Constable was continuously employed on these duties. He assisted Captain Sanders in the years 1844-45 in his survey of the south-east coast of Arabia, and in the latter part of 1849 and early in the following year, while on furlough, proceeded to Egypt, where he drew a map for Sir James Outram, who was at that time employed on secret service for the Government, compiling a memoir on the resources, defences, and military capabilities of that country. For this work, which was voluntarily undertaken, and without remuneration, he received the thanks of the Supreme Government and of the Government of Bombay, besides being honoured with the friendship and esteem of Sir James Outram, who wrote of his services in the highest possible terms in a letter to Commodore Lushington. On his return from Egypt, Lieutenant Constable had applied to Commodore Lushington for employment on the Survey, but had been informed that there was no vacancy. Colonel Outram’s letter, however, acted as the “open sesame,” and a place was speedily found for Constable in the Euphrates, formerly a brig-of-war but now re-fitted as a surveying vessel.

From 1851 to 1856, Constable was employed surveying on the west coast of India, either as assistant to Commander Rennie in 1852, and Commander Grieve in 1853, or as surveyor in command. Under instructions from Sir Henry Leeke, dated 24 March 1856, to “complete the deep sea soundings from Angria’s bank to Cape Comorin,” including an area of about 16,800 square miles, Constable was employed on this work, when, on the 11th November, he was attached to the Persian Expeditionary force as Surveyor to the expedition, in command of the Euphrates, with Lieutenant Sweny as his assistant. No fitter person could have been found, either in the service or out of it, as for many years he had turned his attention to the Hydrography of the Persian Gulf, and his knowledge of every creek and inlet was so profound as to have passed into a proverb among his brother officers.

On the capture of Bushire he was engaged making a minute survey of the town, harbour, and neighbouring country, a task made more difficult on account of the general suspicion and jealousy of the local inhabitants. In order to secure this, therefore, he and his officers had to work throughout the hot season, whilst the town was still under occupation; but they completed their the task in time, though not without suffering considerably in health. On the conclusion of the war, Constable was ordered to correct the survey of the Gulf, which occupied him from April 1857 to March 1860. In June 1858 Constable returned to Bombay in the Euphrates, and again proceeded to the Persian Gulf in the Marie, schooner, of 167 tons. On the completion of the survey in March 1860, he finally returned to Bombay, now with the rank of Commander, where he completed the new chart, published by the Admiralty in 1862. On his return to England, Constable was employed writing the Persian Gulf Pilot, a work filled with information which he had been collecting for 20 years, and which was published by the Admiralty in 1864. His charts of the Persian Gulf were still in common use after the 1914-18 war.

On the disbandment of the Indian Navy, Commander Constable was pensioned from 28 November 1862, and on 30 April 1863 he was granted the honorary rank of Captain. He was married to Anna Maria, by whom he had issue 4 sons and 2 daughters. Captain C. G. Constable died on 18 March 1879 in South Hampstead, London, aged 53. He was buried in the family vault in Hampstead Parish Church Yard.