Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Ashantee 1873-74, no clasp (J. Boswell, Engr. R.N. H.M.S. Seagull, 73-74) good very fine £300-£360

John Boswell was born on 29 December 1836, and his first recorded naval service was in the Keyham Factory from 13 February 1858 to 15 April 1861, as a confirmed Assistant Engineer 3rd Class. He was advanced to 2nd Class on 16 April, to 1st Class on 20 December 1861, and promoted to Engineer 5 January 1865, remaining thus until 31 December 1872. Much of this time appears to have been ashore although the Navy Lists show that he joined Seagull in December 1867 and served in her until December 1876, including time on the West Coast of Africa during the Ashantee campaign.

Boswell served subsequently in Indus, October 1875 to May 1876, and Cyclops, May to December 1876. He was promoted to Chief Engineer on 13 December 1876, and joined Modeste, from February 1877 to September 1881. He returned to Indus briefly, October to December 1881, and was then appointed to Nankin ‘for Majestic’, a large turret ship being built at Pembroke Dock which was renamed Edinburgh on launching in March 1882, Boswell being her commissioning Engineer. Finally he went to Asia, the guard ship and living ship at Portsmouth before the barracks were built in 1905, and remained there until 18 May 1884, when he was ‘discharged dead’, but no reason is given for his relatively early death at the age of 47.