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Auction: 1025 - The Turl Collection of Naval General Service Medals 1793 - 1840
Lot: 40

A Scarce ´Boat Service´ N.G.S. Pair to Captain T. Baldock, Royal Navy, For the Successful Attack Upon a French Flotilla of Gun Boats at Port St. Mary, Cadiz, 23.10.1810; Earlier he Had the Honour of Conducting the Portuguese Royal Family to the Brazils; and Later He Took Part in Numerous Operations on the North American Coast and Was Present in the New Orleans Expedition Capturing the American Advance Guard Prior to the Main Forces Arrival. He also Took Part in Every Detached Operation at the Mouth of the Mississippi, Which Included the Capture of a Privateer. During a Later Command in Autumn, 1825 Baldock and His Crew Were Commended For Their Gallantry at New York For Extinguishing a Fire on Board a Vessel Full of Tar and Resin Naval General Service 1793-1840, one clasp, 23 Nov Boat Service 1810 (Thos. Baldock, Midshipman.); Portugal, Kingdom, Order of the Tower and Sword, Knight´s Cross, silver-gilt, gold and enamel, minor enamel damage, medal toned, nearly extremely fine, last with contemporary silver top riband buckle (2) Estimate £ 6,000-8,000 Thomas Baldock served as Midshipman in H.M.S. Norge when the bomb-vessels H.M.S. Devastation, Thunder and Aetna, together with a number of English and Spanish mortar and gunboats under the command of Captain R. Hall, attacked a French flotilla of gunboats at Port St. Mary, Cadiz, 23.11.1810. Some hundreds of shells were thrown amongst the enemy causing much damage. Approximately 40 clasps issued for this action. Captain Thomas Baldock, R.N., the son of the Rev. T.C.B. Baldock, M.A., the Rector of Milton, Dorset, and the nephew of Rear-Admiral T. Western; served with the fleet of Indiamen under Commodore Dance prior to joining the Royal Navy, October 1806; appointed Midshipman for service in H.M.S. London (commanded by his uncle, Captain T. Western, bearing the flag of Sir William Sidney Smith); after blockading the Tagus, he escorted the Royal Family of Portugal to the Brazils, November 1807, and as a consequence received, ´his royal license and permission that he may accept and wear the Cross of a Knight of the Royal Portuguese Order of the Tower and Sword, which the Queen of Portugal has been pleased to confer upon that officer, in consideration of the services rendered by him, and the great skill he displayed whilst conveying her Most Faithful Majesty´s august consort, his Royal Highness the Prince Ferdinand of Portugal, to Lisbon´; Baldock removed to H.M.S. Nemesis (Captain W. Ferris) for service in the Baltic, June 1809; he next joined for a few months in 1810, H.M.S. Tonnant off Cadiz; was then sent to assist in navigating a Spanish squadron to Minorca, and on returning in October to Cadiz, was for eleven consecutive months actively engaged with the flotilla, was latterly in charge of a gun boat at the defence of that place; Baldock served from H.M.S. Norge during the attack by bomb vessels, English and Spanish mortar and gun boats on French shipping at Port St. Mary off Cadiz, 23.10.1810; subsequent service included in H.M.S. Barbadoes, Dragon, Tribune and Grampus, all on the West India station; promoted First Lieutenant of the sloop Arachne, 1813; as Senior of the Herald (Captain C. Milward) he took part in many operations on the coast of North America, and during the expedition against New Orleans, captured the advanced guard of the enemy at the Belize prior to the arrival of the main forces; Baldock also commanded every detached operation at the mouth of the Mississippi, including the capture of a privateer; he subsequently negotiated the exchange of prisoners on the withdrawal of the army; he served with the Royalist and the Sabine on the Jamaica station before being invalided home in March 1816; he built the packet Swallow in 1819 and commanded her under the authority of the Post Office; he sold her to the Admiralty and was re-appointed to command her, October 1824; he and his crew were commended for their gallantry at New York, Autumn 1825, when they extinguished a fire on board a vessel laden with tar and resin - the insurance companies of the city united in presenting him with a handsome piece of plate and giving his men a sum of money; further commands included the steamers Firebrand and the Firefly, the latter was employed on the Mediterranean station; he formed part of a Committee of three officers appointed by the Admiralty to effect an organization of the steam department of the Navy; commanded the cutter Snipe off the coast of Ireland, 1839-1841; Commander November 1841; served as Superintendent of the Packet Service at Dover, 1846-1852; Captain 1854. Provenance: Christie March 1986 (also sold with a Knight´s Cross of the Order of Ernestine, which he also appears to have been conferred with)

Sold for
£6,500