The 3-clasp Naval General Service medal awarded to Lieutenant Lawford Miles, Royal Navy,...

The 3-clasp Naval General Service medal awarded to Lieutenant Lawford Miles, Royal Navy, for his services as a Midshipman on board the Amethyst at the capture of the Thetis in November 1808, when he was severely wounded, and in the same ship at the capture of the Nieman in April 1809; he was afterwards Master’s Mate on board Lord Exmouth’s flagship Queen Charlotte at the bombardment of Algiers in 1816 Naval General Service 1793-1840, 3 clasps, Amethyst Wh. Thetis, Amethyst 5 April 1809, Algiers (Lawford Miles, Midshipman.) edge bruise and contact marks, otherwise very fine £20,000-£24,000 --- Importation Duty This lot is subject to importation duty of 5% on the hammer price unless exported outside the UK --- --- Provenance: Dalrymple White Collection, Glendining’s, July 1946; Spink, June 1976; Peter Dale Collection, July 2000. 31 clasps issued for Amethyst Wh Thetis, and 26 clasps issued for Amethyst 5 April 1809. Capture of the Thetis, 10 November 1808
This action was fought near L’Orient, between the Amethyst, thirty-eight, Captain Michael Seymour, and the French frigate La Thetis, of about equal force, but superior in the number of her crew, and having besides a body of one hundred soldiers on board. The engagement began about nine at night, and soon after eleven the Thetis made a desperate but unsuccessful attempt to board the Amethyst. After great slaughter, the French frigate was boarded and taken, being much shattered and entirely dismasted. The captain of the Thetis and one hundred and thirty-four of her men were killed, and one hundred and two wounded, including all her officers except three. The Amethyst suffered severely, Lieutenant Kendal, of the Marines, and eighteen men being killed, and fifty-one wounded. Her mizzen mast was shot away, her other masts much injured, and she had three and a half feet of water in her hold. Just as the action ended, the Triumph, seventy-four, Captain T. M. Hardy, and the Shannon, Captain Broke, came up, and the latter ship, taking the prize in tow, brought her into Plymouth. For this action Captain Seymour received the honour of knighthood, and a sword valued at one hundred guineas from the Patriotic Fund, in addition to the Naval Gold Medal. (Medals of the British Navy by W. H. Long refers). Capture of the Niemen, 5 April 1809
At eleven on the morning of April 5th, the thirty-eight gun frigate Amethyst, about forty-two leagues from Cordovan lighthouse, caught sight of a ship steering to the westward. The Emerald, thirty-six, Captain T. L. Maitland was in company, and both ships joined in pursuing the stranger, the French frigate Niemen, forty guns, bound for the Isle of France. The chase was continued during the day, and at seven in the evening, the Amethyst, lost sight of the Emerald and of the enemy, on which he had gained but little. Captain Seymour then altered his course to cross the probable track of the French frigate, and at twenty minutes to ten p.m. discovered her steering to the westward. Soon after eleven p.m. the ships exchanged shots from their bow and stern chasers, and about quarter past one a.m. the Amethyst closed on her opponent, and gave her her starboard broadside. From this time till half past three, a severe action continued, and shortly after, the main-top and mizzen masts of the Niemen were shot away, her main top was on fire, and her guns nearly silenced. In bringing to, to the leeward, the main-mast of the Amethyst through the damaged state of her rigging, fell over the starboard quarter, carrying with it the mizzen mast, and about the same time the main-mast of the Niemen fell. Both ships then ceased firing. A quarter of an hour later, the thirty-eight gun frigate Arethusa, Captain R. Mends, came up within gunshot, and the Niemen hoisted a light, and fired a gun at the Arethusa, and another at the Amethyst. The Arethusa returned the fire with some of her foremost guns, and the French frigate lowered her light and surrendered. Two officers and thirty-seven men of the Amethyst were absent in prizes, and of her remaining crew of two hundred and twenty-two men and boys, she had eight men killed, and three officers, and thirty-four men wounded. The Niemen with a crew of three hundred and thirty-nine men and boys, lost forty-seven men killed, and had seventy-three men wounded. The Arethusa sustained no loss whatever. The prize, a very fine new frigate, was taken in tow by the Arethusa, her hull being much damaged, and the next day, her foremast fell over the side. She was added to the Royal Navy by the same name.
There is a great similarity between this action and that of the Amethyst and Thetis, in the manner of conducting it, in the comparative force of the combatants, and also in reference to the intrusion of a third party. It is quite evident, however, that in both cases the capture was virtually effected by the Amethyst. Captain Seymour was created a baronet of the United Kingdom, and the first lieutenant, William Hill, promoted to Commander. (Medals of the British Navy by W. H. Long refers). Lawford Miles entered the Navy 4 August 1806, and while serving as Midshipman of the Amethyst, of 42 guns and 261 men, assisted at the capture, 11 November 1808, off L’Orient, of the French frigate La Thétis, of 44 guns and 436 men, including troops, which was boarded and carried at the close of a furious conflict of more than three hours, in which the British had 19 men killed and 51 (including himself severely) wounded, and the enemy 135 killed and 102 wounded. The injury he sustained on the occasion was at first rewarded by a gratuity from the Patriotic Fund, and subsequently by a pension of £6. On 6 April 1809, he was further present in a severe intermittent action of about four hours, which terminated in the capture, with a loss to the Amethyst of 8 men killed and 37 wounded (including himself with a severe contusion), of another of the enemy’s frigates, Le Niemen, of 46 guns and 339 men, of whom 47 were slain and 73 wounded. During his stay in the Amethyst Mr. Miles also served in the boats at the capture and destruction of a convoy off Chasseron Tower; and was a participator in the operations connected with the expedition to the Walcheren. In August 1816, having passed his examination in the course of the preceding year, he was present on board the Queen Charlotte 100, flag-ship of Lord Exmouth, at the battle of Algiers. He was made Lieutenant, 4 April 1825, into the Menai 26, Captain Houston Stewart, on the Halifax station, whence he invalided in the following April; and, since 19 October 1846, has been serving as Agent on board a contract mail steam-vessel.