Bosleys Military Auctioneers
Lot 78
Officer’s Naval General Service Medal 1793-1840, clasp “Northumberland 22 May 1812” & Arctic Medal Pair.A rare combination awarded to Vice Admiral Francis Harding, who as a First Class Volunteer was present onboard HMS Northumberland during the action with the French frigates Ariane and Andromaque and would later serve as Lieutenant onboard the discovery ship HMS Gripper on the disastrous attempt to reach Repulse Bay 1824 Comprising: Naval General Service Medal, clasp “Northumberland 22 May 1812”, “F. HARDING VOLR”, Arctic Medal 1857 “LIEUT FRANCIS HARDING HMS GRIPPER” (privately impressed naming). First medal with edge bruising. Vice Admiral Francis Harding was born on the 28th April 1799, and entered the Royal Navy as a Volunteer on the 24th January 1812, under Captain Sir William Parker of the Amazon 38, a few weeks later he was removed to the Northumberland under the command of Captain Hon Henry Hotham. He is confirmed on the NGS Roll as serving onboard HMS Northumberland a 74 gun third rate, when she engaged two French frigates Ariane and Andromaque trying to slip through the British blockade of Isle de Groix. He would later see action with the Toulon Fleet and was present at the action resulting in the capture of a convoy of Porto Maurizio and the surrender of Genoa. Between 1814 and 1821 he served on the South American, Home and Newfoundland stations and passed his examination for Lieutenant in 1818. On the 7th April 1824 he was appointed to the discovery ship HMS Gripper, under Captain George Francis Lyon. She was refitted for Rear-Admiral Sir William Edward Parry’s third Northwest Passage expedition and was ordered to sail to Repulse Bay and from there cross the Rae Isthumus by sledge and to explore a stretch of water which lay to the west. She was also to support of HMS Hecla and HMS Fury. Gripper departed on 3 July 1824 and proceeded in company with the survey vessel Snap, the Gripper encountered gales and heavy ice when trying to make it’s way through the Roe’s Welcome and was so badly damaged she had to return to London and was paid off in December 1824. Francis Harding was now placed on the Half Pay list and it would not be until May 1827 when he was appointed Lieutenant of HMS Espoir 10 guns, which had be launched the previous year under the command of Captain Henry Francis Greville and sailed for the Cape of Good Hope. He was then appointed 1st Lieutenant of the surveying ship HMS Hecta and after an attack of the African Fever which killed her Captain Thomas Boteler and a large number of crew, he assumed command in November 1829. Returning home he was confirmed Captain in 1831 to the Jasper 18, in which he returned to the Cape. He would see service in South America as second Captain in the Flagship HMS Warspite of Sir Thomas Baker. In 1837 he was appointed Captain of Pelorus 16 and his services would see the thanks of the Governors of Western Australia and Van Dieman’s Land. He would also find himself serving as the Senior Naval Officer of the Australian Colonies. Due to ill health he once again found himself on the half pay list in 1841. He was promoted to the rank of Retired Rear-Admiral in 1862 and Retired Vice-Admiral in 1867. He died on the 22nd Janauary 1875 at Cheltenham. He is confirmed on the NGS Roll with the single clasp and also on the Arctic Medal Roll. There is no record found by Bosleys of these medals being previously on the open market.
