Bonhams
Lot 55
The Grand Cross Mantle Star Of The Most Distinguished Order Of St. Michael And St. George Worn At Investitures By George IV And William IV And Presented By Admiral Sir George Seymour To His Excellency Lt. General Sir Gaspard Le Marchant, Governor of Malta in 1860Circa 1820Of polychrome enamelled silver-gilt, the central medallion finely painted with St. Michael vanquishing Satan (dark blue motto enamel with some old repairs and later minor damage, red enamel with areas of minor damage), and centred on the bright-cut parcel-gilt star: mounted beneath a domed glass frame of hexagonal form covered in burgundy velvet with gilt-metal mounts, the outer border pierced and engraved with foliage, and surmounted by an applied elaborately pierced and engraved 'VR' monogram centred on a crown, the reverse with central gilt medallion engraved 'THIS STAR OF THE GRAND CROSS OF THE ORDER ST. MICHAEL & ST. GEORGE WAS WORN AT INVESTITURES BY THEIR MAJESTIES GEORGE IVTH AND WILLIAM IVTH AND WAS PRESENTED BY ADMIRAL SIR GEORGE SEYMOUR, G.C.B. TO HIS EXCELLENCY LT. GENERAL SIR GASPARD LE MARCHANT GOVERNOR OF MALTA. 1860', hinged and pierced gilt-metal stand, and three rings for suspension The order 24 cm. wide, the frame 36.6 cm. wide X 50 cm. highFootnotes:ProvenanceLanglois Ltd. Auction, Guernsey C.I., according to an old label attached of the back of the frameAdmiral of the Fleet Sir George Francis Seymour, GCB, GCH, PC (1787-1870) joined the Royal Navy in 1797 and was assigned to the Royal yacht HMY Princess Augusta. In March 1798 he was transferred to HMS Sans Pareil and to HMS Prince of Wales in the West Indies later the same year. He was present at the surrender of Suriname in August 1799, and on promotion to midshipman he transferred to HMS Acasta in early 1800. During 1802 Seymour served aboard HMS Endymion and HMS Victory, flagship of the Mediterranean Squadron. Promoted to Lieutenant in October 1804, he took part in the pursuit of the French Fleet, and was present at the capture of the Spanish Rayo (100 guns) in October 1805. Promoted to Commander in 1806 Seymour served as commanding officer of HMS Northumberland in 1806 and fought at the Battle of San Domingo under Sir John Duckworth where he was wounded. He took part in the blockade of Rochefort, and was promoted to Captain in July 1806. In 1808 he was given command of HMS Pallas and fought at the Battle of the Basque Roads in 1809. During the War of 1812 he captured the privateer USS Paul Jones in May 1813 whilst in command of HMS Leonidas. Appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in June 1815, he became Serjeant-at-Arms to the House of Lords in 1818. He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Royal Guelphic Order in 1831 and was knighted later the same year. In 1834 he was advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Guelphic Order. In June 1837 he attended the funeral of William IV, his last act as Master of the Robes to the King. Appointed Third Naval Lord in September 1841 and soon promoted to Rear Admiral, he became Commander-in-Chief Pacific Station in May 1844. His tactful handling of the 'Pritchard Affair' during the Franco-Tahitian War that same year avoided a confrontation with the French Government. Promoted to Vice-Admiral in March 1850, he became Commander-in-Chief North America and West Indies Station in January 1851. In 1856 he was Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth and was promoted to Full Admiral in May 1857. Appointed Rear-Admiral in 1863, Vice-Admiral in 1856, he became an Admiral of the Fleet in November 1866. Following his death in 1870 his body was placed in a tomb on which rests a recumbent marble sculpture of him by Victor Gleichen, at Holy Trinity Church, Arrow, near the family seat at Ragley Hall in WarwickshireLieutenant General Sir John Gaspard Le Marchant, GCMG, KCB (1803-1874) was the son of Major-General John Le Marchant, founder of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst and designer of the 1796 Pattern Light Cavalry sabre. In 1820 he was commissioned into the Royal Lincolnshire Regiment as ensign. In 1821 he transferred to the 57th Foot as Lieutenant and later into the 98th Foot with the rank Major. In 1835 he became Adjutant-General of the British Auxiliary Legion in Spain in support of Queen Isabella II in the First Carlist War. He transferred to the 20th Foot in 1837 and was appointed a Knight of the Order of Charles III by Isabella II the same year, being given permission to use his Spanish knighthood in Britain. He transferred to the 99th Foot as Lieutenant-Colonel in 1839, and to the 85th Foot in 1845. In 1847 he reluctantly accepted the governorship of Newfoundland, and served as Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia between 1852-58, before becoming Governor of Malta until 1864. In 1865 he was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Madras Army and retired in 1868. His memorial stone is in Town Church, GuernseyFor further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
