THE NAVAL GENERAL SERVICE MEDAL 1793-1840 WITH TRAFALGAR CLASP TO PRIVATE HUGH CARNEY, ROYAL MARINES, WHO SAW SERVICE AT TRAFALGAR ABOARD HMS BRITANNIA, BRITANNIA SEEING SERVICE AT TRAFALGAR IN THE WEATHER LINE COMMANDED BY ADMIRAL LORD NELSON, AND AS A RESULT BEING ONE OF THE FIRST SHIPS INTO ACTION AT TRAFALGAR AND SUBSEQUENTLY BEING CONTINUOUSLY ENGAGED THROUGHOUT THE BATTLE, DURING WHICH HMS BRITANNIA WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR COMPLETELY DISMASTING A FRENCH SHIP OF 80 GUNS AND ALSO ENGAGED THREE OTHER SHIPS FROM THE COMBINED FRANCO-SPANISH FLEET, HMS BRITANNIA DURING THE ACTION LOSING A TOTAL OF 52 MEN KILLED AND WOUNDED.
NAVAL GENERAL SERVICE MEDAL 1793-1840, 1 clasp, TRAFALGAR (officially named, impressed in serifed block capitals: HUGH CARNEY.). Attractively toned, Good Very Fine to Almost Extremely Fine, and with a length of original ribbon.
Hugh Carney is a unique name on the medal roll for the Naval General Service Medal 1793-1840, which confirms that he saw service as a Private, Royal Marines, aboard HMS Britannia at Trafalgar.
95 Trafalgar clasps awarded to officers and men of HMS Britannia, 11 officers and 84 other ranks.
Medal accompanied by extracts from Muster Rolls for HMS Britannia for the periods September-October 1805 and 1st May - 20th June 1806, biographical and service details from "The 1805 Club" website, Chelsea Pensioners record extracts, and copied extracts medal rolls (2, original and published), confirming medal and clasp.
Hugh Carney was born in the parish of St Michael, Bristol, circa 1776. He enlisted into the Royal Navy on 22/4/1805. At the time of enlistment Carney was 29 years of age and gave his trade as carver and gilder. Carney saw service initially with the 20th Company, Portsmouth Division, Royal Marines and saw service aboard HMS Britannia from 29th June 1805. He is confirmed as having been aboard HMS Britannia at Trafalgar on 22/10/1805 and received prize money of £1 17 shillings and 8 pence for Trafalgar. A manuscript note in the muster roll with regard to Carney which reads "Head Qr. Portsmt" indicates that Carney joined Britannia from the Royal Marines Headquarters at Portsmouth. The muster roll for May - June 1806 confirms that Carney was discharged to shore from HMS Britannia on 28/5/1806 and transferred to the Plymouth Division, Royal Marines. There is a manuscript note in this muster roll which records Carney as "126" in the "Old Establishment" column, which presumably indicates that this was his original Company number.
Pension record confirms Carney's last ship as HMS Salvator del Mundo (entry 21/7/1814) and that he was pensioned on 4/9/1815 after 10 years 5 months service with the colours. Pension papers record Carney as having been discharged as a result of a "lame hand" and being granted a pension of £18 a year for life. His pension was paid to him from the Manchester pensions office, the Chelsea Pensions register recording that died on 5/2/1848, aged 75.
NOTE: The 1805 Club website incorrectly records Carney as having been "discharged from service 13 Apr 1811 Plymouth Division". Pension records clearly indicate that this is not the case and more likely refers to a transfer from the Plymouth Divisiion to a ship.
HMS Britannia was the oldest ship to take part in the battle of Trafalgar. Originally launched in 1762, Britannia was the the flagship of Admiral Lord Northesk, third in command at Trafalgar, and saw service at Trafalgar as the fourth ship in the weather line led by Admiral Lord Nelson in HMS Victory. The following history of HMS Britannia and that ship's services at Trafalgar has been extracted from Colonel Robert Holden Mackenzies The Trafalgar Roll (London, 1913).
HMS Britannia, Lord Northesk's flagship at Trafalgar, is believed to have been the oldest ship engaged in the battle on either side. Built at Portsmouth in1762, HMS Britannia bore the flag of Vice-Admiral George Darby, as Second-in-Command of the Channel Fleet, in 1779-80, and as Commander-in-Chief of the Channel fleet in 1780-82. When the combined fleets of France and Spain invaded the Channel in August 1780, Admiral Darby, with his fleet took up a position at Torbay, but the allied commanders did not consider it prudent to attack Darby and his fleet. Bearing Darby's flag, Britannia subsequently took part in the second relief of Gibraltar in April 1781, and, with James Bradby as her captain, she saw service with Vice-Admiral Richard Kempenfelt in his action with the French fleet off Ushant on the 12th-13th December 1781. In April 1782 Vice-Admiral Hon. Samuel Barrington hoisted his flag in her as Second-in-Command of the Channel Fleet, in which capacity she assisted at the final relief of Gibraltar, in October 1782, and in the repulse of the allied fleets of France and Spain on the twentieth of the same month. Following the declaration of peace in the following year she returned home. At the commencement of the war of the French Revolution in 1793, with John Holloway as captain, she bore the flag of Vice-Admiral William Hotham as Second-in-Command of the Mediterranean Fleet, and was em-ployed in the blockade of Toulon. She still bore his flag on his becoming Commander-in-Chief, and was engaged in the action with the French fleet on the 14th March 1795, off Genoa, when she lost nineteen killed and wounded and in his action of Hyeres in July. Commanded by Captain Thomas Foley, and bearing the flag of Admiral Charles Thompson, she was present in Admiral Sir John Jerviss great victory over the Spanish fleet at St. Vincent, 14th February 1797 but did nothing of further importance during the remainder of the war. On the recommencement of hostilities in 1803, she was commissioned at Portsmouth by Captain the Earl of Northesk soon afterwards receiving visits on board from their Royal Highnesses the Dukes of York and Cumberland. Towards the close of the year we find her stationed at St. Helens guarding that end of the Isle of Wight, in anticipation of a French invasion. She was with the fleet under Cornwallis at the blockade off Brest in 1804-5 and on the promotion of Lord Northesk to flag rank he continued his flag in her. Captain Charles Bullen was appointed his flag-captain in 1805, in August of which year she was detached under Sir Robert Calder to reinforce the fleet off Cadiz. She was with Lord Nelson at Trafalgar, and bore the flag of Lord Northesk as Third-in-Command on that eventful day. She was the fourth ship in the Weather Line led by Lord Nelson, and was thus early in the action, continuing closely engaged till the end, and sustaining a loss of fifty-two killed and wounded. She herself escaped with but slight loss to her masts and hull. In 1806 she escorted three of the prizes home to Plymouth, which was her last active service. She was laid up on the Hamoaze, and her name was changed to St. George in 1812. Renamed the Barfleur in 1819, she was finally broken up at Plymouth in 1826, after an existence of sixty-four years. She earned the naval war medal with three clasps.
The following additional account of the services of Admiral Lord Northest and HMS Britannia at the Battle of Trafalgar has been extracted from John Marshall's "Royal Naval Biography", volume 1 (Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme & Brown, London, 1823).
On the renewal of the war in 1803, Captain Lord Northesk was immediately appointed to the Britannia, of 100 guns, at Portsmouth, and soon after received the honour of a visit on board that ship, from their Royal Highnesses the Dukes of York and Cambridge. Towards the close of the same year, the Britannia was stationed at St. Helen's, to guard that end of the Isle of Wight, in case of an invasion. She afterwards formed a part of the Channel fleet, commanded by the Hon. William Cornwallis.Lord Northesk was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral, April 23, 1804, and, with his flag in the Britannia, continued to serve in the arduous blockade of Brest, till August in the following year; when he was detached with a squadron, under the orders of Sir Robert Calder, to reinforce Vice-Admiral Collingwood off Cadiz. Previously to that memorable event, the Britannia had been directed by Lord Nelson, in consequence of her heavy rate of sailing, constantly to take a position to windward of him; and, on the morning of the glorious 21st Oct.1805, he ordered by signal, that she should assume a station as most convenient, without regard to the order of battle; and afterwards sent verbal directions to Lord Northesk, to break through the enemy's line astern of the fourteenth ship. This was effected in the most masterly and gallant manner; though the Britannia was severely galled in bearing down, by a raking fire from several of the enemy. On passing through the line, and hauling up, she was the fourth ship of the van division in action, the Victory, Temeraire, and Neptune, alone preceding her; and, in a short space of time, completely dismasted a French ship of 80 guns, on board of which a white handkerchief was waved in token of submission. She afterwards singly engaged, and kept at bay, three of the enemy. For his eminent services as third in command of the victorious fleet, Lord Northesk was honoured with the insignia of the Order of the Bath; and both Houses of Parliament, the Corporation of London, and of several other cities and public companies, concurred in voting him their thanks. In addition to which the citizens of the metropolis presented him with a handsome sword, and the Goldsmith's Company their freedom. His Lordship was advanced to the rank of Vice-Admiral, April 28, 1808; became an Admiral, June 4, 1814; and has since been constituted Rear-Admiral of Great Britain and Ireland, and of the Admiralty thereof, and also of the navies and seas of the United Kingdom.
When I purchased this medal the disc was detached from its suspender and clasp. The suspender and clasp have now been re-attached by a professional restorer.
