*British, Victorian Naval General Service medal 1793-1840 dated 1848, with Navarino clasp, awarded to Peter Musgrove*
The Victorian Naval General Service Medal, dated 1848 and adorned with the Navarino clasp, was awarded to Peter Musgrove. The medal features a 35cm ribbon. Accompanying this medal, are corresponding photocopied records from the National Archives: ADM37/7581 Ships Muster rolls,
Peter Musgrove, hailing from Deeping in Lincolnshire, was born around 1802. His career in the Royal Navy commenced aboard H.M.S. Medina on August 7, 1826. He later served as an Able Seaman on H.M.S. Musquito starting July 31, 1827, and participated in the Battle of Navarino on October 20, 1827, where Musquito incurred 2 fatalities and 4 wounded. Musgrove concluded his service on Musquito on October 20, 1830, and transferred to H.M.S. Actaeon in December of the same year. Transitioning to the Coastguard service on October 6, 1834, he completed his tenure and was honorably discharged on December 23, 1856, having served for 32 years and 30 days.
H.M.S. Musquito, a sloop launched in 1825, remained in service until 1843. The Battle of Navarino saw the Allied Fleet, including British, French, and Russian forces, engage and decisively defeat the Turkish-Egyptian fleet. The Allies did not lose any ships and this battle marked the last fleet action fought under sail.
Musgrove entered H.M.S. Musquito as a volunteer from Portsmouth on 31st Jul 1827, still rated as an Able Seaman.
1827: 31 July Portsmouth. 31 Aug Malta. 21 Oct Navarino. 6 Nov Malta. 30 Dec Corfu.
1828: 6 Jan Zante. 20 Jan Port St Nicholas. 3 Feb Corfu. 3 Mar Napoli di Roman. 14 Sep Navarino. 21 Sep Poros. 12 Oct Poros. 7 Dec Egina. 14th Dec Poros. 28 Dec Corfu.
1829: 16 Jan Malta. 5 Apr Naples. 17 Apr Malta. 17 May Corfu. 5 Jul Santa Maura. 19 Jul Voorla. 2 Aug Egina. 23 Aug Vorla. 1 Sep Egina. 13 Sep Tuados. 4 Oct Corfu. 9 Dec Santa Maura.
1830: 10 Jan Patraes. 17 Jun Corfu. 4 Mar Corfu. 14 Apr Algiers. 25 Apr Malta. 4 Jun Napoli di Roma. 13 Jun Voorla. 25 Jun Malta. 8 Aug Tripoli. 22 Aug Tunis. 1 Sep Algiers. 20 Oct Portsmouth.
He was discharged from the Musquito on 20th October 1830 when the ship was paid off.
The Naval Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (1848) was awarded to regular members of His Majesty’s Naval Service, replacing the 1830 version. Instituted by Queen Victoria, it initially required 21 years of unblemished service, reduced to ten years in 1874, and then set at fifteen years in 1884. The medal features Queen Victoria’s effigy on the obverse, designed by Royal Mint chief engraver William Wyon, and an image of HMS Victory on the reverse. The details of the recipient were either engraved or, after 1877, impressed around the edge of the medal, the suspender was changed to a narrower width in 1875, to accept a new 32 millimetres (1¼ inches) wide ribbon. The King Edward VII version appeared after his succession to the throne on 22 January 1901.
*Condition*
The medal shows signs of previous alteration, having been reconstituted with a replacement clasp and has some wear and tear particularly to the words Victoria Regina, as photographed. Please see photographs as part of the condition report.
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