The Naval General Service medal awarded to Surgeon Joseph McCarogher for his services on...

The Naval General Service medal awarded to Surgeon Joseph McCarogher for his services on board the Castor at the chase and capture of the French 74 D’Hautpoult in April 1809 Naval General Service 1793-1840, one bar, Castor 17 June 1809 (J. McCarogher, Surgn.) fitted with a contemporary silver pin brooch and original but frayed ribbon small edge bruise, otherwise toned, good very fine £14,000-£18,000 --- Importation Duty This lot is subject to importation duty of 5% on the hammer price unless exported outside the UK --- --- Provenance: Bonhams, October 2013. 6 clasps issued for Castor 17 June 1809 (real date 17 April). ‘Early in February 1809, the French dispatched a force under the command of Commodore Amable-Gilles Trude, on a mission to resupply the garrison at Martinique. His force comprised the 74-gun ships of the line Courageux, Polonais, and D’Haultpoult. These ships were escorting the en-flute frigates Felicité and Furieuse. The term en-flute meant a warship with some of its armament removed to make room for cargo. Trude’s force arrived in the Leeward Islands on 29 March and found that Martinique had already fallen. He anchored his small force off the Iles des Saintes, off Guadeloupe, where they were spotted by patrolling British warships. Admiral Cochrane, on learning of this, ordered that men and heavy guns be landed on the islands to drive the French out to sea, where they could be pursued and brought to action. Operations on the islands commenced on 14 April 1809 and by 8 p.m. that day, fire from the guns landed by the British had the desired effect and Troude ordered his ships to weigh anchor and put to sea. This had been seen by the Hazard 18 and reported to the blockading squadron which comprised of the flagship Neptune with York, Pompée, Polyphemus and Recruit. By 10 p.m., Pompée and Recruit had caught up with the rearmost French ship, the 74 gun ship-of-the-line D’Haultpoult. Pompée fired two broadsides into D’Haultpoult without effect and the French ship continued on without returning fire. At 8.15 p.m., Commander Napier managed to manoeuvre his vessel under the stern of the D’Haultpoult and opened fire. Napier was displaying a level of courage bordering on the insane. The D’Haultpoult was, after all, almost six times the size of his vessel and was several orders of magnitude more powerful. At 30 minutes past midnight, Neptune got close enough to open fire and her broadside killed one and wounded four of D’Haultpoult’s men. At 4 a.m., Recruit got close enough to fire another broadside into the French ship. Pompée opened fire from long range with her bow-chasers and throughout the night, Recruit continued to harass the French ship. At 10.45 a.m., the French ship’s commander decided to do something about Recruit’s fire, so he briefly turned his ship into the wind and fired a full broadside at the relatively small British vessel. This damaged Recruit’s rigging on the port side, but did no significant damage and caused no casualties. Napier was not intimidated by this and as soon as D’Haultpoult had resumed her course, he continued with his attacks, pulling up to the Frenchman’s stern and letting them have two broadsides through the stern. This continued throughout the day, with Pompée joining in the running battle while she was able to. By daybreak on the 16 April, Recruit had been forced to drop astern of D’Haultpoult as a result of the damage to her rigging. In the meantime, the chase had been joined by Latona, an 18-pdr armed 38-gun frigate and the Castor, a 12-pdr armed 32-gun frigate. Castor took Recruit’s place off D’Haultpoult’s stern and continued to harass the larger French ship until Pompée closed the range sufficiently to bring her to action properly. The harassing from Recruit and then Castor had slowed the French ship enough for Pompée to come alongside and batter her into surrender.’ (Medals of the British Navy by W. H. Long refers). Joseph McCarogher began his service at Plymouth Hospital from the 18 December 1807, as a Hospital Mate until 20 May 1808. He then transferred to the Ville de Paris from 21 May 1808, and served as an Assistant Surgeon until 16 September 1808. He then transferred to the Caledonia from 17 September 1808, as an Assistant Surgeon until 31 January 1809. He subsequently served on board the Royal William, Brazen, Castor, Abercrombie, Wolverine, Bacchus, and Swinger from March 1809 until March 1810, being promoted in the process from Assistant Surgeon to Surgeon. He then served on board the Favorite from 25 March 1810 until the 31 January 1811, and on board the Unicorn from 1 February 1811, until 6 October 1814; to the Akbar from 8 November 1814 to 1 January 1817, and finally on board the Newcastle from 1 January 1819, until 17 January 1822. The following obituary was published in the British Medical Journal, November 1881: ‘Joseph McCarogher, M.D. Consulting Surgeon to the Chichester Infirmary. On November 5th, in the ninety-fourth year of his age, died, at Chichester, Joseph McCarogher, M.D.Edin. 1818, L.F.P.S.Glasg. 1807. Dr McGarogher began his professional career as a surgeon in the navy. On his retirement, he was granted a pension, which he received till his death. He married the eldest daughter of the later Admiral Sir G. Ommaney, and afterwards settled in Chichester, where he held the position of councillor and alderman uninterruptedly during fifty-four years, and took a prominent part in municipal affairs. He was elected to the civic chair three times, and was appointed a justice of the peace for the city in 1837. He held the office of Honorary Physician to the Chichester Infirmary from 1826 to 1866; and, on his resignation, he was unanimously elected a consulting physician to that institution. As a medical practitioner, Dr McCarogher was skilful and judicious, and acquired a considerable practice in Chichester and the neighbourhood. He was at all times hospitable and kind, and gained the confidence and affection of a large circle of patients and friends.’