Description
China 1842, Paymaster in Chief Frederick Gransmore, HMS Childers, Royal Navy, who saw extensive service during the war at many battles and saw a 36 year career with the RN.
Officially impressed: “F. GRANSMORE, ACTg PURSER, H.M.S. CHILDERS.”
Particularly well preserved condition.
Confirmed on the medal roll, one of about 13 Officers of HMS Childers on the medal roll.
His detailed obituary in the Naval and Military Gazette, 8th December 1880:
“Paymaster in Chief Frederick Gransmore, Royal Navy, died on the 14th November 1880 at his residence, Netley Court, aged 63 years.
The deceased entered the Navy in 1834, and was appointed in 1837, as Clerk of HMS Hyacinth, under Captain William Warren, sailing her from the East Indies on the China Expedition in 1840.
He was acting Purser of his ship in the attack on the Barrier Forts at Macao, and he followed the present Admiral Maitland-Dougall into the Algerine in October 1841.
During the war he was in action with the enemy’s junks at Chuenpee, and took part in the attacks upon Canton and Capture of Chapoo and Woosung, serving in HMS Childers in the operations on the Yang-tse-Kiang till the treaty of peace (Medal).
He was promoted to Paymaster in December 1844, and was appointed in September 1847 to the Arab Sloop, under Commander W. Morris, for service in the East Indies.
In October 1848, he was appointed Purser of the Maeander commanded by the present Sir Harry Keppel, in the Pacific, where he served until 1851.
He then did duty with Sir Thomas Pasley at Pembroke, and in May 1854, joined HMS Indefatigable, under Captain Thomas Hope, Flagship of Rear Admiral Hope Johnstone, on the South-East Coast of America.
In 1858-9, he served as Paymaster of HMS Eagle at Milford Haven. From March 1863 to March 1866, he did duty with the Gunnery Ship at Devonport, and in 1867, he joined the Impregnable, Boys’ Training Ship, at Devonport, as Paymaster, taking his retirement in July 1870.”
Frederick saw significant fighting earning this medal, on 4 ships, HMS Wellesley, Hyacinth, HMS Algerine and HMS Childers.
He was of only a few ships to take part in the “Battle of the Barrier” on 19th August 1840 at Macao, China.
The Hyacinth, alongside HMS Druid, HMS Larne the transport ship Nazareth Shah and the Cutter Louis and Enterprise took part in the hour long cannonade of “The Barrier”, which separated Macao from Mainland China, firing over 600 shots.
He then as noted “Followed Admiral Maitland-Dougall”, who at the time was also a young fellow Officer of the Hyacinth, being Lieutenant William Henry Maitland-Dougall, and later even with his young age made Captain of HMS Algerine, with Frederick joining him as Purser.
Outside of the China War, as the war was being wound up, he joined HMS Wolverine serving on board from 19th Sept 1843 until 2nd March 1846, during which time he was promoted to Paymaster on 19th Dec 1844.
During those years, he remained on service in the China Station, notably taking part in the August 1845 attack on Pirates at Malloodoo Bay, led by Pirate Syarif Osman in North Borneo.
Known as the “Battle of Marudu Bay”, the battle is extensively covered in this article below by F.G. Whelan:
https://borneohistory57.blogspot.com/2015/12/the-battle-of-marudu-1845.html
The battle was also covered in Sir Henry Keppel’s “The Expedition to Borneo of HMS Dido”
Following the ascent of the “White Rajah” James Brooke of Sarawak, he was determined to clean up the area and one of those areas targeted was the Pirate Stronghold at Marudu Bay.
A British Fleet under Sir Thomas Cochrane, including HMS Wolverine, were dispatched.
A period account from a letter sent at the time was published in the Evening Mail on 28th November 1845 reading:
“BORNEO PIRATES
We had a severe engagement three days since with the pirates, and I write this principally to assure you of my safety. We sailed from Borneo on the 16th, and arrived at Maloodoo Bay on the 18th. The Admiral, first-ship, Vestal, and Daedalus anchored off the entrance to the bay, and the Cruiser and Wolverine were sent up to the entrance of a river by a steamer, the Pluto.
The Chief Pirate, called Sherrif Osman, has for a long time set the Sultan of Borneo at defiance, and lastly plundered an English vessel, and murdered the crew. This chief is an Arab, and had a great number of Illaioons, the most daring and ferocious men of those seas, in his pay. The bar of the river being too shallow for the Pluto to cross, we were compelled to proceed to the attack in our boats, and, after a long pull of seven or eight miles, we hove in sight of his den, which consisted of a strong stockaded fort, mounted with eight guns, and a battery of three heavy guns, all pointing to a strong boom made of the trunks of large trees, secured by chain cables, and staked right across the river, blocking up the passage entirely within 200 yards of the guns.
On his making us out, went his blood-red flags, and a small boat was sent to the boom with a flag of truce. This was only to gain time, as the villains were pointing their guns at us from the fort all the time. We demanded an unconditional surrender, which the pirate chief refused with disdain, and then opened a most murderous fire. This we returned from our gun-boats (our own I had the honour of commanding), with their bows on the boom, whilst a party was employed cutting it adrift, which, however, we did not succeed in for nearly an hour, and our loss was very severe, The loss of our side might be killed and wounded—all very serious; Mr. Gibbard, Mate of the Wolverine, was mortally wounded whilst clearing the boom; Poor Fellow! his loss will be much felt by all on board the Wolverine. We expect sail on the 24th, with the Admiral, for Hong Kong, to embark freight, and return to Singapore, where I hope we shall soon hail the arrival of our relief.”
After that he joined a new ship, the Arab Sloop, a newly launched 16 gun Brig Sloop serving on board from 1847 – October 1848, seeing anti slavery patrols near Mozambique and Angoche (North East Mozambique).
Following that he joined Sir Henry Keppell on the Maeaender during his service they spent their time around Australia and the nearby region, during 1850 they landed at Hobart Town with the Governor of New South Wales and carried out some landing exercises with the local military. Also dropping by New Zealand and before that spending time at Banda in the Dutch East Indies.
PERSONAL DETAILS
Paymaster Frederick Gransmore, was born on 22nd July 1817 and baptised at St Marys, Rotherhithe, London on 9th December 1817.
The son of John Gransmore and Elizabeth Ann Gransmore.
His father, John, was born in Gloucester during 1787, becoming a Soldier, firstly the 19th Dragoons from 1809-1811 before joining the 89th, rising to become Colour Sergeant of the 89th Foot by 1833.
Frederick had joined the Navy about 1834, becoming commission as a “Passed Clerk” during 1839 in time for the China War, during which he Acting Purser in 1840, and was already a Paymaster by 1844 on HMS Wolverine.
He died on 14th November 1880 at Netley Court in Hound, Southampton.
