Description
India General Service Medal 1854, bar Perak, Stoker Thomas Hewett, HMS Ringdove.
From Saltash, Cornwall, served 20 years in the Royal Navy.
Officially engraved: T. Hewett, Stoker, H.M.S. “Ringdove”
Confirmed on the medal roll, which notes medal sent to HMS Britannia on 16th March 1881.
Only around 107 Perak clasps earned by this ship.
Thomas Hewett served on HMS Ringdove from 26th June 1874 until 5th April 1877.
During this period he was initially a Stoker before being promoted to Leading Stoker on 1st April 1876.
Thomas Hewett, was born in Saltash, Cornwall on 28th June 1847.
On 10th February 1867 he signed on for a 10 year period of service with the Royal Navy, which he later extended a further 10 years on 10th February 1877.
Saw service as a Stoker on HMS Iron Duke from 7th January 1873 to 25th June 1874.
HMS Ringdove, from 26th June 1874 until 5th April 1877. During this period he was initially a Stoker before being promoted to Leading Stoker on 1st April 1876.
HMS Indus, 6th April 1877 – 31st Aug 1877
HMS Cambridge, 1st Sept 1877 – 25th March 1878
HMS Tenedos, 26th march 1878 – 10th Dec 1878
HMS Flora, 11th December 1878 – 5th August 1879
HMS Active, 6th August 1879 – 25th October 1879
HMS Indus, 26th October 1879 – 14th Dec 1879
HMS Britannia, 15th Dec 1879 – 12th January 1882
HMS Indus, 13th Jan 1882 – 26th March 1882
HMS Swiftsure, 27th March 1882 – 21st May 1885
HMS Triumph, 22nd May 1885 – 1st May 1886
HMS Satellite, 2nd May 1886 – 27th July 1886 HMS , 28th July 1886 – 20th January 1887
Discharged to shore pension during January 1887, after completion of his 20 years of service.
He had married his wife Ellen Jane Hewett, born in Liskeard, Cornwall, and after leaving the Royal Navy, remained in Devonport, Stoke Damerel, Devon.
They married at Stoke Demeral in Devon, when Thomas was 22 and she was 21.
Thomas was described as a Mariner, son of John Hewett, a Bargeman.
His wife Ellen Jane Ham, was the daughter of Henry Ham, a Miner.
He was brought into caught in August 1880, to give evidence in the suicide of a nearby neighbour, Master Gunner Holt R.A., “Thomas Hewett, Leading Stoker HMS Britannia, gave corroborative evidence.”
Still shown in Devonport, now a Boarder in the 1921 Census. He died in Gosport, Hampshire, during October 1937, at the age of 90.
