Description
Naval General Service Medal 1793-1840, bar Egypt, Ordinary Seaman Edward Saunders, HMS Modeste, Royal Nayv, Egyptian Campaign of 1801.
Officially impressed: “EDWd SAUNDERS”
Unique name on the medal roll, the only Edward Saunders to claim the NGS.
Provenance, sold by John Hayward, May 1970, for £45.
With copy entries in the ship’s books confirming his presence on board in the Egypt Campaign.
A rare early clasp to the medal, earned in 1801, survivors would have to be still living about 1847, at which time even the youngest recipients would be closing in on 60 years old at least.
Very rare to this ship, being 1 of only 8 clasps issued to HMS Modeste, of which 2 were Officers and 6 men.
Only 612 survivors claimed the “Egypt” clasp to the N.G.S.
His Commanding Officer, Commander Martin Hinton, was a favourite of Admiral Horatio Nelson, having been his faithful First Lieutenant on the Agamemnon in 1793, by Nelson’s hand he was promoted to Commander afterwards and Nelson was most pleased to hear that his old friend had got his own ship, the Modeste in 1800.
Mr Edward Saunders was born circa 1779 in London.
The 1851 Census records an approximately 70 year old Edward Saunders, a Widower working as a “Lighterman”, born in Middlesex London, who was living in Long Acre, St Martin in the Fields, London.
Lightermen were highly skilled workers who operated unpowered Lighters moved by only rowing with an Oar and Water Currents in the Port of London.
He died in London during 1874, which would have made him about 95 years old, London death records record a 1779 Born Edward Saunders who died in the City of London, which is certainly him.
This would likely make him one of the oldest survivors of the campaign.
According to Saunders entries in the ships books:
At the time of the campaign, Edward Saunders was amongst the crew of about 155 men, commissioned for service as a 24 Gun, newly fitted out as a Troopship, during April 1800.
He was 21 years old at the time and had been born in London, and was rated as an “Ord” or Ordinary Seaman.
In exchange for signing on as a Volunteer Seaman, on 27th April 1800, he was paid a bounty of £2 10s.
It notes that on 1st September 1801, he was promoted to “Ab” or Able Seaman.
Following their victorious return home he was paid off on 10th April 1802.
HMS MODESTE, THE INVASION OF EGYPT UNDER COMMAND OF COMMANDER THOMAS HINTON
HMS Modeste, the original name given to the ship in 1785 when she was built by France, and kept in 1793 when she was “acquired” under disputed circumstances by way of being taken from the Harbour at Genoa, causing an international Incident.
Prior to the Egypt Campaign, she was taken to Deptford in late 1799 to be fitted out as a Troopship.
As soon as this was done, she was commissioned by Commander Martin Hinton as a 24-Gun Troopship for service in the Mediterranean and for the invasion of Egypt.
Her Captain Martin Hinton, had been a Lieutenant since about 1779, and this appears to have been his first and last Command, having been promoted to Commander during 1796, and given Command of the Modeste during her refit in 1800.
Martin Hinton, had the blessing of Admiral Horatio Nelson, from having served under the famous Admiral in HMS Agamemnon during 1793-4, during Nelsons’ first Ship of the line Command, a recommendation of good service signed by the Admiral was sold some years ago in Bonhams.
Nelson was quite pleased to see this as recorded in one of his letter to his friend William Suckling when he writes: “This day has brought me from Lord Spencer, the fullest and handsomest approbation of my spirited, dignified and temperate conduct, both at Leghorn and Genoa, and my First Lieutenant (Martin Hinton) is made a Captain; a Share of a Galleon, and I want no more, but god knows, Ambition has no end.
It was a particularly proud moment for Nelson that he would see one of his faithful Lieutenants become Commanders by his recommendation, and for Hinton to then go on and Captain his own ship.
Amongst the original complement of about 155 men was a young Edward Saunders.
Right after being commissioned she was sent to Cork, to pick up 300 Riflemen on 23rd July 1800, and arrived back in Portsmouth with the men on 28th August 1800.
On 22nd September 1800, she arrived back at Portsmouth, with 4 Transports from Guernsey.
Then on 16th October 1800, she departed with HMS Dido and Resource with some troops for the Mediterranean.
From the 8th March to 2nd September 1801 she saw service landing troops in Egypt, for which the crew would be entitled, almost 50 years later, should they still be living, to claim this medal and clasp.
On 18th March 1801, the French “Aviso” L’Espeigle, from Brindise bound to Tarnteo, was taken by the Modeste under Capt Hinton.
According to the ship’s book he was officially made an “Able Seaman” on 1st September 1801, which it would appear to be an end of campaign promotion given out to those who had proved themselves.
Modeste set off from Aboukir Bay in October 1801.
Following the end of their commission they returned back in the Downs from Spithead and departed for Sheerness on 4th March 1802.
The London Courier, 3rd Feb 1902 recalls its return back landing in Cork with the 92nd Highlanders.
“On Saturday last, his Majesty’s Ship Modeste, Capt Hinton, arrived in this harbour from Egypt, having on board the 92d Regiment, commanded by Major Gordon.”
