The John Goddard Collection of Important Naval Medals and Nelson Letters

Rear-Admiral John Adams, R.N., who, as midshipman, saw much action in the boats of the Scout, was twice wounded and received the approbation of Lord Collingwood for throwing a live shell overboard in the action on 14 July 1809, was afterwards decorated for his gallantry in saving lives, and led a long and distinguished career off the coasts of Africa in the suppression of the slave trade

Naval General Service 1793-1840, 2 clasps, 14 July Boat Service 1809 [7], 1 Nov Boat Service 1809 [110] (John Adams, Midshipman.); Royal Humane Society, large silver medal (successful) (Soc. Reg. Human. Johi. Adams R.N. Vitas Ob Servitas Dono Dedit. 1829) fitted with large ring for suspension and silver ribbon brooch; together with an interesting slaver’s dirk, the fittings of the handle inscribed ‘Captns. Knife of Slaver and Pirate GABRIEL taken by H.M.S. ACORN Capt. J. Adams 1841’, with unrelated damaged scabbard, fair condition, the medals generally very fine (3)
£10000-12000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The John Goddard Collection of Important Naval Medals and Nelson Letters.

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Provenance: Glendining’s, June 1992.

14 July Boat Service 1809 [7 issued] - John Adams, Midshipman (the only known surviving medal with this clasp); Thomas Atkins, A.B.; Robert Blackmore, Carpenter; Philip Brown, A.B.; John Farrant, Lieutenant, R.N.; James Houlder, Pte. R.M.; Thomas Howard, Captain Fore Top.

1 Nov Boat Service 1809 [110 issued] - including 2 officer and 3 men of the Scout.

John Adams was born in February 1793, and entered the Navy on 8 June 1806, as a Volunteer on board the Scout 18, Captain William Raitt, under whom, during a period of three and a half years, he saw much active service, bore a part in many gun-boat actions, and, among other vessels, assisted in destroying, after a sharp engagement, a notorious privateer, the Fort of Gibraltar. He was also present, as Midshipman, and was twice wounded, in a very gallant encounter off Genoa on 14 July 1809, between the boats of the Scout and a French squadron, consisting of a brig of 20 guns, one of 18, and seven gun-boats, protected by a heavy fire from several batteries on shore, in face of which the largest of the enemy’s vessels was sunk, and the remainder beaten off, with a loss, however, to the British of the Master and 11 men killed, and upwards of 30 wounded. Mr. Adams’ daring conduct during the engagement in throwing a live shell overboard, obtained the approbation of Lord Collingwood.

On the night of 31 October 1809, Mr. Adams further served in the boats of the Scout, and of a squadron under Lieut. John Tailour, at the capture and destruction, after a fearful struggle and a loss to the assailants of 15 men killed and 55 wounded, of the armed store-ship Lamproie, of 16 guns and 116 men, bombards Victoire and Grimdeur, and armed xebec Normande, with a convoy of seven merchantmen, defended by numerous strong batteries, in the Bay of Rosas.

Removing next in succession to the Volontaire and Cambrian frigates, both commanded by Captain Charles Bullen, he joined in various other cutting-out affairs; witnessed the reduction of the island of Pomegue, near Marseilles; and co-operated in the defence of Tarragona in May and June, 1811. Until the receipt of his first commission, dated 16 February 1815, Mr. Adams afterwards served in the Channel and Mediterranean, on board the Bulwark 74, Christian VII 80, and Grasshopper 18. During this period he was recommended by Sir Richard King, of the Bulwark, for cutting out a French man-of-war schooner, on the coast of France; by Captain Ball, of the Christian VII, and Captain Battersby, of the Grasshopper, for saving the life of a man at sea when in each of those vessels.

His subsequent appointments were, 31 May 1815, to the Ajax 74; 17 April 1819, to the Hind 20; and 24 Sept. 1822, to the Windsor Castle 74, Captain Charles Dashwood, of the tender belonging to which ship he was for some time entrusted with the command; 12 January 1824, as First Lieutenant, to the Grasshopper 18; 3 November 1824, to the command, on the Newfoundland station, of the Pelter gun-brig; 1 March, 1826, to the Ramillies 74, Captain Hugh Pigot, by whom he was also invested with the charge of a tender; 20 October 1826, and 17 September 1828, as Senior, to the Harrier and Childers sloops, both commanded by Captain William Morier, for his exertions in saving the latter of which, when nearly wrecked in a violent gale off Yarmouth, he received the approbation of the Admiralty, and received the Silver Medal of the Royal Humane Society; 4 May 1829, in a similar capacity, to the Atholl 28, Captain Alexander Gordon, on the coast of Africa, in which ship he received the approbation of Captain Gordon for capturing a slaver in the boats after a desperate resistance, also an English vessel found rendering assistance to slavers, and a pirate schooner in the river Pongas; 6 January 1830, to the command of the Plumper 12, on the same station, where, in a small gig with only five men, he gallantly effected the capture, 7 November following, of the Maria, of 6 guns and 44 men, having on board 512 slaves, and was otherwise very successful; 23 July 1831, as First, to the Alfred 50, Captain Robert Maunsell, in the Mediterranean; and, 17 November 1834, to the command of the Waterwitch 10, in which vessel he served under the orders of Lord John Hay on the north coast of Spain, and was again successful in his anti-slavery exertions on the African station.

Attaining the rank of Commander, 10 January 1837, Capt. Adams was next, on 19 January 1839, appointed to the Acorn 16, destined for the same service as was latterly the Waterwitch. Returning, therefore, to the coast of Africa, he renewed his operations against the slave traffic, and during a prolonged servitude of four years and eight months, during part of which period he had charge of the station and squadron at Mozambique, cruised with wonderful activity and good fortune. Among the prodigious number of prizes made by the Acorn we may instance the capture, 6 July 1841, after a running fight, of the Gabriel, a piratical slave brig, notorious for its injury to commerce and the frequency of its insults to the British flag. He also received the approbation of Lord Palmerston, for his services while stationed in the Mozambique Channel. On his return to England in the Acorn, Captain Adams’ long, arduous, and highly useful services were at length rewarded with a Post-commission, dated 18 December 1843. Up to this period he had captured and destroyed, in the different vessels he had commanded, as many as 36 slavers. It is also worthy of remark that he had always been fortunate in preserving the health of his crews; although, while he was in the Plumper, a fever broke out off Sierra Leone that was so virulent that it carried off every officer and man on board.

He was then placed on half-pay and subsequently held the civil appointment of Slave Commissioner at Loango. On 4 January 1850, he obtained command of the Gladiator steamer, of 430 h.p. and 6 guns, and returned to the African station, where he assumed charge of the Northern and Bights divisions of the coast. While thus occupied he went off in on one occasion in his tender, the Jackal, and burnt a town in the Benin river, after a sharp affray with the natives, who had plundered the English factory. Repairing afterwards to the Cape of Good Hope to recruit the health of his ship’s company, he was there ordered to take on board Major-General Sir Harry Smith, late Governor of the colony, and suite, with whom he sailed for England.

In April 1854, Captain Adams’ valuable services were again called upon, and he was appointed to the Scourge steamer, of 420 h.p. and 6 guns, with the rank of Commodore, on the western coast of Africa. Returning there, he resumed his wonted energy and with like success his exertions for the suppression of the trade in slaves. He arrived at Accra and Christenbourg, on the Gold Coast, in time to save that colony from falling into the hands of the natives, who were on the eve of storming the English fort, when he knocked down their town and drove them, several thousands in number, from under the fort-walls. He afterwards landed with the crews of five ships, and joining the troops, offered battle to the enemy, who fled. Two other towns belonging to the enemy were burnt, and at the end of two months a peace established which has endured ever since. The Scourge returned to England in November 1857, and was paid off.

Captain Adams was awarded the Good Service Pension on 22 August 1857. In addition to a medal with two clasps for the affairs in the port of Carri and in the Bay of Rosas, he has received the medals of the Royal Humane Society for his heroic conduct in saving the lives, at different times, of as many as four officers and seven men. Having lost his first wife in September 1843, he married, secondly, in 1846, Elizabeth Hurst, daughter of Henry Ellis, Esq., of the city of Dublin. Captain Adams was promoted to Rear-Admiral on 6 February 1863, and placed on the Retired List on 1 April 1866. Rear-Admiral John Adams died at Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, on 17 December 1866.