Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria. To coincide with the OMRS Convention

Royal Shipwreck Institution Lifesaving Medal, 86mm., silver, obverse: high relief depiction of a boat being rowed by four men in stormy seas to the aid of a wrecked sailing ship; affixed to the reverse, a silver plate inscribed, ‘Presented by the Royal Shipwreck Institution to Mr George Bloor, Point of Ayr, for his Hazardous and Praiseworthy Efforts in saving the lives of twelve men from the wreck of the Bark “Robert Peel” which was lost on Hoyle Bank, 23rd Feby. 1835’, fitted with a silver loop and straight bar suspension, with a slip-bar on the ribbon, nearly extremely fine £600-800

‘On Sunday night last, the wind blew a hurricane. ... We expect to hear very disastrous accounts from the coasts all along the channel. The following particulars have reached us through our correspondent on the Flintshire coast. ... In the course of the afternoon, the barque Robert Peel, of Bristol, Murphy, master, which sailed from Liverpool for South America on the previous Thursday, was driven on the West Hoyle Bank, and was rapidly going to pieces. The captain and crew (sixteen in number) took to the quarter deck, which held together until morning; but the captain and three of the crew perished of cold in the course of the night, and their bodies were washed overboard. The Point of Ayr life boat had gone up the Dee to the assistance of the flat ... and had not been able to return. In this emergency, Mr Bloor’s boat of the Marsh Farm put off to the assistance of the wreck, about eight o’clock on Tuesday morning, and succeeded in rescuing the remaining twelve of the crew from their perilous situation. The above facts respecting the Robert Peel were deposed to by the mate, Francis Brenoth, on Tuesday, before the Rev. Henry Parry, Vicar of Llanasa, an active and intelligent Magistrate in the neighbourhood.’ [Extract from the Chester Chronicle, 22nd February 1835].

The minutes of the Royal Shipwreck Institution, dated London 20th May 1835 state, ‘Read a letter from the Revd. Henry Parry, Llanasa, Flintshire, of the 22nd April and document enclosed, stating that the Brig. “Robert Peel” - Murphy - from Liverpool to South America was totally lost on the 23rd Feby. - on the West Hoyle - where she struck between 4 and 5 o’clock p.m. and was fast going to pieces. The Master and Crew, 16 in number took to the quarter deck, which drifted up the Welch Channel and were discovered early next morning near the side of the Hoyle Bank opposite the Point of Air (sic) Light, when four persons (Thomas Bloor, George Bloor, S. Brooks and John Jones) took a small boat from the Welch shore, and, at the hazard of their lives went off to the wreck - rescued the Mate and the Sailors from their perilous situation and landed them safely. The Master and 3 men had been washed overboard during the night and perished, The 12 shipwrecked men were kept for 4 days by Mr Bloor of the Marsh Farm in the Parish of Llanasa, whose boat was used on the occasion. Ordered, that five sovereigns be awarded to the four men who went off in the Boat - and five sovereigns to Mr Bloor of the Marsh Farm for the expense he was subject to in keeping the crew. The Draft for Ten Pounds to be sent to the Revd. Henry Parry.’

The Robert Peel was barque of 304 tons, built in Prince Edward Island, Canada in 1826. The medal sold with copied research papers.