The Vulcan proves ever popular while one of only three Naval General Service Medals awarded to the crew of HMS Royalist go to sale
RARE NAVAL MEDAL FINDS FAIR WINDS AND FOLLOWING SEAS
The Naval General Service medal awarded to an able seaman after the Napoleonic Wars surpassed its upper estimate
Little is known about Able Seaman Henry Hackman, but it is understood he joined the Royal Navy in 1793 just after the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars. After two years at sea, his captain deemed him to be “well acquainted with his duty” and subsequently he was promoted to able seaman.
After Napoleon’s Coup d'état of 18 Brumaire and rise to power, war once again engulfed Europe. By 1808, French privateers held a firm grip on the English Channel. In response, the Royal Navy built a new class of fast-moving, heavily armed ship – the Cruizer-class brig-sloop. With more than 110 completed, the 18-gun vessels would become the most numerous warships produced by the British during the Napoleonic Wars.
One such ship was HMS Royalist, on which Henry Hackman served. Moreover, he was on the roll on December 29, 1812 when at 11pm the Royalist,…
