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• Auction House:
  Webb's
• Sale Name:
  The Gibson Collection of Orders, Decorations and Medals
• Sale Date:
  09 Apr 2014 ~ 6.30pm (NZ time)
• Lot #:
  1
• Lot Description:
  Group of 8 to Rear Admiral William Arthur, CB, RN, after whom Port Arthur, China, was named.
  (i) Companion of the military division of the Order of the Bath, breast badge with ribbon buckle, 18ct gold (hallmarked AMRG 1879) and enamel. Appointed 1881. (ii) New Zealand Medal, reverse dated 1846 to 1847 (Wm Arthur, Nvl Cadet HMS Calliope) impressed naming. One of 13 officers of this ship to receive this medal, in addition to 39 naval ratings and 11 NCO's and men of Royal Marines (total 63). Longley (RN & RM) confirms entitlement. (iii) South Africa Medal 1853 (W Arthur, Acting Mate). (iv) Baltic Medal 1854-55, unnamed as issued. (v) Crimea Medal 1854-56 w/c 'Sebastopol', unnamed as issued. (vi) China Medal 1857-60 w/2c 'Taku Forts 1860' and 'Canton 1857', unnamed as issued. (vii) Turkish Crimea Medal 1855 (La Crimea or Sardinian issue), unnamed as issued. (viii) Imperial China Order of Kien-Bah; Gold medal (23mm diameter) personally inscribed in Chinese characters 'High Commissioner Ho gives to Great English Man of War Commander te Jen Tiao to wear'; with two green silk tassels attached to base. Includes research notes.
• Provenance:
  Purchased from The Numismatic Circular, Spink and Son Ltd., London, November 1977 catalogue (lot 12872).
• Notes:
  Arthur as a Naval Cadet served as a midshipman in HMS Calliope in New Zealand 1845-47; as a midshipman and mate in Styx during the Kaffir War, 1851-52; as Gunner Lieut. In Hannibal at taking of Bemarsund in the Baltic in 1854; also in Hannibal in the Black Sea for the latter part of 1854-1856, was present at the taking of Sebastopol, Kertch, Kinburn and occupation of Anapa; was gazetted for services at the taking of the latter place; commanded Drake gunboat, at taking of Canton at the end of 1857; also commanded Algerine, Nimrod and Coromandel successively during the whole of the operations in China, extending from the capture of Canton in 1857 to Pekin in 1860 during which period amongst other services, he was engaged as follows: In August and September 1858 in company with Magicienne, Inflexible and Plover in a series of extensive captures of piratical junks and strongholds, during these operations he received a severe contusion of the right leg; was honourably mentioned in despatches, and received the thanks of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty; in June and July 1858, he commanded a successful expedition for recovery of an opium boat taken from Hong Kong and found in the district of Typoong, for which he received complimentary letters from the Admiralty, the Commander in Chief, and the Governor of Hong Kong in Council; was specially mentioned in despatches for services at the taking of Chik-Tsing in January 1859; in 1860 was actively engaged at the capture of Taku Forts and Tien-Tsin, received Gold Medal from the Imperial Government of China; received promotion to Commander and the thanks of the Admiralty for services as Acting Commander of Nimrod in the capture and destruction of piratical fleet of six vessels mounting 40 European guns, in December 1860, in which severe engagement he was wounded; CB 1881; Naval Attache at Washington, 1879-1882; AOC to Queen Victoria; author of 'The Active List of Admirals and Captains'. 'In Wars of the Nineties' by A Hilliard Affridge (1900) it states: 'It (Port Arthur) was surveyed during the preliminaries of the allied expedition of 1860 by Commander Arthur of the British Navy, now Rear Admiral Arthur on the retired list. On the Admiralty charts it was named after its surveyor, Port Arthur' Port Arthur, China, is now known as Lushunkou, is in Bohi Gulf of Chihli.] (Based on entry in Spink Numismatic Circular 1977.) He died on 15 November 1886 aged 56. His widow erected a memorial to him which is in St Ann's Church at the Naval Base, Portsmouth.
• Estimate:
  NZ$7,000 - 9,000
• Realised Price:
  Undisclosed
• Category:
  Militaria & Weapons

This Sale has been held and this item is no longer available. Details are provided for information purposes only.