Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners Royal Benevolent Society, 5th type, silver (Henry Leigh, Apprentice Barque “Alumbagh” 5 Augt. 1883) ‘double dolphin’ suspension, silver buckle on ribbon, claw tightened, good very fine £250-300

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Collection of Life Saving Awards formed by The Late W.H. Fevyer.

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Collection

Ex Denham Collection 1971; ref. Spink Exhibition 1985, No. 95.

S.F.M.R.B.S. Records:

‘McDonald, Dugald, Master of the Alumbagh and Gunning, James, Chief Officer; McKee, Hugh, Third Officer; Kaetz, Robert, Able Seaman; Hynes, Thomas, Able Seaman; Freeman John, Able Seaman, otherwise William Taggart; and Leigh, Henry, Apprentice’.

Report to Mr John Herron, of Liverpool, the owner of the Barque Alumbagh, from Captain D. M'Donald, Master of that vessel:

‘I have to report that during our homeward passage on August 5, 1883, in lat 35 S. lon 25 E., we rescued the crew of the British barque Carnatic under the following circumstances :- At 9 am on the 4th August it was blowing a hard gale from W.N.W., with a terrific sea, when we saw the Carnatic to windward of us, flying signals of distress. He bore down on us, and signalled that his vessel was sinking, his pumps broken, and three feet of water in the hold, and that all his boats were destroyed. He requested us to send a boat to rescue them.

We had suffered ourselves considerably during the gale, having lost our headrails, part of the main bulwarks, and everything moveable about the decks; our cargo had shifted a little, so that we were lying with our waterways under water; the ship was leaking freely, requiring the crew pretty constantly at the pumps. I signalled the Carnatic that it was impossible for a boat to live in such a sea, but best for us to stand to the northward, where we ought to get the sea more moderate, and in the meantime that I would stand by him.

The weather continued the same during the day, and thinking it best to get a crew ready for the boat in case of the worst, I called the crew aft and told them the facts of the case, and called for volunteers to go in the boat. They thought I was going to put the boat out then, and, at the same time, were well aware that it would be almost certain destruction to attempt it; yet, to their credit, they volunteered to a man, the chief officer requesting to have charge of the boat. I then requested Mr Gunning, chief officer, to pick a crew, and by signals from the vessel, found they might keep her afloat till morning.

We agreed to show a light to each other during the night. The gale continued with unabated force till near daylight, when it began to moderate a little, and the sea had gone down quite considerably, but still blowing hard, with a heavy sea. We closed with the vessel when they signalled that she was getting very helpless. I therefore decided to launch our boat at once. the crew consisted of the following, who in my opinion, are deserving of all praise :- J. Gunning, H. M'kee, R. Kaetz, T. Hynes, J. Freeman and H. Leigh.

At 8 am we succeeded in launching the lifeboat safely, and she behaved splendidly. At noon, after three trips, all the crew had been got on board (nineteen all told, including the Captain's wife), without any accident to any person, but we got our own good boat stove in whilst taking her on board.

At 1.15 pm (one hour and three-quarters after the last of the crew got on board of us) the vessel sank, distant from us at the time about five miles. I need hardly say that we all tried to make them as comfortable as possible. We had them on board for twenty-one days, when we landed them at St. Helena’.

For his services, Captain McDonald of the Alumbagh, was also awarded a piece of plate by the Board of Trade.