Arctic Medal 1818-55 (Jas. Lee HMS Pioneer) contemporary hand engraved naming, good very fine £1,200-£1,600

Glendining’s, November 1911.

James Lee joined the Royal Navy as a Landsman on 6 May 1820, advanced to Ordinary Seaman and Able Seaman and served aboard a variety of ships before joining H.M.S. Herald as ship’s cook on 23 February 1845. Herald, a 26-gun frigate under Captain Henry Kellett, together with the six-gun barque H.M.S. Pandora, were engaged on an expedition to survey the Falkland Islands and then proceeded along the west coast of South America and north to the coast of what is now British Columbia. During this time the expedition made three detours north to assist the search for Sir John Franklin's missing expedition in the Arctic. James Lee left Herald on 17 May 1849, taking passage in H.M.S. Pandora upon her return to Britain where he was paid off on 17 November 1849. Why his medal should be named to H.M.S. Pioneer is a mystery as this ship was hired by the Admiralty as a tender in February 1850 to take part in a new search expedition for Sir John Franklin under Captain H. T. Austin. Lee’s next ship was the Wellington which he joined as Able Seaman on 28 October 1850, followed by Monarch (December 1850 to December 1853), Wellington again (February to May, 1854), and Formidable (May 1854 to February 1858). He was finally discharged on 11 March 1858. His Arctic medal was eventually signed for with his mark.

Sold with copied record of service and other research.