Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Royal Humane Society, small bronze medal (successful) (John Hawkins, Captain Main Top, 8th Sep. 1868) nearly extremely fine £80-100

John Hawkins was born in Portsmouth in February 1839 and entered the Royal Navy as an Ordinary Seaman 2nd Class in August 1858. Advanced to Captain of the Maintop in July 1864, he was serving aboard H.M.S. St George at the time of winning his Royal Humane Society Medal on 8 September 1868. On that date, at 8.20 a.m., a waterman’s boat carrying 14 seamen capsized in a ‘heavy sea’ as it was returning them to the St. George from leave in Portland, the waterman and four others being drowned. Hawkins, and another member of crew, jumped overboard to offer assistance, and managed to rescue one of their shipmates, who was resusitated using Dr. Sylvester’s method (R.H.S. Case No. 18,233 refers). He was pensioned ashore as a Boatswain’s Mate in December 1878.