Orders, Decorations and Medals

Royal National Lifeboat Institution, V.R., silver (Mr John Henry Franklin. Voted 5th April 1883) with Second Service clasp [uninscribed], with uniface ‘double dolphin’ suspension, claw tightened, good very fine £800-1000

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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Ref. Spink Exhibition 1985, No. 67.

R.N.L.I. Medal: ‘11 March 1883: The Drammen schooner Atlas was driven on to the Long Scar Rocks off Seaton Carew, Co. Durham, in a violent north-easterly gale accompanied by snow showers and a very heavy sea. The Seaton Carew lifeboat Job Hindley launched at once, but could find no signs of a wreck. Therefore Coxswain Hood and John Franklin landed on the reef, but darkness made a search extremely difficult. In spite of seas washing over them and, at one point, Mr Hood being washed off, they found the wreck, then, joined by Matthew Frankin, managed to get a line on board her stern. The Coxswain rushed into the surf and rescued the schooner’s Mate, and four others were brought off the wreck by line. All eight men regained the lifeboat and it was pulled back to shore’ (Ref. Lifeboat Gallantry, by Barry Cox).

Coxswain Henry Hood and Crew Members John Henry Franklin and his brother Matthew Franklin, all of the Seaton Carew Lifeboat were each awarded the R.N.L.I. Medal in Silver. Henry Hood was also awarded the Albert Medal 2nd Class for this rescue.

Second Service clasp: ‘31 January-1 February 1907: As the London S.S. Clavering was leaving Middlesborough for Japan at 6 a.m., she encountered a fierce northerly gale and stranded near the North Gare breakwater at the approach to the sea, where she was swept from stem to stern by heavy sea. The Seaton Carew lifeboat Charles Ingleby was launched and landed 15 of the steamer’s crew but, with the tide beginning to flow, further attempts to reach the wreck were unavailing even when, at 3.30 p.m., a fresh crew of West Hartlepool Pilots was shipped and a tug towed them as near as possible. The Hartlepool No.1 self-righting lifeboat Ilminster was brought by road to Seaton Carew at 5.30 p.m. and, after waiting for the tide to ebb, both lifeboats left between 9-10 p.m. but had to abandon their attempts at 2 a.m. Returning to their joint efforts at daylight with the weather moderating slightly, in a bitter wind and a keen frost they took off 24 survivors. The service was completed by 1 p.m.’ (Ref. Lifeboat Gallantry).

John Franklin, Coxswain Superintendent of the Seaton Carew Lifeboat was awarded a clasp to R.N.L.I. Medal. Shepherd Sotheran, Coxswain Superintendent of the Hartlepool No. 1 Lifeboat was awarded the R.N.L.I. Medal in Silver.

Sold with extracts from the Lifeboat concerning the two rescues; two letters giving details of the Seaton carew lifeboat crew and a copied photograph of Henry Hood and the brothers Frankin. See lot 103 for his brother’s medal.