Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, 4 Nov 1805 (Charles Cumby, Lieut.) nearly extremely fine £3500-4000

Charles Cumby was born at Great Yarmouth on 28 November 1779, son of Captain David Pryce Cumby, R.N., by his second wife, and half-brother to Captain William Pryce Cumby, R.N., who succeeded to the command of the Bellerophon 74, on the death of Captain John Cooke at the battle of Trafalgar.

Charles Cumby entered the Royal Navy on 22 May 1790, as Midshipman aboard the Sheerness tender, commanded by his father, then a Lieutenant, in which he served on the Home station until March 1791. His subsequent service included periods aboard the Alexander and Swiftsure 74’s, and Ville de Paris 110, flag-ship of Earl St Vincent, latterly in the Mediterranean. In November 1797 he was appointed Acting-Lieutenant of La Minerve 28, Captain George Cockburn, and being confirmed in January 1799, into the Transfer brig, commanded successively by various Captains, was ultimately presented with the Order of the Crescent, 2nd Class, and a Gold Medal for his services in that vessel under Sir William Sidney Smith on the coast of Syria, and during the subsequent campaign in Egypt.

In January 1802 he was appointed to La Carriere frigate, in which he returned to England in July 1803, to a command in the Weymouth district of Sea Fencibles. In May 1805 he was appointed to the Caesar 80, bearing the flag of Sir Richard John Strachan, under whom he fought at the capture, 4 November following, of four French line-of-battle ships, just escaped from the battle of Trafalgar. His subsequent appointments were to the Donegal 74, January 1808, the Adrian cutter, October 1809, which he commanded for 10 months in Basque Roads, and to the Bellerophon and Medway 74’s, in February and April 1813, respectively. He was promoted to Commander on 4 December 1813, and afterwards commanded the Ordinary at Portsmouth from 18 March 1833, until 1836. Commander Cumby died on 28 September 1849, before the claimant lists opened for the Egypt clasp.