Miniature Medals

Lloyd’s Medal for Saving Life at Sea, large type, bronze (John Strain, Coast Guard Service, 13 December 1837) good very fine and one of the first awards £300-350

11 September 1837: The Liverpool ship Coer de Lion on passage to Montreal, Canada, encountered stormy weather and was driven ashore at the lower end of Dundrum Bay, Co. Down, Northern Ireland. With the regular crew of the Newcastle lifeboat absent in the herring fleet, a volunteer crew was assembled by Captain Browne. Mr Strains (sic) volunteered to take command. They reached the wreck through heavy surf and, while they were bailing out, another boat from the shore took off six of the ship’s crew, but was upset immediately and a number of the occupants drowned. The lifeboat and shore boats, in which Messrs. Adam, Adair and Hogg helped, saved the Master, one passenger and 23 seamen.

John Strain, Chief Officer, together with John Adam, Chief Officer, William Adair, Boatman, and William Hogg, Boatman, all members of H.M. Coastguard at St John’s Point, received the Lloyd’s Medal for Saving Life at Sea, the very first rescue to be recognised by bronze awards, although a silver medal was given for a rescue in February 1837. All four men also received silver awards from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, as did Captain Philip Browne, R.N. Note that the date on Strain’s medal is at variance with the date of the actual rescue.