Orders, Decorations and Medals

The unique pair to Admiral Sir Edward Harvey, G.C.B., Royal Navy

NAVAL GENERAL SERVICE1793-1840, 2 clasps, Camperdown, Syria (Midshipman) fitted with silver ribbon bar; Turkey, ST. JEAN D'ACRE MEDAL, gold with gilt swivel ring suspension and buckle, good very fine and better (2)

The combination of clasps, spanning 43 years, is unique. Sir Edward Harvey, G.C.B. (1783-1865) was the son of Captain John Harvey, R.N., and younger brother of Admiral Sir John Harvey. He entered the Royal Navy in 1794, as a 1st class Volunteer on H.M.S. Brunswick, commanded by his father. As Midshipman aboard H.M.S. Prince of Wales, he was present in 1797, at the capture of Trinidad and the destruction of five Spanish vessels in Chaguaramus Bay. In the frigate H.M.S. Beaulieu he was present at the battle of Camperdown, 11th October, 1797; Acting-Lieutenant of H.M.S. Southampton at the reduction of the Danish and Swedish island in the West Indies, March 1801; whilst Lieutenant in H.M.S. Apollo, he was shipwrecked off the coast of Portugal with the loss of the Captain and sixty of her crew, and it was only through the heroic exertions of Lieutenant Harvey that the remainder of the crew were saved. Lieutenant Harvey commanded a detachment of Marines at the capture of Capri and was also present during the defence of Gacta. Being promoted to the command, 7th January, 1808, of the Cephalus, and re-ordered to the Mediterranean, Captain Harvey there captured four privateers and several small vessels, and while co-operating in the defence of Sicily, came into frequent contact with the gunboats on the Calabrian shore. During the operations on the coast of Syria and at the blockade of Alexandria, in 1840, Captain Harvey commanded H.M.S. Implaccable. For his services on these occasions he was awarded the gold medal, sabre and Nichan Iftihar decoration from the Sultan of Turkey. He was appointed Superintendant at Malta, 1848, and Commander-in-Chief of the Nore 1857; Admiral, 1860, and K.C.B. in 1861. Admiral Harvey was nominated a G.C.B. on 28th March, 1865, just a few weeks before his death on 4th May, 1865.