The Douglas-Morris Collection of Naval Medals (Part 2)

The important group of Orders and Medals awarded to Admiral of the Fleet Lord John Hay, G.C.B., Royal Navy, Commander-in-Chief in the Mediterranean during the operations in the Sudan 1884-85

The Most Honourable Order of The Bath (Military) G.C.B., sash badge in 18 carat gold and enamels, hallmarked London 1886, and breast star in silver with appliqué centre in gold and enamels, the star with slight damage to blue enamel on scroll of motto, and to green enamel of the stalks of the wreath, one stalk lacking, otherwise nearly extremely fine; Jubilee 1897, silver; Coronation 1911; Crimea 1854-55, 2 clasps, Inkermann, Sebastopol (Captain Lord John Hay, R.N. H.M.S. Wasp) contemporary engraved naming; China 1842 (Lord J. Hay, Vol. 1st Class, H.M.S. Endymion) original suspension, the ribbon fitted with 3 clasps, China 1842, Taku Forts 1860, Pekin 1860; Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, undated reverse, no clasp (Admiral The Rt. Hon. Lord J. Hay, K.C.B.); Legion of Honour, 5th class Knight’s breast badge, enamel damaged at most points, on the wreath, and entirely lacking from the centres; Turkish Crimea 1855, British issue, fitted with replacement Crimea suspension; Khedive’s Star 1884-6; Order of the Medjidie, 1st class set comprising sash badge and breast star in silver with gold and enamel appliqué centres, the badge lacking its ‘star and crescent suspension’, complete with original sash and fitted case of issue, unless otherwise described, very fine or better (12)

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Douglas-Morris Collection of Naval Medals.

View
Collection

See colour plate IV.

Lord John Hay was born in Geneva on 23 August 1827, the fourth son of the 8th Marquess of Tweedale. He entered the Navy as a Volunteer First Class on 13 August 1840 aboard H.M.S. NORTH STAR and transferred shortly afterwards to ENDYMION on 24 November 1840, in which vessel he took part in the First China War, and afterwards against the Borneo pirates. After serving aboard ENDYMION for three years he was appointed to VESTAL as a Midshipman on 4 December 1843, later joining AGINCOURT as an ‘Admiralty Mate’ (i.e. passed for Lieutenant on 2 December 1846) where on 19 December 1846 he was made Lieutenant R.N.

After spending six months aboard SPITEFUL (1847) he joined POWERFUL in April 1848 for a three year commission in the Mediterranean. He was promoted to Commander on 28 August 1851, followed by an appointment to WASP in August 1852 to take part in the Crimean War in 1854, remaining in that theatre when transferred to TRIBUNE (November 1854 to January 1855) and then returned to WASP and to FORTH in November 1855 until paid off in October 1856.

He was especially promoted to Captain in November 1854 for service in the trenches before Sebastopol, where he was wounded. In 1855 he was commended by Sir Edmund Lyons for his zeal and gallantry in continuing to serve in the Naval Brigade before Sebastopol although on half pay, receiving the C.B. in July 1855, and subsequently the Order of the Medjidie 4th Class and Knight of the Legion of Honour 5th Class.

In 1858 he was given command of the paddle-wheel frigate ODIN in which he went out to China, and in August 1860 he had command of the 3rd squadron of gunboats in the operations which resulted in the capture of the forts at the mouth of the Pei-ho. For this he received clasps for ‘Taku Forts 1860’ and ‘Pekin 1860’ and, being already in possession of the medal for the First China War, he also received the rare clasp ‘China 1842’ to denote his earlier service.

In 1866 and again from 1868 to 1871 he was a Lord of the Admiralty. On 7 May 1872 he became a Rear Admiral and through 1875 he was second in Command of the Channel fleet of which he became Commander-in-Chief from November 1877 to December 1879. When the Mediterranean fleet was in the Sea of Marmara, a part of the Channel fleet, with Lord John Hay in command, was sent into the Mediterranean, and whilst there he took possession of Cyprus and temporarily administered the government of the island, a service for which he was officially thanked by the Admiralty and the Secretary for Foreign Affairs.

From 1880 Lord John Hay was again a Lord of the Admiralty until February 1883 when he was appointed Commander-in-Chief in the Mediterranean, hoisting his flag in LIVELY. He had become a Vice Admiral on 31 December 1877, and been nominated a K.C.B. on 24 May 1881. He attained the rank of Admiral on 8 July 1884 but continued in the Mediterranean Command for the full period of three years, and was awarded the thanks of both Houses of Parliament for the support and assistance he rendered to the forces employed in the operations in the Sudan. He received the Egypt medal with the somewhat rare rank of Admiral indented on its edge, and from the Sultan of Egypt the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Medjidie.

In 1886 he was First Naval Lord of the Admiralty, and on 30 July he was advanced to G.C.B. In May 1887 he was appointed Commander-in-Chief at Devonport, which position he held until 15 December 1888, when he was promoted Admiral of the Fleet. On attaining the age of 70 years in 1897 he was retired. In the general election of 1857 he was returned to Parliament as M.P. for Wick, and in 1866 and 1868 for Ripon. He was also a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. Lord John Hay died at Fulmer, Buckinghamshire, aged 88 years, on 4 May 1916 as “Father of the Navy” whilst serving as the most senior of the Admirals of the Fleet.