Orders, Decorations and Medals

A rare life saving group awarded to Joseph Beedon, Boatswain, Royal Navy

Baltic 1854-55, unnamed as issued; Crimea 1854-55, 1 clasp, Sebastopol (J. Beedem, A.B.) the clasp loose on ribbon as issued; Royal Humane Society, large bronze medal (Successful), (Joseph Beeden, A.B., H.M.S. Duke of Wellington 31 Jany. 1857) fitted with ring suspension; Royal Humane Society, large silver medal (Successful), (James Beeden, A.B., H.M.S. Cumberland 9 July 1857) with silver Second Award clasp, 1st type, the obverse of the clasp dated ‘20 March 1872’, the reverse engraved with the Case No. ‘18897’, fitted with ring and silver bar suspension, together with a small portrait photograph believed to be the recipient, and R.H.S. Certificates for the three awards, these recent duplicates of the originals, very fine or better and very rare (4)

Note variations in Christian name and in surname which is variously recorded as Beedon, Beeden and Beedem. Despite this confusion there appears to be little doubt that these awards are all to the same man.

Bronze Medal and Parchment Certificate (Case No. 15,943) 18 March 1857: ‘For the noble courage and humanity displayed by Joseph Beeden, a leading seaman of H.M.S. ‘Duke of Wellington’, on the 31st January, 1857, in having jumped overboard, from the stern of said ship, to the relief of Edward Sanderson, A.B., who had fallen from the mainyard into the River Tagus, at Lisbon, and whose life he saved.’

Silver Medal (Case No. 16,023) 13 January 1858: ‘At sea on the 9th of July 1857, a seaman named Charles Jenner, belonging to H.M.S. “Cumberland”, accidentally fell overboard from the main chains, and struck a lower-deck-port in his fall, while learning to heave the lead; the ship at the time being under all sail, and going through the water about seven knots. He would in all probability have been drowned, but for the intrepid conduct of James Beeden, A.B., who immediately jumped overboard, swam to his assistance, and supported him until picked up by the cutter.’

Silver Clasp, claimant having already received the silver medal in 1858 (Case No. 18,897) 21 May 1872: ‘On 20th March 1872, at sea, off Bombay, Joseph Beedem, boatswain, H.M.S. “Malabar”, jumped overboard and supported the man [A private soldier (insane)] to a life-buoy, when both were picked up.’

A recent article in the Life Saving Awards Research Society Journal (No. 24) states that ‘..a total of 12 Silver and 248 Bronze clasps have been awarded to date.’ However, these figures appear to be on the low side due to the incomplete records of the Society and at least a further 4 awards of the silver clasp are known to have been made, bringing the total rather nearer to 20.