Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A good Lloyd’s Medal for Saving Life at Sea awarded to Captain P. Sharp, Mercantile Marine, for saving the lives of the crew of the French ship Mélania, which had exploded near Bayonne, in which he suffered severe injuries- for his great gallantry both he and his crew mate James McIntosh were awarded the Albert Medal in Gold for Sea

Lloyd’s Medal for Saving Life at Sea, 1st large type bronze medallion (To Captn. Peter Sharp of the British Schooner “Annabella Clark” 27th. November 1878.) minor edge bruising, some abrasion to high relief points, especially Calypso’s right breast and Odysseus’ left shoulder, otherwise nearly extremely fine £500-600

Provenance: Captain J. Hartford Collection, Glendining’s, September 1992.

Peter Sharp was born in Androssan, North Ayrshire, Scotland in 1838, and gained his Master’s Certificate on 16 September 1869. Appointed to the command of the brig Annabella Clark, of Ardrossan, he was, along with one of his crew members, awarded the Lloyd’s Medal for Saving Life at Sea for the rescue of the crew of the French ship Mélania, which had caught fire near Bayonne: ‘On the 20th November, 1878, at about 5:45 p.m., a fire suddenly broke out on board the French ship Mélania, which was lying in the River Adour, at Boucan, near Bayonne, loaded with 500 barrels of petroleum, of which 40 were on deck. A mass of flame shot up from the main hatch and the ship quivered all over from the explosion of some of the barrels. The ship’s seams opened at once, and the petroleum pouring through spread a belt of flame around the ship. The Master and a seaman then jumped overboard, but the mate remained to try to save his son, who was lying helpless under some heavy objects which had fallen on him. Captain Peter Sharp, Master of the Annabella Clark, accompanied by a seaman, named John McIntosh, came at once to his assistance. They rowed their boat through the flames, picked up the seaman who had jumped overboard, and took the mate from the blazing vessel. Captain Sharp and McIntosh both sustained very severe injuries. It was feared at first that Captain Sharp would lose the sight of one eye, and John McIntosh the use of his hands.’ (London Gazette 4 April 1879).

‘Resolved that the bronze medal of the society be presented to both Captain Peter Sharp and John McIntosh as an honorary acknowledgement of their gallant conduct and extraordinary exertions in saving the lives of two of the crew of the burning French ship Mélanie.’ (Committee of Lloyd’s Minutes dated 27 November 1878 refers).

For their great gallantry in saving the lives of the French crew, both Sharp and McIntosh were additionally awarded the Albert Medal in Gold for Sea.