Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine Crimean War C.B. group of six awarded to Rear-Admiral Thomas Wren Carter, Royal Navy, whose two campaign clasps span a remarkable period of almost 55 years

The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, C.B. (Military) Companion’s breast badge in 22 carat gold and enamels, hallmarked London 1815, maker’s mark ‘IN’ for John Northam, complete with narrow gold swivel-ring suspension and gold ribbon buckle; Naval General Service 1793-18401 clasp, Copenhagen 1801 (Thos. W. Carter, Midshipman.); Crimea 1854-56, 1 clasp, Sebastopol (Thos. Wren Carter, Capt. of H.M.S. Britannia.) engraved naming; Order of the Medjidie, 3rd Class neck badge, silver, gold and enamel, the reverse engraved ‘Thomas Wren Carter’; Legion of Honour, 4th Class, Officers breast badge, gold and enamels, with rosette on ribbon; Turkish Crimea, British issue (Thos. Wren Carter, Capt. of H.M.S. Britannia.) the Legion of Honour with numerous small enamel chips, otherwise good very fine or better (6) £6000-8000

Thomas Wren Carter was born in November 1789, fourth son of William Carter Esq., a magistrate for the County of Hampshire. He entered the Navy on 29 March 1800, as First-Class Volunteer, on board the Warrior 74, Captain Charles Tyler, under whom he attained the rank of Midshipman, 8 September 1800, was present, 2 April 1801, in the battle of Copenhagen, and then visited Jamaica. Between July 1802 and April 1806, he served, on the Channel and Irish stations, in the Constance 24 and Blanch 36, both commanded by Captain Zachary Mudge, Topaze 38, Captain Willoughby Thomas Lake, Dryad 36, Captain John Giffard, and Hibernia 120. The ship last named, which bore the flags in succession of Lord Gardner, Vice-Admiral John Leigh Douglas, and Earl St Vincent, formed part of the force under Hon. William Cornwallis, in his pursuit of the French fleet into Brest, 22 August 1805. On 18 April 1806, a few days after he had passed his examination, Mr Carter was promoted into the Halifax 26, Captain Lord James Townsend. In that vessel, the command of which devolved upon him for several months during the absence of his Captain in Europe, he served, as First Lieutenant, on the North American station, until 14 November 1808. His next appointment was, 12 May 1809, to the St Domingo 74, bearing the flag of Sir Richard John Strachan, whom we find him accompanying in the expedition to the Walcheren, where he commanded the boats belonging to his ship, and was warmly engaged with the enemy’s batteries at Flushing.

From 11 November 1811, until September 1813, Mr Carter was employed in the Arethusa 38, Shark 18, Argo 44, and Bedford 74, a great part of the time as Flag-Lieutenant, under Vice-Admiral Charles Stirling, Commander-in-Chief at Jamaica, whence after holding for a brief period the acting-command of the Moselle sloop, in which he was superseded by Sir John Borlase Warren, he returned to England. He remained thenceforward on half-pay until within a few month of his being confirmed, 14 July 1815, in the command of the Emulous 16, on the same station, where he removed, 16 February 1816, to the Carnation 18. In the Emulous, Captain Carter was actively employed in protecting British interests in the Spanish Main during the war between Spain and her colonies. He paid off the Carnation in May 1816. Obtaining command, 17 November 1818, of the Wasp 18, he again proceeded to the West Indies, where he captured the Venezuelan sloop-of-war El Libertador, bearing the broad pendant of Commodore Chitty, and a Spanish brigantine, her prize.

Previous to the cession of East Florida by Spain to the United States, he made, by order of Sir Home Popham, a rough survey of the west coast of that province, including the harbours of Espiritu Santo and San Carlos; and he forwarded to the Navy Board specimens of live oak and of pine collected from the Florida forests. He was also employed in effecting a survey of the coast of the province of Texas. Captain Carter paid off the Wasp in August 1820; and on 25 April 1831, after a lapse of more than ten years and a half, he was advanced to Post rank. His subsequent appointments were - 27 November 1837, and 18 August 1841, to the Vestal 26, and Winchester 50, on the North America and West India station, whence he returned in the early part of 1842 - 28 January 1848, to the Caledonia 120, in which ship, employed on the Home and Mediterranean stations, he paid off 24 June 1851 - and, 9 August 1852, to the Britannia 120. In the Vestal, during the first three months of 1839, Captain Carter was stationed at Antoa Lizardo, on the Mexican coast, as senior officer of a detachment from the squadron of Commodore Peter John Douglas, for the purpose of watching the proceedings of the French squadron under Admiral Boudin, pending the dispute between the Governments of France and Mexico. During the season of 1840 he was employed, as Senior Officer, in the Gulf of St Lawrence, for the protection of the British fisheries; and from November in the same year, until March 1841, he was engaged in the Bay of Honduras in endeavouring to obtain redress from the several States composing the Central American Republic, for injuries inflicted of subjects of her Britannic Majesty. When in the Caledonia, in the Mediterranean, Captain Carter, who proceeded thither in March 1849, accompanied Sir William Parker, the Commander-in-Chief, to the Dardanelles on the occasion of an attempt being made by Russia, in the course of the latter year, to coerce the Government of Turkey. He also assisted in enforcing certain demands of the British on the Greek Government. On the Caledonia being paid off at Devonport, her officers and crew were highly complimented by the Commander-in-Chief, Sir John Ommanney, who made a most favourable report to the Admiralty of her state of efficiency.

The Britannia bore the flag of Sir James Whitley Deans Dundas, the Commander-in-Chief, in the Mediterranean, and during the campaign of 1854 in the Black Sea. She was present, on the latter station, at the bombardment of Odessa, at the landing of the army in the Crimea, in the attack of 17 October on the sea defences of Sebastopol (on which occasion she had 9 men wounded), and in the gale of 14 November. During the month of August she was afflicted grievously with cholera, which proved fatal in 93 cases out of 201. She arrived at Portsmouth, 24 February 1855, and was put out of commission 13 March following. During his command of the Britannia, Captain Carter had established and had superintended the early working of the Naval Hospital at Therapia, in the Bosphorous. He obtained the Captain’s Good Service Pension, 8 December 1853; was nominated a C.B., 5 July 1855; and was advanced to flag rank, 31 January 1856.

Rear-Admiral Carter received a medal for the battle of Copenhagen, the Black Sea medal and Sebastopol clasp, and the Turkish medal. He is an Officer of the Legion of Honour, and wears the Order of the Medjidie of the 3rd Class. He married, 17 August 1820, Harriet Jane, eldest daughter of Rear-Admiral Sir Archibald Collingwood Dickson, Bart., and sister of Rear-Admiral Sir William Dickson, Bart., of Captain J. B. Dickson, R.N., and of Commander A. C. T. Dickson, R.N.