Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Naval General Service 1793-1840, 2 clasps, Basque Roads 1809, St. Sebastian (David Davis.) edge bruising and polished, otherwise toned, nearly very fine £2800-3200

Provenance: By direct descent to the present David John Davis.

David Davis is confirmed as an Able Seaman aboard H.M.S. Lyra for both actions. One other man of this name is shown on the rolls as an Ordinary Seaman aboard H.M.S. Mars at Trafalgar.

Davis served on the 10-gun Cherokee-class brig-sloop Lyra from 1808 to 1815. At Basque Roads the sloops Lyra and Redpole were equipped as light ships to guide the fireships into the channel.

On 6 April 1828, David married Joanna Taylor in the Parish of St Dunstan, Stepney, Middlesex. They had several children one of whom was David John Davis, born in 1839. He attended the Royal Naval Hospital School and later became a seaman. After his father’s death on 5 May 1856, he inherited his Naval General Service medal and, in 1858, emigrated to Australia at the age of 19, taking the medal with him. In 1862 he married Letitia Norman and they had several children including another David John. David John Davis (1) died in Sydney in 1886, aged 47.

David John Davis (2) was born on 12 July 1870. He was a seaman and wharf labourer and lived in The Rocks, Sydney. He married Ethel Harvey in 1894 and of their three children one was called David John. David John Davis (2) died in Sydney on 8 July 1938, aged 68.

David John Davis (3) was born on 20 June 1899. He was also a seaman and wharf labourer and lived in The Rocks, Sydney. He married Ellen Conlon in 1923 and they had nine children, the last of whom was called David John. David John Davis (3) died in Sydney in 1957, aged 57.

David John Davis (4) was born on 29 May 1947. He married Ruth Klump in 1966 and they had three children. Their second child was given the names David John but he sadly died from German measles shortly after birth. David John Davis (4) is the vendor of this medal and is still alive at the age of 70 years. He has a grandson named Lachlan who is 16 years old and still at school. He serves in the Royal Australian Air Force Cadets and will be joining the Air Force when he leaves school. He is presently learning to fly and the proceeds from the sale of this medal will be used towards his flying lessons. Lachlan believes he will earn his own medals.

Sold with further family details contained on a memory stick.