Auction Catalogue

28 February & 1 March 2018

Starting at 11:00 AM

.

Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

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Lot

№ 831

.

1 March 2018

Hammer Price:
£1,800

Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, Java (Henry Brett, Lieut. R.N.) good very fine £1600-1800

Provenance: H. Gaskell Collection, Glendining’s, July 1929; Dix Noonan Webb, September 2002.

Henry Brett was born on 29 December 1790, fourth son of Captain Peircy Brett, R.N. (a participant in Admiral Keppel’s action with the Compte d’Orvilliers, 27 July 1778), by a daughter of Captain David Phillips, R.N. He was brother to Commander Peircy Brett, R.N. (1812), and of Lieutenant Spencer Phipps Brett, R.A., who was under General Skerrit in the attack of the bridge at Seville, 27 August 1812; also of Major William Thomson Brett, H.E.I.C.’s service; and grand-nephew of Admiral Sir Peircy Brett, who circumnavigated the globe, when Lieutenant, with Lord Anson, and was afterwards, in 1766, a Lord of the Admiralty.

He entered the Royal Navy as First-class Volunteer on board the
Dryad on 16 August 1802. After service aboard Russell, Sceptre and Doris, he was invested with the rank of Acting-Lieutenant on 23 April 1810. Shortly after his official promotion, which took place on 29 October following, Brett was sent, in command of a detachment of seamen, to co-operate with the land forces at the reduction of the Isle of France. He further assisted, under Captain Lye, at the capture of the Island of Java in August 1811. He served subsequently on the Home and North American stations and was finally paid off in December 1818.