Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Ashantee 1873-74, no clasp (W. A. Keown, Ord, H.M.S, Druid, 73-74) good very fine £180-£220

William Annesley Keown was born at Portsea, Hampshire, on 26 January 1853, and joined the Royal Navy on 26 January 1871, being rated an Ordinary Seaman. He served in Encounter on the Gold Coast from 3-31 January 1874, before joining Druid from 1 February 1874 to 25 January 1876. He next joined Aboukir on 6 March 1876, but it should be noted that he had spent the intervening 42 days in Military Prison in Barbados for some unrecorded offence. He rejoined Druid on 8 April 1876, and next moved to Rover on 23 September 1876. His character was more often than not described as ‘Indifferent’ and he was eventually discharged to shore and discharged from the Royal Navy as ‘undesirable’ in July 1877. His Ashantee medal was sent to Druid in February 1876. Sold with copied record of service.