Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Quarter Master William Paul, Royal Navy

India General Service 1854-95, 1 clasp, Pegu (Wm. Paul. Captn. F. Top. “Spartan”); China 1857-60, no clasp, unnamed as issued; Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., V.R., wide suspension (W. Paul. Qr. Mr. H.M.S. Indus. 21 Yrs.) the last with edge bruising, otherwise very fine or better (3) £1,000-£1,200

William Paul was born at Torpoint, Cornwall, in October 1823, and joined the Royal Navy as ‘Wm. Thos. Paul’ on board H.M.S. San Joseph as a Boy 3rd Class on 8 September 1840, aged 15. The clerk recording a later Continuous Service agreement questions his date of birth given his stated age when joining San Joseph. He subsequently joined Malabar on 2 September 1841, and Superb as Ordinary Seaman on 24 August 1844, advancing to Able Seaman on 1 August 1846. He next joined Racer on 9 March 1849, and then Spartan as Captain of the Fore Top on 14 June 1852. He served in this ship during the Burma campaign and later in the China campaign of 1857. He removed in the same rate to Impregnable on 14 November 1857, and then served ashore at Devonport Yard as a Seaman Rigger, from 24 December 1857 to June 1859, when he moved to Gladiator as Quarter Master. He joined Indus in the same rate on 9 November 1861, receiving his L.S. & G.C. medal on 30 December 1863. He continued in Indus until finally shore pensioned on 31 January 1868. Sold with copied record of service and medal roll extracts.