Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, Trafalgar (James Morris.) suspension a little slack, light marks overall, otherwise very fine £4,600-£5,500

The published rolls confirm James Morris as a Private Royal Marines aboard H.M.S. Ajax. One other man of this name is shown on the roll for Syria whose medal was sold by Spink in January 1950.

James Morris was born at Westbury, Wiltshire, and was enlisted by Captain Abernethy for service in the 59th Company of the Portsmouth Division of the Royal Marines at Bradford in August 1804, aged 16 years. He joined H.M.S. Ajax in the same month as a Boy recruit and was appointed a Private on 1 October 1805.

Under the command of Lieutenant (acting Captain) John Pilford, R.N., Ajax was seventh in line in Nelson’s column and engaged the Bucentaure and the Santissima Trinidad, in addition to collaborating with Orion in forcing the surrender of the 74-gun Intrepide.

Morris is traced in the musters of Ajax until January 1807. Ajax was lost on 14 February 1807, after an accidental fire on board, off the coast of Tenedos. There is no indication which ship (if any) he served on after this date but it is recorded that he transferred to the Chatham Division on 8 September 1814.

Sold with research.