Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

China 1842 (Edward Hewitt, H.M.S. Herald.) original suspension, light contact marks, nearly very fine £500-£700

Edward Hewitt was born at the Cape of Good Hope on 10 March 1820, or 1822, depending on differing dates given in service documents. He entered the Navy in Victory on 24 August 1836, as a Boy 3rd Class aged 14 (or 16) and advanced to Boy 2nd Class on 1 February 1838. He joined Herald as a Boy 2nd Class on 3 June 1838, giving his age as 17 which makes the 1820 date of birth seem the more likely. He was advanced to Ordinary Seaman on 2 November 1842, and took part in the First China War before being discharged to Inconstant on 26 May 1843 (Medal).

He served in Warspite from December 1845 to April 1846 and then, as Able Seaman, in Brilliant from 9-13 May 1846 when he deserted (“Run”), not being recovered until 27 November 1846, when he joined Resistance in which ship he advanced to Captain of the Mizzen Top on 28 May 1848, and remained there until 14 September 1848. Joining Serpent as Captain of the Fore Top on 4 October 1849, he remained in her until 22 July 1853, taking part in the campaign in Burma (Medal with clasp for Pegu).

After qualifying as a Gunner’s Mate at Excellent, he went to Royal Albert from January 1854 until August 1858, first as Gunner’s Mate and then as Able Seaman until 20 September 1857. Whilst in her he took part in the Crimean campaign of 1854-56 (Medal with clasps for Sebastopol and Azoff, and Turkish Medal).

After a further few months at Excellent he joined Cadmus as Gunner’s Mate from May 1859 to April 1861, and then joined Styx for 6 weeks before returning to Excellent from May 1861 to March 1862, still as Gunner’s Mate. His last ship was Tribune from March 1862 to November 1863, first as Gunner’s Mate and then as Quartermaster. He had, by then, served for 22 years 303 days and had three good conduct badges. Although his desertion was expunged (”Run Removed”) by Admiralty Order on 8 February 1864, it was likely for this reason that he did not receive a L.S. & G.C. medal.

Herald was a 28-gun 6th Rate, launched at Cochin in November 1822 and originally named Termagent. She was renamed Herald on 15 May 1824, and, from 1845 was used for surveying until 1860 as well as for the Franklin search expeditions of 1848-51.