Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

An extremely rare Baltic and China War campaign group of three awarded to 1st Engineer J. Urquhart, Royal Navy, who was awarded the Naval Engineers Medal in 1845, believed to be the eighth and final award of this Medal

Baltic 1854-55, unnamed as issued; China 1857-60, unnamed as issued; Naval Engineers Medal, 1842-46 (James Urquhart 1st Engineer of H.M.S.V. Columbia, 1845.) good very fine (3) £1,400-£1,800

Triffett Collection (Tasmania) 1948; Spink, July 1988.

James Urquhart was born on 1 May 1811 and entered the Royal Navy as 1st Engineer at Woolwich on 2 July 1839. Initially posted to the William & Mary, he transferred to Firefly on 10 October 1839 and Columbia from 28 June 1842 to 12 January 1848. According to an entry in the Admiralty Digests for 1845, Urquhart qualified at this time for the Naval Engineers Medal for his invention of a Tide Gauge, it being presented to him on 8 July 1845. Transferred to Fisgard, Scourge, Blenheim and Caesar, Urquhart went on to serve aboard the frigate Retribution from 1 April 1855 to 22 December 1860, and is entitled to the Baltic 1854 and China Campaign 1857-60 medals during this period. According to the Head of the Admiralty Record Office at Whitehall on 3 April 1950:

‘It may be interesting to note that the satisfaction of the Board of the Admiralty was conveyed to the Commanding Officer, H.M.S. ‘Retribution’ in February 1860 for the ‘unremitting exertions of Chief Engineer I James Urquhart.’

Further posted to Asia and Cumberland, Urquhart reverted to shore at his own request on 24 February 1866.

Sold with an impressive file of copied research regarding the recipient and the Naval Engineers Medal, with confirmation by Seaby’s in November 1950, reprinted from the Newsletter of the Australian Numismatic Society, that Urquhart is the eighth recipient of the Naval Engineers Medal to be found, the rolls and work by Major L. L. Gordon in his British Battles and Medals, 1st Edition - initially quoting six recipients - being incomplete and possibly inaccurate. Gordon himself amended the number to seven medals in his 2nd edition of 1950, the eighth to Urquhart being confirmed by Admiralty Digests. Captain K. J. Douglas-Morris also confirms the award of Urquhart’s Medal.