The John Goddard Collection of Important Naval Medals and Nelson Letters

Commander Thomas Strover, R.N., who served in the lower decks of the Centaur 74 as a young boy in two fine actions before receiving his deserved promotion to Lieutenant

Naval General Service 1793-1840, 2 clasps, 16 July Boat Service 1806 [51], Centuar 26 Augt 1808 [41] note error in spelling of clasp (Thomas Strover.) mild edge bruising, otherwise good very fine £5000-6000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The John Goddard Collection of Important Naval Medals and Nelson Letters.

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Collection

Provenance: Glendining’s, October 1938; Sotheby, March 1980 and May 1992.

16 July Boat Service 1806 [51 issued] - including one officer and 10 men of the Centaur, most of whom also claimed the following action.

Centaur 26 Augt 1808 [41 issued] - note the spelling variation ‘Centuar’ on this actual clasp, which is as recorded in the Glendining’s October 1938 catalogue. This variety of spelling was also recorded on the medal to Richard M. Teed, Volr., sold in these rooms in December 2007.

Thomas Strover is confirmed on the rolls as a Volunteer First Class in the Centaur for the Boat Service action, and as an Ordinary Seaman aboard Centaur at the capture of the Sevolod in August 1808.

Thomas Strover was born at Deptford, and first entered the Navy as a Landsman on board the Prince Frederick on 26 August 1805, aged 13 years. He joined the Centaur 74 on 27 February 1806, as a Volunteer First Class, being later advanced to Ordinary Seaman. In the Centaur he took part in the actions described below and afterwards in the Walcheren expedition in August 1809. After his promotion to Acting-Lieutenant in August 1812, he saw service on the East India station aboard H.M. Ships Samarang, Minden and Theban, until 1816 when he returned to England. Thereafter he saw short periods of employment on the Jamaica, Mediterranean and Lisbon stations before joining the Poitiers in 1846, which vessel fulfilled the role of guard-ship at Chatham. One of his final sea-going appointments was as an Admiralty Agent aboard a contract mail steam vessel. He was promoted to the rank of Commander on 9 January 1854, and died at Basford, Nottinghamshire, on 6 September 1863, aged 72 years.

Cutting out of the Caesar

On the evening of 15 July 1806, twelve boats from Commodore Sir Samuel Hood’s squadron, H.M. Ships Achille, Centaur, Conqueror, Indefatigable, Iris, Monarch, Polyphemus, Prince of Wales and Revenge, under Lieutenant Edward R. Sibley of the Centaur, set out for the mouth of the Gironde to attack a convoy laden with stores at the entrance of the river, under the protection of two brig-corvettes. At midnight they entered the Verdon road, and immediately attacked the French 16-gun brig-corvette Caesar with a crew of 86 men, fully prepared for resistance. While cutting away the boarding netting of the brig, Lieutenant Sibley was badly wounded, but she was boarded and carried after a very gallant defence, her commander, Lieutenant Fourré being among the slain. The other brig, the Teazer (late British) of fourteen guns, in the darkness of the night slipped her cable and escaped up the river, followed by the convoy. In the meanwhile the prize, exposed to a fire from the Teazer and the batteries on both sides of the river, was worked out under the direction of Lieutenant Parker of the Indefatigable, and joined the two frigates at anchor in the offing. The British loss was rather severe, Lieutenant C. Manners, of the Revenge, a master’s mate, and seven men killed, and four Lieutenants and thirty-five men wounded. Lieutenant Sibley was promoted to Commander for his gallant action.

Centaur and Implacable pursue the Russian fleet and capture the Sewolod 74

In August 1808, Sir Samuel Hood in Centaur accompanied by Implacable, Captain Thomas Byam Martin, joined Rear Admiral Nauckhoff and the Swedish fleet in Oro Roads and they all sailed from there on the 25th, in pursuit of the Russian fleet which had appeared off Sweden two days earlier. Due to their superior sailing Centaur and Implacable were soon well in advance and closing on the Russians who appeared to be in disorder. By the morning of the 26th, Implacable was able to bring the leewardmost of the enemy's line-of-battle ships, the Sewolod 74, Captain Roodneff, to close action. After 20 minutes the enemy's colours and pendant were lowered but the approach of the whole Russian force obliged Sir Samuel to recall Captain Martin. A Russian frigate took the crippled ship in tow but when the Russian Admiral hauled his wind, Centaur and Implacable gave chase and forced the frigate to slip her tow. The enemy ships again bore down in support but instead of engaging they entered the port of Rager Vik (also known as Port Baltic or Rogerswick). When boats were sent out to try and tow her in to harbour Centaur stood in and, after driving the boats off, ran across the bow of the Sewolod just as she was entering the harbour. The Centaur then lashed the Sewolod’s bowsprit to her mizen-mast and both ships soon drifted aground. The Russians refused to strike and the battle went on until the arrival of the Implacable finally induced the Russian ship to surrender. Implacable had to heave Centaur off. However, the prize was so firmly aground that after taking out the prisoners and wounded men, Sir Samuel ordered her to be burnt. Implacable lost six men killed and twenty-six wounded including two who did not recover and three who had limbs amputated. Centaur lost three killed and twenty-seven wounded, and the Sewolod 303 killed, wounded and missing.