Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, Pelagosa 29 Novr 1811 (Thomas Watling.) small...

Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, Pelagosa 29 Novr 1811 (Thomas Watling.) small bruise to obverse rim, otherwise good very fine £2,000-£2,400 --- Importation Duty This lot is subject to importation duty of 5% on the hammer price unless exported outside the UK --- --- Provenance: Colin Message Collection, August 1999. Thomas Watling does not appear anywhere on the Admiralty roll and this may be a claim allowed after the books were officially closed. It is known that some 200 medals come into this category, but no documentation remains. However, a search of the books of the three ships involved in the action reveals Thomas Watling serving as a Landsman aboard Unite, a ship which he joined at Deptford in July 1805 as a volunteer Boy 2nd class, and was still serving aboard in 1812. He came from the Ceres, having joined for the first time in April 1805. His age was given then as 18 and his place of birth as ‘Raileigh’, or later ‘Raleigh’; this is probably Rayleigh, Essex. The Pelagosa clasp was the only one earned by the Unite which was not present at the battle of Lissa (March 1811), which had taken place in the same area. The action off Pelagosa involved the Active, Alceste and Unite which set off in pursuit of two French frigates, Pauline and Pomone, which were escorting the store-ship Persanne. Pomone was captured but the Pauline escaped to Ancona. Persanne also tried to get away but was overhauled by Unite and after a couple of broadsides she surrendered and her crew of 180 were taken prisoner. Sold with copied muster list for Unite October/November 1811 and log of the Unite for November 1811.