Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, 4 Novr 1805 (John Ryan.) toned, extremely fine ...

Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, 4 Novr 1805 (John Ryan.) toned, extremely fine £1,600-£2,000 --- Importation Duty This lot is subject to importation duty of 5% on the hammer price unless exported outside the UK --- --- Provenance: Spink, August 1959; Glendinig’s, March 1989; Dix Noonan Webb, February 1998; Colin Message Collection, August 1999. John Ryan is confirmed as an Able Seaman aboard Caesar on 4 November 1805. Two other men with this name are shown on the rolls, one for Trafalgar and one for Java, both as Privates in the Royal Marines. Ryan served aboard the Caesar, Sir Richard Strachan’s flag-ship. He came from Waterford and was aged 30 in May 1805. A landsman, he was advanced to ordinary seaman on 7 July 1805, and to Able Seaman on 1 February 1806. Like most of Caesar's crew, followers of Sir Richard, he had joined from Renown when she was paid off. Four French ships, under Rear-Admiral Dumanoir Le Pelley, had escaped to the south after the battle of Trafalgar on 21 October 1805, and eventually decided to make for one of the Atlantic ports. It so happened that at this time Rear-Admiral Allemand was at sea with the French Rochefort squadron and was playing havoc with British commerce, and several British squadrons were looking for it. On 2 November, the frigate Phoenix had sighted four large ships which she supposed to be from the Rochefort squadron and conveyed this news to Sir Richard Strachan, who at once gave chase. He found the French squadron but lost them again during the night of the 2nd/3rd. But at 9.00 a.m. next day, north-west of Cape Ortegal, Strachan, in company with three ships of the line and the frigate Santa Margarita, made contact once more. The four French ships were continually harassed by the Santa Margarita and the Phoenix which had also come up. The British vessels gradually overtook Dumanoir Le Pelley, who realising by the 4th November that he could not avoid action, formed his command into line, Duguay Trouin 80, Formidable 74, Mont Blanc 74, and Scipion 74. Strachan in Caesar, now had with him only Hero and Courageux; the Bellona, being a poor sailer, having parted company. Just after midday the battle began. At 2.45 the general action was also joined by the Namur, and the Revolutionnaire had also come up. The French suffered severely from the superior British gunnery and soon the Formidable and the Scipion struck their colours. By 3.55 the other French 74's had also capitulated. Total French casualties were over 750 killed and wounded. The four prizes were brought back to Plymouth where they were added to the British navy.