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Auction: 25001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 4

The 2-clasp Naval General Service Medal awarded to Admiral Alexander Montgomerie, Royal Navy, who served at sea for almost twenty years and participated in a number of fiercly-fought actions, not least at Barque island; the subsequent capture of Guadeloupe; and at Rugen island where he successfully defended a fort against French infantry assaults

Naval General Service 1793-1840, 2 clasps, Anse La Barque 18 Decr 1809, Guadaloupe (Alexr. Montgomerie, Lieut. R.N.), good very fine

Provenance:
Sotheby's, March 1995.
Colin Message Collection, August 1999.
Jason Pilalas Collection, July 2024.


Alexander Montgomerie, of an old Scottish family, was born at Dreghorn, Ayrshire, Scotland on 30 July 1790. Joining the Royal Navy at the tender age of 12 on 27 June 1802, he was initially appointed a First-Class Volunteer aboard the 16-gun sloop H.M.S. Hazard, with which he saw brief service in the English Channel before spending the next six years with both the 44-gun frigate H.M.S. Argo and the 74-gun H.M.S. Tigre, as a member of their Midshipman's berth. With Argo (under the command of Captain Benjamin Hallowell) young Montgomerie saw his first taste of action, as this vessel participated in the captures of St. Lucia and Tobago - the former earned Hallowell and his men a very favourable 'Mention', with Admiral Hood stating: 'To Captain Hallowell's Merit it is impossible for me to give additional Encomium, as it is so generally known; but I must beg Leave to say, on this expedition, his Activity could not be exceeded; and by his friendly Advice I have obtained the most effectual Aid to this Service, for which he has been a Volunteer, and, after the final Disembarkation, proceeded on with the Seamen to co-operate with the Army.' (London Gazette, 26 July 1803, refers).
When Hallowell was appointed to command the Tigre, Montgomerie followed him and this ship was part of Admiral Lord Nelson's fleet in the great hunt for the combined Franco-Spanish fleet prior to the Battle of Trafalgar on 21 October 1805. Tigre, unfortunately, missed the battle due to being away at Gibraltar to take on water and escort convoys, but subsequently participated in the operations off Egypt in 1807: Montgomerie must have been aboard when Tigre captured two Ottoman frigates (the Uri Bahar and Uri Nasard) and his subsequent biography states he was then employed with 'much boat service' on Lake Mareotis - scene of British landings against French, Ottoman, and Albanian troops.

In September 1809, Midshipman Montgomerie passed his Lieutenant's examination and was thence sent (though still as Midshipman) to the 36-gun frigate H.M.S. Orpheus, before shortly afterwards removing to the 74-gun H.M.S. Sceptre - the ship with which he was to earn the clasps to his Medal. Sceptre, commanded by Captain Samuel James Ballard, was part of a force ordered to capture the French-held island of Guadeloupe. On 18 December 1809, a British squadron (including Sceptre) attacked two French ships (the Loire and Seine, variously described as 'frigates' or 'flutes') anchored at Anse a la Barque and protected by batteries of artillery ashore. Notwithstanding a spirited defence, in fairly short order both French vessels had been dismasted and surrendered - though they were subsequently abandoned, caught fire, and blew up. The attack was under the overall command of Captain Hugh Cameron of H.M.S. Hazard, and after destroying the Loire and Seine the British force next landed ashore to silence the batteries: this objective was also achieved but in the moment of victory Cameron was killed, one report stating that after personally hauling down the French tricolour he wrapped it around his body before being accidentally shot by a British sailor who mistook him for the enemy. It seems likely that Montgomerie played a very active part in this action, as the very next day he was appointed Acting Lieutenant of H.M.S. Freija/Freya, which was confirmed by official commission on 4 May 1810, and during the intervening time also appears to have been equally active in the ships' boats in minor actions against further French shore batteries around Guadeloupe.

Returning home, after three months in command of H.M.S. Magnanime on 28 January 1811 he was appointed Lieutenant aboard the 32-gun frigate H.M.S. Aquilon, with which vessel he served until 1814, concluding his time aboard her as First Lieutenant. This period of his career also saw much active service - but rather than the tropical Caribbean, this time in the distinctly cooler North Sea and Baltic in the supression of enemy trade and coastal traffic, and the escorting of British and allied convoys. Though little further information appears immediately available, his service biography states that: 'When in the Baltic in 1812, and engaged with the boats under his orders in an attempt to bring some vessels off from the island of Rugen, he greatly distinguished himself by his conduct in capturing a temporary fort occupied by a superior number of troops, whom, on their being reinforced and endeavouring to recover their loss, he several times repulsed.' (A Naval Biographical Dictionary - Montgomerie, Alexander, W.R. O'Byrne, p.774, refers).

Promoted Commander on 7 June 1814 on his return from the South America station, despite theoretical appointment to H.M.S. Racoon she was off the coast of Brazil and he never joined her. With the conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars Montgomerie had to wait until 21 March 1818 for his next command - the 18-gun brig-sloop H.M.S. Confiance, which position he held for two years until moving in July 1820 to the 26-gun H.M.S. Sapphire as Acting-Captain. This was a fortuitous change as, two years later, Confiance was wrecked off Ireland with the loss of the entire crew. Returning home in September 1821, he does not appear to have received another seagoing appointment but nevertheless remained on the Active List until his official (and well-earned) retirement on 1 October 1856.

By virtue of longevity, Montgomerie moved slowly up the seniority list; promoted Rear-Admiral in 1852, then Vice-Admiral in 1857, he reached the rank of Admiral on 27 April 1863. Admiral Alexander Montgomerie appears to have remained a bachelor throughout his life and died in January 1864 at Skelmorlie, Ayrshire, not far from where he was born 73 years earlier.

Sold together with a small quantity of copied research.

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Estimate
£5,000 to £7,000

Starting price
£4000