Lot 3751

Description

Private Gallantry Award, consisting of a silver medal; 42mm; hallmarked sterling, Thomas Edwards, London, 1838-9 and suspended on gold coloured cord. Obverse engraved: Presented by George Foster Captain of the English Schooner 'York' to Viellard Boatman at Rouen. Reverse engaved: In testimony of remembrance for having saved the life of His Son from being drowned May 28. 1841. Very fine.

With research from the Guildhall Librarian & Director of Libraries and Art Galleries. Lloyd's List for 1841 records the 'York' with Foster as captain, and she is recorded in Lloyd's Register until 1843, but not thereafter. The schooner 'York' was built in 1815 at Thorn (probably Thornaby on Tees). With a net tonnage of 93 tons, she was registered at Goole in 1841, with Captain Foster as her owner. Only one of the several George Fosters listed in the first volume of Lloyd's Captains' Register was old enough to have been the York's skipper, having been born in Sunderland in 1803. Sadly, no details of his service prior to 1856/7 are given.