CHINA WAR, BALTIC & CRIMEA MEDALS BOATMAN EDWARD BUTTERS ROYAL NAVY WHO SERVED 32 YEARS

Offered is a very nice 3 campaign Victorian era combination to Boatman Edward Butters, who served 32 years in the Royal Navy, including seeing active service in the 1st China 'Opium' War of 1842, followed by service in the Crimean War in 1854, before he retired and emigrated to Australia and died there, aged 74.

China Medal (1842) impressed named **EDWARD BUTTER.  H.M.S. BLONDE.; Baltic Medal (1854 – 55), unnamed as issued.; Crimea Medal (1854 – 56), no clasp, impressed named E BUTTERS HMS PRINCESS ROYAL; Turkish Crimea (Sardinia issue 1855) unnamed as issued with period replacement swivel suspension. Comes with copies of service record, medal rolls, baptism record, 1851 & 1861 census & ships passenger list 1886.

Note the spelling of Butter on the China Medal, It should instead read Butters.

Edward David Butters was born in 1812 at Somerton. He was baptised on 16/8/1813 at St Giles in the field, his father’s occupation being ‘tailor’ and the family was living in St. Pancras.

He joined the Royal Navy as a 16 year old Boy 2^nd class, and served on the following H.M. Ship and Shore Stations over the next 32 ½ years:

North Star 17/10/1829 – 6/8/1833, this was a 28-gun Atholl-class sixth-rate post ship stationed 1829 to 1832 in Portsmouth. Promoted to Seaman 1/4/1831.

Hercules 27/3/1836 – 23/11/1839, this was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line. In 1836 she formed part of an experimental squadron, which were groups of ships sent out in the 1830s and 1840s to test new techniques of ship design, armament, building and propulsion. In 1839 conveying troops from the West Indies to North America, and then to Lisbon.

Blonde 10/12/1839 – 23/3/1843, 46-gun modified Apollo-class fifth-rate frigate. Commanded by Captain Thomas Bourchier, East Indies (including the first Anglo-Chinese War). He played a leading role in many actions during the war, and ultimately returned with three million dollars of the "Chinese ransom".

Virago 13/7/1843 – 16/11/1847, Royal Navy Driver-class wooden paddle sloop. Served in the Mediterranean Station.

Coast Guard

HM Coastguard was established in 1822. In 1831, the Coast Guard took over duties from the Coast Blockade for the Suppression of Smuggling (which had been run by the Admiralty from a string of Martello Towers on the Kent and Sussex coast); this finally gave it authority over the whole of the UK coastline. In the 1850s, with smuggling on the wane, oversight of the Coast Guard was transferred from the Board of Customs to the Admiralty. In the decades that followed, the Coast Guard began to function more like an auxiliary Naval service. Responsibilities for revenue protection were retained by the Coast Guard.

Coast Guard 10/2/1848 – 12/2/1854 serving as a boatman.

H.M.S. Princess Royal 13/2/1854 – 9/7/1856. This was a 91-gun second rate ship of the line. Commanded (from commissioning) by Captain Lord Clarence Edward Paget, the Baltic (1854), and the Black Sea (1855, including the blockade and bombardment of Sebastopol).

Coast Guard 10/7/1856 – 31/8/1867 as a boatman. Promoted to command 18/2/1858.

The 1851 census records him as living in West Wittering and the 1861 census living in Worthing.

He emigrated to New South Wales, Australia in 1879 as Edward Butters is on the passenger list and an Edward D Butters died in 1886 at Wallsend, New South Wales.