Baltic Medal

[Darrell]

This one came in today. A period Baltic Medal. Just happened to be named to a Thomas Jefferies. Only one person by this name was on the Baltic Rolls. He happened to serve on the ship "Centaur".

The Baltic Medal 1854 - 1855

Instituted April 1856 for award to those that served with the Naval deployment to the Baltic during the Crimean war. This is mainly a Royal Navy and Royal Marines medal although 106 medals were issued to a Royal Engineer contingent present.

Description: In Silver, 36mm diameter with an ornate swivelling suspension. Obverse; the diademed head of Queen Victoria and the legend VICTORIA REGINA. Reverse; Britannia holding a trident and seated on a plinth. In the background a coastal seascape depicting the forts of Bomarsund and Sveaborg. The dates 1854 - 1855 are in exergue. The engravers signatures "W. Wyon RA" (Obverse) is on the bust truncation, and "L.C. Wyon" (reverse) is within the exergue.

Naming : Issued unnamed apart from the medals to the Royal Engineers which were impressed in roman capitals. Many recipients of unnamed medals had their medals privately engraved (and hence turn up in various contemporary engraved styles similar to the Crimea War medals.)

Ribbon; yellow with blue edges.


Obverse:

[Darrell]

Closeup Obverse:

[Darrell]

Reverse:

[Darrell]

Closeup of Reverse:

[Darrell]

Engraved naming on edge:

[Darrell]

He shows up on the Rolls as "PTE" which indicates he was a Royal Marine.

[peter monahan]

Lovely! Any idea what the Marines did in the Baltic? [Not a campaign I've ever read up on}.

Peter

[ROBB]

Another fine addition , your photos are fab they really show the details and the story . Rob

[Darrell]

Lovely! Any idea what the Marines did in the Baltic? [Not a campaign I've ever read up on}.

Peter

Thanks guys.

Peter, not much yet. I've read up on the Baltic Campaign(s) but haven't seen too much mentioned of the Marines.

[Darrell]

UPDATED RESEARCH on Thomas Jeffries since original Posting:

Thomas was born November 1835 in St Lukes, Middlesex, the son of Thomas and Jane Jeffries. Thomas attested for the Royal Marine Light Infantry at Woolwich on 12 December 1853 at the age of 18 years. Thomas was five feet six inches tall with a freckled complexion, grey eyes and auburn hair.
Thomas joined HMS Colussus in October 1854 and was present in the Baltic from January to March 1855.

The records show that Thomas deserted from Portsmouth Barracks on 3 August 1856 and was returned from desertion on the 17 January 1857 and was finally discharged “BRANDED” 26 February 1857.

Interestingly the “Branded” on Thomas Jeffries discharge did actually mean that. Apparently the practice was still going on in the Royal Marines in 1857. A small block of wood with nails protruding from it in the form of the letter “D” was dipped in ink and pressed into the man’s back/shoulder.

The 1861 Census for Shoreditch shows Thomas age 27, born St Luke, married to Sarah and working as a general dealer.

The following has been extracted from the following Admiralty Records.
ADM158/51 Description Book Woolwich Division Royal Marines.
ADM38/7817 Description Book HMS Colussus 1854-1857
ADM38/2921 Muster Book HMS Colussus January to March 1855
ADM38/2924 Muster Book HMS Colussus January 1856
ADM171/20 Baltic Medal Roll HMS Colussus
1851 Census St Luke, Middlesex
1861 Census Shoreditch, Middlesex

[ROBB]

I wonder what Branded meant Rob

[Darrell]

Robb read the red font above ...

[ROBB]

Red brown green colour blind . Urghh sounds nasty its hard to believe that these sort of things happened , especially in these days of namby pambyisim . ROb

[Darrell]

Red brown green colour blind . Urghh sounds nasty its hard to believe that these sort of things happened , especially in these days of namby pambyisim . ROb

It was the first I had heard of this before. Man .. the Army / Navy didn't piss around in those days did they.

[Darrell]

Here is the entry in the Description Book for the Colossus in 1854-57. The entry opposite Jefferies name (which is far to the left out of the picture).