Uniform identification please

[RobinK]

Herewith an ancestor about 1860 in naval uniform.  I'd be grateful for help in identifying his rank and the medal worn.

[macintosh]

Hi Robink,
The medal looks like the Crimean Medal issued to British land and naval forces between 1854-56 for service in the Crimean War against  Russia.
Can't help with the rank, still looking.

James

[neil1821]

He's an officer, but I'm not too familiar with RN rank insignia of the time.

You appear to have a name for him, so a couple of lookup possibilities:
- a Navy List of 1860 or a few years either way
- RN Crimean medal roll, which I have.

Can you tell us his full name?

[RobinK]

Many thanks for swift responses!

His name was Stephen Moriarty. He had the rank of Master with HMS Donegal when she returned in 1862 from the Gulf of Mexico, her Captain being Sherard Osborn.    Capt. Osborn, under due grant of authority in London,  then formed and commanded the short-lived "European-Chinese Naval Squadron" which was disbanded at Shanghai in 1863. Stephen Moriarty was given the rank of Commander in the "E-CNS", and died at sea returning from Shanghai in January 1864.

So, the puzzle is that, assuming the date is 1862 or a little earlier, his uniform might be that of a Master, or of a Commander....which?

[macintosh]

Hi Robink,
I have come to the conclusion that your man's rank will only be ascertained with any degree of certainty is via the National Maritime Museum, I realise the pic will have been coloured  but I am of the opinion that the colourist may have taken a bit of artistic license with the cuff details,I not sure if there are three stripes or two and a thinner inner stripe.
 I have been through lots of info of the Victorian Navy and the rank structure as you probably have, and the only one that comes close in clothing details ,ie the frock coat and buttoned sleeve is Captain and Commander Sir John Franklyn although that is 1843ish.

I will wait and see with interest if you are able to solve this, my gut feeling is that his rank is either Captain or Commander.

James

[Mort29]

I think that you only got the 2nd shoulder epaulette when you made 'post' ?

After 1795, when they were first introduced on Royal Navy uniforms, the number and position of epaulettes distinguished between commanders and post-captains of various seniorities. A commander wore a single epaulette on the left shoulder. A post-captain with less than three years seniority wore a single epaulette on the right shoulder, and a post-captain with three or more years seniority wore an epaulette on each shoulder

[RobinK]

Many thanks to you all - it's helpful that the medal is identified.

I think we can rule out Captain - Stephen Moriarty was delighted to be offered Commander rank in 1862, albeit in a quasi-foreign Navy,
as it meant a significant difference in income from that of Master.  His was a Naval family (father, two brothers) so he had no interest in pretending to be other than what he was.

No one has suggested that his uniform was that of Master -  can I rule that out?   

[crimea1854]

Hi

Having looked at the Navy List for 1855 via Google Books, I found that SJW Moriarty was serving as Master on HMS Centaur. This particular ship saw service in the Baltic during the Crimean War, so I checked the Baltic Medal roll and found that Moriarty was awarded this medal, it being sent to HMS Pearl on 16/3/1857.

Centaur was only in the Baltic in 1855, so it would be possible for Moriarty to have received the Crimea Medal, however, I could not find him on the roll.

I would suggest that perhaps you need to consult the Navy Lists for 1854, or download his Service Record from the NA website to establish what ship he was on in 1854. It is of course possible that the colourist changed the ribbon colour and added a clasp to the medal.


Martin

[RobinK]

Martin,

Many thanks. Stephen Moriarty's record states he was on "Polyphemus" from Feb 1852 until September 1854. Some or all of that time was on the W African coast. He then did a couple of weeks on "St. Vincent", and the next posting was not until Feb 1855 to "Centaur".   In 1855 Navy List he is also shown as on reserved half-pay. So I suppose the conclusion is that the medal in his portrait was for the Baltic.     

His brother Henry Augustus M was Master of the "Duke of Wellington" in the 1855 Navy List, and I gather this vessel was the flagship in the Baltic.