By Linus Joseph Dewald Jr., Editor
Winter 2010 and Revised 9 Dec 2010
If you have any information about the folks mentioned in this article, please send your information to us at the Prentice Newsletter. Be sure to give the full title and date of this article in the Subject line of the email.
1. Golden Prentice was b. c. 1805-6 in Halstead, Essex Co. England. Little is known about him except the following pertaining to a Naval General Service Medal published in an auction publication:
- NAVAL GENERAL SERVICE MEDAL, 1793-1840, single clasp, Syria (Golden Prentice)
NAVAL GENERAL SERVICE MEDAL, 1793-1840, single clasp, Syria (Golden Prentice); officially impressed. One or two light contact marks, otherwise almost extremely fine. Ex Goodwin Collection Golden Prentice; of Halstead, Essex, attested for service with the Royal Marines on the 2nd of November, 1822 for the Chatham Division at Chelmsford.
He joined the Royal Marines at the age of 18, having previously worked as a labourer. He served in the Royal Marines for a total of 21 years, 5 months and 9 days, almost 16 years of which were spent serving aboard a number of ships. He was at one stage was tried by court martial in 1833 for disobeying orders, and sentenced to one hundred lashes, but then observed a period of 11 years good conduct. Pte Golden Prentice served as Private aboard the 84-gun HMS Ganges at Syria. Sold with copy attestation papers and records of service. Confirmed on roll.
The events of 1840 in Syria were part of a large and complex power struggle between the Ottoman Empire; receiving support from Britain, Russia & Austria, and the rising power of Egypt, tacitly supported by France and Spain. In the summer of 1839 the armies of the Egyptian ruler Pasha Mehemet Ali defeated a large invading Turkish army at Nezib, as well capturing a potentially mutinous Turkish fleet at Alexandria. As a result, the Egyptian forces could potentially lay claim to Syria and the Eastern Mediterranean, as well as bringing Egyptian forces within striking distance of Istanbul. Alarmed by these events; which threatened to destabilize the region, a combined European and Russian fleet led by Admiral Sir Robert Stopford sailed to the eastern Mediterranean to bombard and storm the important coastal city of Acre, in the hope of forcing the Egyptian presence from Syria.
Devastating and accurate cannon fire; which set light to the citys main magazine, quickly ending resistance from the city batteries. Consequently, British casualties were light, suffering only 18 men killed and 41 wounded, however the fleet fired 48,000 rounds. This assault forced an Egyptian retreat from the region, and soon forced a treaty to be signed by Pasha Mehemet Ali, including the release of the Ottoman Fleet.
Item Reference: DM35922
PRIVATE "TYPE=PICT;ALT=NAVAL GENERAL SERVICE MEDAL, 1793-1840, single clasp, Syria (Golden Prentice) See photo of medal at Baldwin.co.uk .
He is almost certainly the Golden Prentice who appears in the 1850 census in Halstead, Essex, with his wife, Rosanette who was b. c. 1816 in Chatham. In the 1861 Halstead census his wife is called Rose H., b. c. 1815, Gillingham, Kent. In the 1881 Halstead census he is identify as a "Pensioner Royal Marines" and his wife is Rose Hannah, b. c. 1816, Chatham, Kent. He does not appear in the 1891 census and may then be deceased.
Also appearing the the 1851 was Golden Prentice's aunt, Sarah Green, b. c. 1775, Halstead, Essex, and a nephew, William Rost, b. c. 1846, Halstead..
If you have any information about the folks mentioned in this article, please send your information to us at the Prentice Newsletter. Be sure to give the full title and date of this article in the Subject line of the email.
Caution: If you don't use the above email link, your email to us may be rejected as spam by our email filter.
No comments