Beschreibung:

Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, 12 Octr. 1798 (John Meade, Midshipman.) original ribbon, very minor edge bruise, otherwise extremely fine £3000-4000 Footnote Confirmed on the roll as Midshipman aboard H.M.S. Magnanime for the action on 12 October 1798. 75 clasps issued for this action by Sir John Borlase Warren’s squadron off the north-west coast of Ireland which resulted in the capture of the French 74-gun ship-of-the-line Hoche, and three 36-gun frigates, Bellone, Coquille and Ambuscade, all loaded with troops and stores for the intended invasion of Ireland. John Meade was born on 2 March 1782, son of the Rev. Richard Meade, by Hon. Mary De Courcy, daughter of John, 25th Lord Kinsale, and sister of Admiral Hon. Michael De Courcy. He entered the Navy on 1 September 1796, as Midshipman, on board the Magnanime of 48 guns, commanded by his uncle, Captain Hon. M. De Courcy, under whom, besides contributing to the capture of several privateers, he assisted at the taking, off Cape Finisterre, 24 August 1798, of La Décade French frigate of 36 guns, and at the defeat, 12 October following, of the squadron under Commodore Bompart intended for the invasion of Ireland. Removing, as Master’s Mate, in the early part of 1799, to the Canada 74, commanded at first by Captain De Courcy and next by Captain Joseph Sydney Yorke, he was on board that ship in the winter of 1800-1, when she had the fortune, at much risk to herself, of saving the Mars 74, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Edward Thornbrough, from being wrecked on the rocks to the eastward of Ushant. On 20 November 1802, a few months previously to which period he had joined the Leander 50, bearing the flag at Halifax of Sir Andrew Mitchell, Mr. Meade was there nominated Acting-Lieutenant of the Cambrian 40, Captains James Bradley and John Poo Beresford; to which ship he was confirmed 19 April, 1803. After he had again, for fifteen months, served under Sir Andrew Mitchell in the Leander, he obtained, 19 August 1806, an appointment to the Leopard 50, Capt. Salusbury Pryce Humphreys, also on the Halifax station; where, on 22 June 1807, he assisted in enforcing the surrender of the U.S. frigate Chesapeake, in consequence of a refusal on the part of the latter to allow the British to search her for deserters. He subsequently, from May, 1808, until advanced to the rank of Commander, 4 November 1812, officiated as Flag-Lieutenant to his uncle in the Tonnant 80, Diana 38, and Foudroyant. He assisted, in the Tonnant, at the embarkation of the army after the battle of Corunna in January 1809; and was employed in the other ships on the Brazilian station. He retired in 1814 to live in Ireland where he raised a large family. He was advanced to Captain on the Retired List in November 1847 and died in 1851. Commander Meade married, 19 September 1814, Miss Elizabeth Hutchinson Quin, and by that lady had issue ten children. His eldest son, Richard John, had a distinguished career in the army in India, where, amongst other notable things, he raised ‘Meade’s Horse’ which afterwards became the Central India Horse, and rose to become General Sir Richard Meade, G.C.S.I., C.I.E.