"GUT OF GIBRALTAR 12th JULY 1801"
To:
JOHN WORTLEY CHOLMONDELEY DE LA MORE.
Contemporarily Engraved in Superb Serif Block Capitals, probably by Hunt & Roskell.
"COUNT JOHN WORTLY CHOLMONDELEY DE LA MORE ESQ,"
After much in depth research into this medal and its recipient we have been fortunate to make contact with an Australian researcher who has finally solved the puzzle of this man's identity. His name does not appear on any of the recognised rolls, but due to information also received from the private family seller we knew that he and his family was indeed well connected to the Royal Navy during the period.
Having considered his obviously 'upper class' middle names and his family name of "De La More" is clear that he was a member of a very ancient and important family line.
"COUNT JOHN WORTLY CHOLMONDELEY DE LA MORE ESQ,"
After continued research into the recipient of this unusual and privately engraved medal it has been discovered that he was an important 19th Century aristocratic diplomat with influential connections in government, politics and business.
Generally known as John de la More, Count John Wortly Cholmondeley de la More Esq was probably born in Wales about 1785 and was latterly a resident of Paris, being a British diplomat and an original member of the British & Foreign Institute in 1843.
He also represented the English government in Turkey as a negotiational diplomat and was closely involved with the development and construction of the Overland Telegraph going through Turkey to British India. The plan to construct a telegraph line from England to India had been under discussion repeatedly since about the 1850s. As a result, individual sections of the line had been built along this route, and it was John de la More who assisted with the negotiations with the Turkish government in this regard. A reliable and uninterrupted link was completed in 1870.
John De la More was married to Maria Louisa with whom he had been living in Paris. On the 7th October 1835 in Paris, she gave birth to a son, Arthur George James Cholmondeley De la More. The child was baptised in Wales at Llandeloy Pembrokeshire on 3rd July 1836. John was recorded as being a 'Gentleman' resident at Hendu. The description 'Gentleman' then described a man as being of independent means and not working in the normally understood meaning of the word.
It is clear that he and his family had important connections with senior members in the Royal Navy and it is becoming obvious that as a younger man he was, currently for reasons unknown, aboard one of the seven ships which took part in the Gut of Gibraltar action in 1801.
Our own thoughts are that as a young man, he had, at about the age of 16, been taken to sea as part of his personal character development, having probably being invited to serve in some minor assisting role as an unofficial crew member by a senior naval officer or captain, on what was perhaps to be a trial voyage before deciding on a possible naval career.
As an 'unofficial civilian' crew member he would not have been on the ship's books, nor in 1848 was he entitled or officially issued with a naval general service medal, but at the time of issue he clearly decided to obtain such an appropriately clapped award and have it privately named to commemorate his presence during the Gut of Gibraltar action in 1801. He would have been about 65 years old at that time. In our long career in the medal business we have seen several other medals of similar appearance with Hunt & Roskell engraving, at least two of which were to men who WERE entitled to the medals but whom had claimed late and had missed the final official claim date.
Clearly commissioned by a proud owner, the letter work on this lovely medal has been executed by a seriously talented engraver, most probably by a Hunt & Roskell engraver, as it has been produced in the magnificent style concurrent with their work.
The medal itself, which is a lovely item is in near mint condition (EF+) and on its original silk ribbon.
£1995
(The Clasp alone being valued at £1500)....,OUR RESEARCH CONTINUES.
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