Naval General Service Medal 1793-1840, (2) clasps, Martinique and Guadaloupe to a Master
Awarded to : Peter Parker, Master
with a file of research including copies of several letters of recommendation.
EF, suspension post slightlybent.
Peter Parker served from on various ships from at least 1800 until 30th September 1829.
Ships included Impetuoux ( 3 Dec 1800- 30 June 1801), Hecate, Borer, Ringdove (1 Feb 1807-20th June 1809) : in 1808 Ringdove came under the temporary command of Lieutenant George Peak and was deployed to the Shetland Islands. Within a few weeks, Peak had captured the Danish privateer Forden Shieold (or Torden Skiöld) off Bergen, Norway on 30 March. She was only four hours out of port. Initially Forden Shieold would not surrender but after a few shots from Ringdove had killed one man and wounded two others she struck. The bad weather prevented Peak from taking her crew of 62 men prisoners until the next day. The privateer was pierced for 14 guns, but only carried ten 6-pounder guns. She had already captured five prizes in voyages over the previous four months. Peak was commended for his capture and the crew received prize money for the hull, stores and head money at Leith the following October.
On 14 December 1808 Ringdove sailed for the Leeward Islands. She was at the invasion of Martinique in February 1809. In 1847 the Admiralty authorized the issuance to all remaining survivors of the campaign of the Naval General Service Medal with clasp "Martinique" (2-10 Feb. 1809).
In April 1809, a strong French squadron arrived at the Îles des Saintes, south of Guadeloupe. There they were blockaded until 14 April, when a British force under Major-General Frederick Maitland and Captain Philip Beaver in Acasta, invaded and captured the islands. Ringdove was among the naval vessels that shared in the proceeds of the capture of the islands.
His next ship was Abercrombie (1 July 1809 with seniority as an Acting and Confirmed Master - 17th Feb 1814)
Abercrombie participated in the capture of Guadeloupe in January and February 1810. In 1847 the Admiralty awarded the Naval General Service Medal with clasp "Guadaloupe" (Jan-Feb 1810) to all surviving participants of the campaign.
In February 1810 Captain Fahie was appointed a commodore to assist with landings. His squadron comprised Abercrombie, Vimiera, Snap, Morne Fortunee, Frolic, Surinam, Superieure, and Ringdove. The squadron arrived off St Martin's on 14 February, and the combined might of the ships and a company of the 25th Regiment of Foot forced the French and Dutch occupants to surrender by 16 February. On 21 February Abercrombie sailed to Saint Eustatius with Ringdove; the island also quickly capitulated.
After being repaired at Plymouth at the cost of £16,375, Abercrombie sailed for Portugal on 30 December 1810 as part of Admiral George Berkeley's squadron off Lisbon. On 5 September 1811 she took the French Brigs Les Deux Amis and Le Jean Baptiste, and the sloop La Marie French while in company with Pompée, HMS Dryad, and HMS Arrow. While she was at anchor in the Basque Roads on 26 October 1811, lightning damaged her fore topmast and foremast.
Between 1812 and 1813 Abercrombie served in the English Channel. On 14 January 1813 Abercrombie, still under the command of Captain Fahie, recaptured the British trader Industry. On 17 July 1813 she shared the proceeds of the capture of Union with HMS Dublin, and on 17 December captured Marie Antoinette.
Later ships included Ajax (26th April 1814 - 17 July 1816) in which he served on the American station including transporting troops to Quebec, Canada and in the Mediterranean. Vengeur (19 Oct 1818 - 6 June 1821), Genoa, Salisbury and Ganges. (15 Mar 1826- 30 Sep 1829) South America.
