Product Information

(on consignment ).Provenance: Glendining’s, October 1912; Sang Collection, Glendining’s, January 1931 , DNW July 2021.

John Briggs/Biggs was born at Ilford, Essex, circa 1780, and joined H.M.S. Leyden, 64, as a Landsman on 4 April 1807, taking part in the expedition to Copenhagen that year. Leyden arrived off the Danish capital on 7 August with two companies of the Coldstream Guards aboard and took part in the bombardment of the city. Biggs was drafted as Landsman to H.M.S. Pompee, 74, in April 1808. Under the command of Captain George Cockburn, she sailed immediately for the West Indies, capturing the French brig Pleides, 16, in the Atlantic on 20 October. She arrived off the French island of Martinique in December and took part in its reduction, fighting a ship-to-ship duel with the French D’Hautpoul, 74, on 17 April 1809. Although confirmed as being aboard Pompee for this action, Biggs did not claim the ‘Pompee’ clasp to his N.G.S. medal. On 11 December, Vice-Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane placed his flag aboard Pompee, Biggs being shown in the ship’s muster as ‘Admiral’s Domestic’. He was afterwards present at the capture of Guadaloupe on 5 February 1810. Sold with comprehensive research including copied muster lists