Hi Discovery National Archives has the service record of John Gunn Robins, born 1804 , appt Lt 1829 . Both items are downloadable for £3.30 each . I didn`t find them on Findmypast as a partner organisation. -----Original Message----- From: David Asprey via Sent: Saturday, October 03, 2015 2:13 PM To: Paul Benyon ; mariners@rootsweb.com Cc: SHIPS LIST Mailing List ; MARINERS Mailing List Subject: Re: [MAR] Act of Bravery - John Gunn Robins That book's a superb find, Paul. Full pdf at https://archive.org/download/actsgallantrybe00youngoog/actsgallantrybe00youngoog.pdf David On Sat, Oct 3, 2015 at 1:56 PM, Paul Benyon via <mariners@rootsweb.com> wrote: > > Hi Pam > > Long time no speak ! > > If I'm not mistaken it looks to me as though you have 2 Acts of > Bravery for young Mr. Robins - see : > > > https://archive.org/stream/actsgallantrybe00youngoog/actsgallantrybe00youngoog_djvu.txt > > Not that unusual in those days, when men were issued with a quarter to > half a pint of rum each day i.e circa 1824-5 it was reduced from a > half pint to a quarter pint ; I've come across other instances where > it has been noted that officers and men have performed very similar > acts when the cry of man overboard was heard : cause can be from > falling from aloft, or as in one of the cases here, where rum may have > been the cause ? > > Looks to me as though they've been published by the Royal Humane > Society's (RHS) Medals, an organisation which has been around since > about 1774 ; so both the Herald and Genoa look right. One event > taking place in the Hamoaze i.e. in Plymouth / Devonport Harbour, > where the River Tamar enters the sea in Plymouth Sound, and can have a > wicked current when the tide was in full flow, and the other in the > English Channel. > > BTW the measure for rum was halved again in 1851, which in my > experience with still too much ;-) and I have to say that whilst there > was a tinge of sadness when I saw the tradition disappear in Jul 1970, > in practical terms I was glad to see the end of it i.e. the cause of a > number of deaths over the years, some by over imbibing at the time, > say on a birthday, or in the long term when some men began to suffer > from DTs etc., and in addition more breaches of discipline than > anything else I know, and I suspect that the numbers of personnel > appearing in front of the Captain declined accordingly, but I'm > running off topic yet again...... > > Regards > > Paul > > On Sat, 3 Oct 2015 09:11:24 +1000, PMR via <mariners@rootsweb.com> > wrote: > > >Greetings Listers > > > > > > > > I've come across the article below commending Midshipman John > >Gunn ROBINS, my ggf's brother, for an Act of Bravery. > > > > > > > > However I have a couple of confusions! In the first paragraph > >the date is 22nd May 1825; however in the attached Certificate the date > >is > >December 1823. Either date would fit as John enlisted in the Royal Navy > >on > >23 April 1823. > > > > > > > > The other confusion - was John on the HMS Herald or the HMS > >Genoa (reference to 'that ship' is a bit ambiguous to me)? It could only > be > >the Herald if the date is 1825 as it was renamed in 1824 (that's if I've > got > >it right!). I have John's appointments from 1829 but not in his early RN > >years. > > > >J G Robins, Midshipman > > > >On the 22nd May 1825, as His Majesty's ship "Herald" was sailing up > channel, > >the usual thrilling cry was heard, "A man overboard!" Mr J G Robins was > then > >on the quarter-deck, and judging from the rate the ship was going through > >the water, that the man would rise near the stem, he threw himself into > the > >sea, but had scarcely risen to the surface, when he found himself grasped > by > >the drowning man, with an energy which nearly proved destructive to both. > Mr > >Robins, however, succeeded in extricating himself sufficiently to support > >the man in the water; and after much labour and difficulty, as his > companion > >could not swim, reached the life-buoy, to which they both clung until a > boat > >was sent to their assistance. > > > >The annexed certificate is highly creditable to Mr Robins. > > > >These are to certify, that, in the month of December 1823, Samuel > Redwood, a > >gunner in the 1st company of the Royal Marine Artillery, then serving on > >board His Majesty's ship "Genoa" fell overboard in Plymouth harbour in > >the > >night, and was saved from drowning by Mr John Gunn Robins, a Midshipman > >of > >that ship, who in the most prompt and humane manner instantly plunged > >into > >the water, with his clothes on; and with much difficulty and at the risk > of > >his own life, succeeded in supporting Redwood (who was in a state of > >intoxication, and could not swim) until a boat was sent to his > >assistance. > > > > > > > > I would appreciate some clarification on these points from > >someone much more au fait with the RN than I am. > > > > > > > > Many thanks. > > > > > > > > Pam > > > > Beaudesert, Queensland, Australia > > > > > > > > > >This email has been protected by YAC (Yet Another Cleaner) > http://www.yac.mx > >This email has been protected by YAC (Yet Another Cleaner) > http://www.yac.mx > > > >------------------------------- > >To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > MARINERS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > 50° 33' N, 2° 26' W > http://www.pbenyon.plus.com/Naval.html > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > MARINERS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to MARINERS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus