AN OUTSTANDING & VERY RARE TWO CLASP NAVAL GENERAL SERVICE MEDAL
TRAFALGAR
JAVA
A sheer classic medal to a Boy 3rd class.
A Marine Society 13 year old orphan boy sailor.
An officers’ servant & powder monkey.
JAMES CHAPMAN
Served under Admiral Collingwood
HMS Royal Sovereign at The Battle of Trafalgar
[BIOGRAPHY]
c, 1792-
James Chapman was born in London in about 1792 and was probably either abandoned or orphaned at a very early age.
Via the assistance of The Marine Society, he entered the Royal Navy as an officer’s servant, No.14199, Boy 3rd Class, at age 13 into “Gladiator” which was apparently a naval training establishment on the River Thames.
The sad fact that the young James was indeed an orphan is underlined as his “father” (guardian?) is mentioned in our available notes as being a Mr William Taylor of 22 Prospect Road, London.
[THE MARINE SOCIETY]
*The Marine Society was founded in 1756 and it aimed to support poor children & orphans up to the age of 13 by giving them the skills needed to work on board the King's ships.
The main object of the charity when founded was sending unemployed or orphaned teenagers to sea as officers' servants.
“ Notice is hereby given, that all stout lads and boys, who incline to go on board His Majesty’s Ships, with a view to learn the duty of a seaman, and are, upon examination, approved by the Marine Society, shall be handsomely clothed and provided with bedding, and their charges born down to the ports where His Majesty’s Ships lye, with all other proper encouragement."
During combat actions, many of these young lads were added to and served with the gun crews as powder monkeys who retrieved the black gunpowder charges from the lower magazines and brought them up to the crews on the gun decks.
It was intended and hoped that the boys would then extend their time of service on HM ships to keep them out of trouble if discharged immediately after war service.
These are exactly the roles and expectations that The Marine Society succeeded in fulfilling for the young James Chapman who clearly extended his RN service and subsequently served in HMS BELLEROFON and later as an Ordinary Seaman in H.M.S. Nisus during the assistance given by the Royal Navy in the capture of the island of Java, July to 18 September 1811.
Further research may well yield an even more interesting picture.
Young James is first seen serving at sea in H.M.S. Royal Sovereign during the major fleet action off Cape Trafalgar between the British fleet under the command of Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson and the Franco-Spanish fleet under the command of Vice-Admiral P.C. de Villeneuve on 21 October 1805.










