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Egypt War Medal 1882-89
Obverse: Head of Queen Victoria in a diadem and veil (left) Legend: 'VICTORIA REGINA ET IMPERATRIX'. Reverse: the sphinx on an ornamental platform. Legend: 'EGYPT'. Exergue: "1882". Bar: 'ALEXANDRIA 11TH JULY'. Inscription on edge: 'J.W.JENEWAY BO'SN. R.N. H.M.S. MINOTAUR'. Suspended from a clasp. Ribbon missing.
John Wells Jeneway (1843-1925) was born in Lambeth, to single parent Sarah Jeneway - a dressmaker from Cambridgeshire.
He joined the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd class in the training ship ‘Fisgard’ on 6 June 1859. By 8 October that year, he was part of the crew of ‘Topaze’, a newly-launched screw frigate, travelling out to the Pacific station based at Valparaiso.
From her, he joined HMS ‘Ganges’ on 22 March 1860 and continued his service in the Pacific, from 11 April 1860, as Boy 1st Class in HMS ‘Satellite’. He returned to Plymouth the following year and was rated Ordinary Seaman in ‘Cambridge’ from January 1861 to February 1862.
He then served in ‘Bacchante’ – the flagship of Sir Thomas Maitland on the west coast of the Americas until the end of her commission in August 1864, by now he was a Leading Seaman. In 1869 he was in ‘Perseus’ on the China Station and in ‘Fawn’ on a survey voyage in the Pacific, now Bosun 1st class from 1 January 1873. He served in home waters from May 1873 to 2 November 1878, when he moved to ‘Raleigh’ and joined the eastern Mediterranean fleet. From 6 October 1875 he was a bosun and thus an officer. He returned to the United Kingdom for a spell then joined a ship he had previously served on - the broadside ironclad frigate ‘Minotaur’, formerly part of the Channel fleet. She was now deployed to the Mediterranean where she took part in operations off Egypt during the Anglo-Egyptian War. At the end of a long career, Jeneway returned to the Mediterranean in ‘Dreadnought’ in October’ 1884, then worked on Indian troop ship ‘Malabar’. His last years in the Royal Navy were spent in the training ship ‘Britannia’ at Dartmouth, now rated Chief Bosun. He retired on 1 October 1898.
Jeneway had married Elizabeth Le Mesurier Mallon in 1869 in Portsmouth where the couple made their home and John Wells died in 1924.
John Wells Jeneway (1843-1925) was born in Lambeth, to single parent Sarah Jeneway - a dressmaker from Cambridgeshire.
He joined the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd class in the training ship ‘Fisgard’ on 6 June 1859. By 8 October that year, he was part of the crew of ‘Topaze’, a newly-launched screw frigate, travelling out to the Pacific station based at Valparaiso.
From her, he joined HMS ‘Ganges’ on 22 March 1860 and continued his service in the Pacific, from 11 April 1860, as Boy 1st Class in HMS ‘Satellite’. He returned to Plymouth the following year and was rated Ordinary Seaman in ‘Cambridge’ from January 1861 to February 1862.
He then served in ‘Bacchante’ – the flagship of Sir Thomas Maitland on the west coast of the Americas until the end of her commission in August 1864, by now he was a Leading Seaman. In 1869 he was in ‘Perseus’ on the China Station and in ‘Fawn’ on a survey voyage in the Pacific, now Bosun 1st class from 1 January 1873. He served in home waters from May 1873 to 2 November 1878, when he moved to ‘Raleigh’ and joined the eastern Mediterranean fleet. From 6 October 1875 he was a bosun and thus an officer. He returned to the United Kingdom for a spell then joined a ship he had previously served on - the broadside ironclad frigate ‘Minotaur’, formerly part of the Channel fleet. She was now deployed to the Mediterranean where she took part in operations off Egypt during the Anglo-Egyptian War. At the end of a long career, Jeneway returned to the Mediterranean in ‘Dreadnought’ in October’ 1884, then worked on Indian troop ship ‘Malabar’. His last years in the Royal Navy were spent in the training ship ‘Britannia’ at Dartmouth, now rated Chief Bosun. He retired on 1 October 1898.
Jeneway had married Elizabeth Le Mesurier Mallon in 1869 in Portsmouth where the couple made their home and John Wells died in 1924.
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Object details
| ID: | MED0345 |
|---|---|
| Collection: | Coins and medals |
| Type: | War medal |
| Display location: | Not on display |
| Creator: | Wyon, Leonard Charles |
| Events: | Egypt War: Bombardment of Alexandria, 1882 |
| Vessels: | Minotaur (1863) |
| Date made: | 1882 |
| People: | Queen Victoria; Jeneway, John Wells |
| Credit: | National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London |
| Measurements: | 36 mm |