The fine Crimean War Bombardment of Sebastopol and Ireland Tyrella Lifeboat Coxwain’s Dundrum Bay County Down Wreck of the brigantine Donna Maria 29 November 1874 and further services Royal National Lifeboat Institution Medal in Silver group awarded to Commissioned Boatman Adam Murphy, H.M. Coastguard, formerly Royal Navy. From Leek Patrick, County Tyrone, after service with the warship Albion during the naval bombardment of Sebastopol in the Crimean War, he joined the Coastguard in March 1857 and would serve through to June 1876. during which period he served with the Tyrella lifeboat from the founding of the station in October 1860, initially as its second coxswain and subsequently as coxswain. On 29 November 1874 the Belfast brigantine Donna Maria, en route from Liverpool to Belfast, was caught in a strong south-easterly gale and wrecked in Dundrum Bay near Ballyvaston. The Tyrella lifeboat, under Coxswain Adam Murphy, was taken from the boathouse at 1.15 am and pulled between two to three miles by horses to a point near the wreck, from which it was launched at 2.15 am. Reaching the wreck after a severe pull, with much difficulty and danger the crew managed to get five survivors into the relative safety of the lifeboat. One of these men had been injured by the rolling of the heavy timber that was being carried aboard the Donna Maria, and fell into the sea, being however rescued. A further survivor, was trapped aboard the wreck by a timber log which had fallen onto one of his legs. The other recipient of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution Medal in Silver for this incident volunteered to remain with this injured man, who was then recovered later. The RNLI voted Murphy its silver medal on 7 January 1875 for this service in particular, but also in recognition of his ‘general gallant services in the boat’.
Group of 3: Crimea Medal 1854-1856, 1 Clasp: Sebastopol, this loose on ribbon, rim officially engraved in upright capitals by Hunt and Roskill as standard for medals awarded to the crew of Albion; (ADAM MURPHY. A.B. H.M.S. ALBION.); Turkish Crimea Medal 1855, Sardinian issue, unnamed as issued, fitted with British Crimea type foliated suspension; Royal National Lifeboat Institution Medal in Silver, 1st type with George IV bust (1824-1862) bust, with the Dolphin suspension (therefore circa 1852-1862) with outer band correctly engraved; (MR. ADAM MURPHY. VOTED JANY. 7TH. 1875.)
Condition: light contact wear to all three, third with edge bruise at 9 o’clock, generally Very Fine.
Adam Murphy was born on 13 June 1827 in Leek Patrick, Co Tyrone, and first went to sea as a boy in 1844 in the United States navy. After five and a half years in that service he gained his British seaman’s ticket (no. 478339) in London on 16 July 1850 and noted he was then usually living at Ratcliffe (presumably in London). Not long afterwards, on 23 October 1850, he joined the Royal Navy aboard HMS Albion as an Ordinary Seaman.
Promoted to Able Seaman on 16 July 1851, he served aboard that ship during the Crimean War. At the naval bombardment of Sebastopol on 17 October 1854 the Albion anchored at 2.20 pm and engaged the Wasp battery from a range of 600 yards and later Fort Constantine, being repeatedly hit by cannon fire in the process. Set on fire three times, with severe damage to her hull, masts and rigging, the Albion was saved from going ashore by tugs and had to withdraw from the fight with 11 men killed and 71 wounded, before being sent to Constantinople for repairs. Murphy received the campaign medal with Sebastopol clasp and the Turkish Crimea Medal for these services.
Murphy moved to HMS London on 6 January 1856, being there rated as a Leading Seaman from 23 March 1856 and as Captain of the Forecastle from 1 April that year. Posted then to HMS
Impregnable on 6 May, Murphy transferred to HMS Hogue on 8 July 1856 as a Leading Seaman and then volunteered for seven years continuous service on 16 July that year (CS no. 30153 and later ON 76480). Leaving the Hogue on 16 March 1857, Murphy was posted ashore to HM Coastguard as a Boatman at Killough on 29 March that year. This move ashore was probably prompted by his having married Margaret Carroll (c.1835-aft.1881) in Aghada, Co Cork, on 17 January 1856. Together, they would have several children including: Adam (1857-1902), Jeremiah (1858-), Margaret Ellen (1860-), George (1862-), Mary A (1865-aft.1881), Francis (1866-), William John (1868-), James (1870-aft.1881), and Edward (1871-aft.1881). While in the Coastguard Murphy was nominally attached to HMS Conway and then Ajax as from 1 January 1858 and, having extended his continuous service engagement on 1 June 1863, he was attached to HMS Royal George from 1 April 1864. He served with the Tyrella lifeboat from the founding of the station in October 1860, initially as its second coxswain and subsequently as coxswain. During this period the lifeboat was involved in a number of rescues including that of the five man crew of the Arklow schooner Daniel O’Connell, wrecked on 6 December 1865. Promoted to Commissioned Boatman on 25 March 1868,
On 29 November 1874 the Belfast brigantine Donna Maria, captained by Thomas Davison, en route from Liverpool to Belfast, was caught in a strong south-easterly gale and wrecked in Dundrum Bay near Ballyvaston. The Tyrella lifeboat, under Coxswain Adam Murphy, was taken from the boathouse at 1.15 am and pulled between two to three miles by horses to a point near the wreck, from which it was launched at 2.15 am. Reaching the wreck after a severe pull, with much difficulty and danger the crew managed to get five survivors into the relative safety of the lifeboat. One of these men had been injured by the rolling of the heavy timber that was being carried aboard the Donna Maria, and fell into the sea, being rescued by James Toland, a coastguard member of the lifeboat’s crew. A further survivor, James Murray, was trapped aboard the wreck by a timber log which had fallen onto one of his legs. Assistant Coxswain John Gordon volunteered to remain aboard the wreck
with him. The lifeboat left for the shore at 3.15 am and landed the other survivors. They then procured saws and other tools and retuned on foot to the wreck by 6.30 am, the tide having gone out. Gordon sawed through the part of the bulwarks, then drove wedges under the log, and thus succeeded after two hours hard effort in freeing the man. This final survivor was then carried ashore by the lifeboat crew shortly after daybreak when the weather had moderated. The RNLI voted Murphy its silver medal on 7 January 1875 for this service in particular, but also in recognition of his ‘general gallant services in the boat’. John Gordon was also similarly decorated for this incident.
Murphy was further awarded the Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal and gratuity on 24 April 1876. In increasingly poor health at this time, he stepped down as coxswain as a result. In recognition of his services, the RNLI presented him with a telescope and £5, which he received from Captain Orford Cameron, RN, at a ceremony at Tyrella coastguard station on 7 June 1876. In making the presentation Captain Cameron noted that during his 16 years service with the lifeboat Murphy had saved 36 lives. Shortly afterwards, on 7 July that year, Murphy retired on pension. Moving to live in Liverpool, at 46 Macbeth Street, by 1881 Murphy was working as a Customs Officer. Adam Murphy died in June 1882 and was buried on 19 June in Ford Cemetery, Liverpool (grave 845).
