Watch List notes:

*Naval General Service, 1793-1840, single clasp, 14 March 1795 (R. Honyman, Lieut. R.N.), with segment of original ribbon, old cabinet tone, once very gently polished with light hairlines, otherwise good extremely fine and lustrous. Admiral of the Blue Robert Honyman was born in December 1767 at Orphir, Orkney, son of Sir Patrick Honyman of Clestrain Hall, Stromness (a descendant of Robert, first Earl of Orkney, natural son of James V of Scotland) and Margaret Sinclair; half-brother to William Honyman, Lord Armadale. Educated at Edinburgh, he entered the Royal Navy on 20 April 1782 as Captain's servant aboard H.M.S. Queen under Captain Patrick Sinclair, his father-in-law, and saw service in the North Sea. He reached the rank of Midshipman the following year in September 1783 whilst aboard the Hyaena on the Irish Station, and then was again promoted to Lieutenant on 21 October 1790 whilst employed aboard the Powerful. On the renewal of hostilities against the French in 1793 he obtained a position aboard H.M.S. Diadem and sailed for the Mediterranean, where he was present at the occupation of Toulon. He was later present aboard H.M.S. St George, the flagship of Sir Hyde Parker, where he was wounded during Admiral William Hotham's action on 14 March 1795 against the French Fleet off the coast of Genoa (also known as the Battle of Genoa). Fighting alongside their Neapolitan allies, the British won the encounter and captured two French ships of the line in the process; the Ça Ira and Censeur, with Captain Horatio Nelson playing a prominent role in the battle. Receiving a second commission by promotion on 13 August 1796, Captain Honyman assumed command of the sloop Tisiphone on 4 May 1797, and during that same year he was responsible for the capture of the French privateers La Prospére (14) and Le Cerf Volante (14) with a total of 136 men. He achieved the Post-rank of Captain on 10 December 1798, and in 1800 conveyed Admiral Robert Montagu to Jamaica. Whilst serving aboard H.M.S. Leda off the coast of France Captain Honyman took the opportunity to attack an enemy gunboat flotilla on 29 September 1803, driving two gunboats onshore. In another attack on 24 April 1805 he discovered 26 enemy vessels rounding Cape Grisnez, and during a two hour encounter he succeeded in cutting off seven schuyts, carrying a total of 18 guns, 1 howitzer and 168 men travelling from Dunkerque to Ambleteuse. Captain Honyman and the Leda continued to see action during the reduction of the Cape of Good Hope and the capture of the Rolla brig and Volontaire frigate at Table Bay. Honyman also played a part in the operations at Rio de la Plata, and in the capture of the privateer L'Adolphe (18) in December 1807, prior to her wrecking near the entrance of Milford Haven on 31 January 1808, for which Honyman was acquitted of all blame owing to the understandable mistakes of the pilot made in terrible conditions of fog and adverse weather. He became Rear-Admiral on 27 May 1825, Vice-Admiral on 10 January 1837, and full Admiral on 19 February 1847. He was elected M.P. in 1802 for Orkney and Shetland whilst serving the Royal Navy as a Lieutenant, retiring from further parliamentary work in 1807. He was married to Margaret Henrietta Knight, and he died in Paris c. 21 March 1848, as recorded in contemporary newspapers. John Graham of Fintry described Honyman in 1805 as 'the most warm hearted worthy man I ever saw.' (£4000-6000)