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57-472: The Sea Gallantry Medal ( SGM ) (officially the 'Medal for Saving Life at Sea', and originally the ' Board of Trade Medal for Saving Life at Sea'), is a United Kingdom award for civil gallantry at sea. The Merchant Shipping Act 1854 provided for rewards to lifesavers, leading to the creation of the Sea Gallantry Medal, first struck in 1855. These were to be in gold, silver or bronze, although there

114-534: A Survey of production —an up-to-date compendium of detailed statistics necessary for regulating specific industries. In 1906, the Merchant Shipping Act upgraded the minimum working conditions, and the safety protections for both British sailors, and crews of foreign ships that used British ports. In 1907, the Patents and Design Act gave financial protection to British designs to stop unfair foreign copies. In

171-599: A colony by the 1610s. By the 1710s, the word was also being used to describe large farms where cash crop goods were produced, typically in tropical regions. The first plantations were established during the Edwardian conquest of Wales and the plantations of Ireland by the English Crown . In Wales , King Edward I of England began a policy of constructing a chain of fortifications and castles in North Wales to control

228-456: A diameter of 1.78 inches (45 mm) and was not intended for wear. In 1854 the size was reduced to 1.3 inches (33 mm) and a suspension bar added, the medal worn on the left breast. The ribbon was plain crimson until 1922, when that of the SGM for British citizens was adopted. The design of both the large and small medals is the same, with the obverse bearing the effigy of the reigning monarch with

285-680: A diverse range of functions, including regulation of domestic and foreign commerce, the development, implementation and interpretation of the Acts of Trade and Navigation , and the review and acceptance of legislation passed in the colonies. Between 1696 and 1782 the Board of Trade, in partnership with the various secretaries of state over that time, held responsibility for colonial affairs, particularly in British America . The newly created office of Home Secretary then held colonial responsibility until 1801, when

342-547: A new Protestant Ascendancy which would dominate Irish society for the next few centuries. In North America , during the period of European colonization in the early modern period , several plantations were established by English settlers , including in Virginia , Rhode Island , and elsewhere throughout the Thirteen Colonies . Other European colonial powers used the plantation method of colonization as well, though not to

399-575: A new Committee of Council on Trade and Plantations (later known as 'the First Committee') was established by William Pitt the Younger . Initially mandated by an Order in Council on 5 March 1784, the committee was reconstructed and strengthened by a second order, on 23 August 1786, under which it operated for the rest of its existence. The committee has been known as the Board of Trade since 1786, but this name

456-562: A reputation as a conciliator. In Cabinet, he worked with Lloyd George to champion social reform . He promoted what he called a "network of State intervention and regulation" akin to that in Germany. Churchill's main achievements came in 1909. First was the Labour Exchanges Bill . It set up over 200 labour exchanges with William Beveridge in charge. The unemployed would come in and be assisted in finding employment. He also promoted

513-464: A separate body. The board carried on this work but also had long periods of inactivity, devolving into chaos after 1761 and dissolved in 1782 by an act of Parliament by the Rockingham Whigs . William Pitt the Younger re-established the committee in 1784, and an Order in Council of 23 August 1786 provided the formal basis that still remains in force. A secretariat was established which included

570-524: A separate education committee for Wales. The bill passed the House of Commons greatly amended but was completely mangled by the House of Lords. No compromise was possible and the bill was abandoned, allowing the 1902 Act to continue in effect. Nonconformists were bitterly upset by the failure of the Liberal Party to reform the 1902 Education Act, its most important promise to them, and over time their support for

627-412: A shipwrecked group, one of whom beckons to a distant lifeboat. The name of the recipient and date of the rescue are inscribed on the medal's edge. A total of 1,237 larger medals were awarded up to 1903, 479 silver, 749 bronze, with nine where the class is not known. From 1903 to 1979, 957 of the smaller type were issued, 480 silver (including one second award clasp) and 477 bronze. After the wearable medal

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684-446: A suitable inscription. The reverse has a crowned wreath surrounding the words PRESENTED BY [or FROM] THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT with, around the edge, an inscription indicating the nature of the rescue – for example: saving the life of a British subject or assisting a British vessel in distress. Early issues had a separate reverse die prepared for each medal; a practice dropped from 1849 due to cost. The name of recipient and, in most cases,

741-431: Is no evidence that the gold version was ever awarded. Early awards were either for 'humanity' (where there was little risk to the life of the recipient, for example a captain directing a rescue from his own ship), or for 'gallantry' (where there was significant risk to the recipient). Few 'humanity' awards were made, and from 1893 such service was recognised by the award of plate or monetary sums. The 1854 Act indicated that

798-457: Is the same. The obverse bears the effigy of the reigning sovereign, with the Royal Cypher below, surrounded by the words AWARDED BY THE BOARD OF TRADE FOR GALLANTRY IN SAVING LIFE , (or AWARDED BY THE BOARD OF TRADE FOR SAVING LIFE AT SEA for 'humanity' awards), changing to FOR GALLANTRY IN SAVING LIFE AT SEA on the smaller post 1903 medals. The reverse, which has no inscription, depicts

855-560: The American War of Independence , both the board and the short-lived secretaryship were dismissed by the king on 2 May 1782 and the board was abolished later by the Civil List and Secret Service Money Act 1782 ( 22 Geo. 3 . c. 82). Following the Treaty of Paris 1783 , with the continuing need to regulate trade between its remaining colonies, the independent United States and all other countries,

912-588: The American plantations and elsewhere. Staff appointed to serve the board in 1696 included a secretary, a deputy secretary, some clerks, office keepers, messengers, and a necessary woman; more staff such as a solicitor and a porter were added later. The Lords Commissioners of Trade and Foreign Plantations , commonly known as the Lords of Trade, did not constitute a committee of the Privy Council, but were, in fact, members of

969-685: The Eastern Seaboard , which collectively came to be known as the Thirteen American Colonies , consisting of the New England , Middle and Southern colonies. Other European colonial powers used the plantation method of colonization as well, though not to the extent of English settlers. A typical example of a colonial plantation was Providence Plantations , the first permanent European settlement in Rhode Island . Providence Plantations

1026-548: The English colonies , depending on the internal demographics and political and religious division of each. Between 1643 and 1648 the Long Parliament would establish a parliamentary Commission for Plantations to take the lead in colonial and commercial affairs. This period also saw the first regulation of royal tonnage and poundage and begin the modernization of customs and excise as growing sources of government revenue. During

1083-543: The George Cross , George Medal , King's Gallantry Medal and the King's Commendation for Bravery . The original medal had a diameter of 2.3 inches (58 mm) and was not intended for wear. In 1903 the size was reduced to 1.3 inches (33 mm) and a suspension bar added, with the medal worn on the left breast from a 1.25 inches (32 mm) wide red ribbon with a white stripe towards each edge. The design of both sizes of medal

1140-533: The Interregnum and Commonwealth three acts of the Rump Parliament in 1650 and 1651 are notable in the historical development of England's commercial and colonial programs. These include the first Commission of Trade to be established by an Act of Parliament on 1 August 1650. The instructions to the named commissioners, headed by Henry Vane the Younger , included consideration of both domestic and foreign trade,

1197-647: The Mines Eight Hours Bill , which legally prohibited miners from working more than an eight-hour day . Sydney Buxton served as president between 1910 and 1914. His main role was passage of numerous specific trade and commerce laws. From 1973, international trade policy of the United Kingdom was a competence of the European Economic Community , and later of the European Union . The board

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1254-509: The Secretary of State for War and the Colonies was established. Between 1768 and 1782 while with the Secretary of State for the Colonies , whose secretaryship was held jointly with the presidency of the Board of Trade, the latter position remained largely vacant; this led to a diminished status of the board and it became an adjunct to the new department and ministry concerns. Following the loss of

1311-605: The native Welsh population ; the Welsh were only permitted to enter the fortifications and castles unarmed during the day and were forbidden from trading. In Ireland, during the Tudor and Stuart eras the English Crown initiated a large-scale colonization of Ireland, in particular the province of Ulster , with Protestant settlers from Great Britain . These plantations led to the demography of Ireland becoming permanently altered, creating

1368-541: The 15th century with the voyages of Christopher Columbus , various European colonial powers established colonies in the Americas . The Portuguese introduced Sugar plantations in the Caribbean in the 1550s. England's efforts at colonization primarily focused on North America , where the first English plantation was established in 1607 at Jamestown . Over the next century, more English plantations would be established along

1425-546: The 15th century, and the direct area controlled by the English Crown had shrunk mostly to an area known as the Pale . Beginning in the 1540's, the Tudor conquest of Ireland began, and roughly a decade later the first English plantations were established by British settlers on Irish soil. These plantations began during the reign of Queen Mary I of England in the counties of Laois and Offaly . However, these efforts at establishing plantations largely failed due to attacks from

1482-620: The 16th and 17th centuries and involved the English Crown confiscating lands owned by the Irish people, starting in the 1550s with Queen Mary I who was Catholic, with British Catholic settlers. Later plantations involved redistributing them to Protestant settlers from Great Britain . Though there had been periodic immigration from Great Britain to Ireland since the Anglo-Norman invasion , these immigrants had largely assimilated into Irish culture or were driven off from what little land they controlled by

1539-484: The Board appointed in September 2020 or sitting ex officio . Plantation (settlement or colony) In the history of colonialism , a plantation was a form of colonization in which settlers would establish permanent or semi-permanent colonial settlements in a new region. The term first appeared in the 1580s in the English language to describe the process of colonization before being also used to refer to

1596-659: The Board of Trade was transferred to the Secretary of State for International Trade . The board was reconstituted in October 2017. In 1622, at the end of the Dutch Twelve Years' Truce , King James I directed the Privy Council of England to establish a temporary committee to investigate the causes of various economic and supply problems, the decline in trade and consequent financial difficulties; detailed instructions and questions were given, with answers to be given "as fast as

1653-559: The Iron Ring is a contentious part of Welsh history. In 2017, when plans were announced for an iron sculpture of a giant ring as part of a restoration project of Flint Castle , the project was met with criticism and accusations that it was commemorating the Edwardian conquest of Wales, a contentious event among the Welsh public. The plans were ultimately cancelled after social media campaign and petition. The Plantations of Ireland occurred in

1710-562: The Liberal Party slowly fell away. According to Martin Roberts, Lloyd George headed a department of 750 experts that was responsible for supervising British industry, commerce and transportation. Using their pool of expertise, he initiated a series of reforms that were quickly endorsed by the Liberal Parliament. One of the first actions was the Census of Production Act 1906 , which generated

1767-502: The Nine Years' War, many rebel Ulster lords fled Ireland and their lands were confiscated. This was the biggest and most successful of the plantations and comprised most of the province of Ulster. While the province was mainly Irish -speaking and Catholic , the new settlers were required to be English-speaking and Protestant , with most coming from England and Scotland. This created a distinct Ulster Protestant community. Beginning in

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1824-535: The Normans had developed from the bastides of Gascony . These bastide towns were defended by stone fortifications some designed by James of St. George d'Esperanche . The towns were exclusively populated with English or Flemish settlers, who depended on the crown for their survival in Wales. The Welsh themselves were not permitted to enter the town after dark, held no rights to trade and were not allowed to carry arms. Today,

1881-441: The SGM for British citizens, it appears that awards are no longer made, although it has not been formally abolished. Board of Trade The board was first established as a temporary committee of England's Privy Council to advise on colonial ( plantation ) questions in the early 17th century, when these settlements were initially forming. The board would evolve gradually into a government department with considerable power and

1938-537: The UK and its empire . During the second half of the 19th century it also dealt with legislation for patents, designs and trademarks, company regulation, labour and factories, merchant shipping, agriculture, transport, power etc. Colonial matters passed to the Colonial Office and other functions were devolved to newly created departments, a process that continued for much of the 20th century. The original commission comprised

1995-418: The award was to be conferred on those 'affording assistance towards the preservation of life and property in cases of shipwreck and distress at sea.' In 1887 the Board of Trade further defined the award as 'for the rescue of life from shipwreck on the coasts of the United Kingdom, whether the ship is British or foreign', as well as for the 'rescue of life from British vessels' in more distant seas. In practice, it

2052-448: The extent of English settlers. Starting in the reign of King Edward I of England , the English Crown began a policy of castle building and settlement building in Wales to control the population, and strategically surround the newly conquered Kingdom of Gwynedd . Most of these castles were built with an integrated fortified town, which was designed to be provisioned from safer territories and hold out against Welsh attacks, an idea that

2109-527: The first definitive expression of England's commercial policy. They represent the first attempt to establish a legitimate control of commercial and colonial affairs, and the instructions indicate the beginnings of a policy which had the prosperity and wealth of England exclusively at heart. It was the Lords of Trade who, in 1675, originated the idea of transforming all of the colonies in America into Royal Colonies for

2166-458: The idea of an unemployment insurance scheme, which would be part-funded by the state. Secondly he introduced the Trade Boards Bill , creating trade boards which investigated the sweated trades and enabled the prosecution of exploitative employers. Passing with a large majority, it established the principle of a minimum wage and the right of workers to have meal breaks. Churchill introduced

2223-525: The local Irish clans. The next wave of plantations began during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England and were spearheaded by the West Country Men . Elizabeth's policy in Ireland was to grant land to prospective planters and prevent the Irish from giving Spain a base from which to attack England. The plantation of Ulster began in the 1610s, during the reign of James I . Following their defeat in

2280-471: The long term, his most important innovation was creating the Port of London Authority in 1908. It merged numerous inefficient and overlapping private companies and gave unified supervision to Britain's most important port. That enabled London to compete more effectively with Hamburg and Rotterdam. Lloyd George also turned his attention to strikes and industrial disputes in shipyards. He was instrumental in settling

2337-401: The new Liberal Cabinet of Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman as President of the Board of Trade . The first priority on taking office was the repeal of the 1902 Education Act. Lloyd George took the lead along with Augustine Birrell , President of the Board of Education. Lloyd George was the dominant figure on the committee drawing up the bill in its later stages and insisted that the bill create

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2394-411: The place and date of the service rendered is inscribed on the medal's edge. Up to 1854, 228 large medals were awarded, 96 gold, 118 silver and 14 bronze. Since then at least 2,074 small medals have been earned, 285 gold, 1,783 silver and six bronze. Two recipients have received both gold and silver medals, and one second silver award clasp has been issued. No medals have been bestowed since 1968 and, like

2451-464: The president, vice president and board members. By 1793, the board still remained in its old structure, with 20 members including the Archbishop of Canterbury . After 1820 the board ceased to meet regularly and the business was carried out entirely by the secretariat. The short name of "Board of Trade" was formalised in 1861. In the 19th century the board had an advisory function on economic activity in

2508-791: The purpose of securing English trade against the French. They brought New Hampshire under the Crown, modified Penn's charter, refused a charter to the Plymouth colony, and taking advantage of the concessions of the charters of Massachusetts and New York, created the Dominion of New England in 1685, thereby transforming all the territory from the Kennebec to the Delaware into a single crown colony. In 1696, King William III appointed eight paid commissioners to promote trade in

2565-568: The right to use the post-nominal "SGM" in 1936. The most recent grant of the SGM was a bronze award in 1989. Although not formally abolished, it appears that the award has now fallen into disuse. This is confirmed by the UK Government website relating to nominations for bravery awards, which (in February 2021) only included four bravery awards that the Honours and Appointments Secretariat will consider:

2622-476: The serious threat of a national railway strike in 1907. While almost all the rail companies refused to recognise the unions, he persuaded them to recognise elected representatives of the workers who sat with the company representatives on conciliation boards—one for each company. If those boards failed to agree then an arbitrator would be called upon. H. H. Asquith succeeded the terminally ill prime minister on 8 April 1908 and, four days later, Winston Churchill

2679-442: The seven (later eight) Great Officers of State , who were not required to attend meetings, and the eight paid members, who were required to attend. The board, so constituted, had little real power, and matters related to trade and the colonies were usually within the jurisdiction of the secretaries of state and the Privy Council, with the board confining itself mainly to colonial administration. In 1905, David Lloyd George entered

2736-478: The several points shall be duly considered by you." This would be followed by a number of temporary committees and councils to regulate the colonies and their commerce. The board's formal title remains "The Lords of the Committee of the Privy Council appointed for the consideration of all matters relating to Trade and Foreign Plantations". In 1634, Charles I appointed a new commission for regulating plantations. It

2793-458: The trading companies, manufactures, free ports, customs, excise, statistics, coinage and exchange, and fisheries, as well as the plantations and the best means of promoting their welfare and rendering them useful to England. The act's statesmanlike and comprehensive instructions, along with an October act prohibiting trade with pro-royalist colonies and the Navigation Act of October 1651, formed

2850-516: Was appointed President of the Board of Trade, succeeding Lloyd George who became Chancellor of the Exchequer . He continued the reform impulse Lloyd George had launched. One of Churchill's first tasks was to arbitrate in an industrial dispute among ship-workers and employers on the River Tyne . He afterwards established a Standing Court of Arbitration to deal with future industrial disputes, establishing

2907-424: Was awarded only to seafarers serving with British registered merchant ships. It could be given for both individual gallantry and for collective cases of heroism, for example to each member of a boat's crew. Awards could be made posthumously. Previously worn after campaign and polar medals, since 1929 the Sea Gallantry Medal has been worn with other medals for gallantry and before campaign medals. Recipients received

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2964-639: Was established along the Providence River by Puritan minister Roger Williams and a small band of followers, who were fleeing religious persecution in Massachusetts Bay . Upon arriving in Rhode Island, Williams and his followers received a land grant from two Narragansett sachems , Canonicus and Miantonomi . The settlers in Providence Plantations adopted a covenant which stressed

3021-696: Was headed by the Archbishop of Canterbury with its primary goals to increase royal authority and the influence of the Church of England in the colonies, particularly with the great influx of Puritans to the New World. Soon after, the English Civil Wars erupted and initiated a long period of political instability in England and the resultant loss of productivity for these committees. The war would spread to varying degrees to

3078-436: Was introduced, those who had received a larger medal after the accession of Edward VII were permitted to exchange, a number of recipients doing so. This award, which pre-dates the Sea Gallantry Medal, was instituted in 1841 for foreigners who saved live from British vessels, although some early awards were for service on land. It was awarded in both gold and silver, with a small number of bronze awards. The original medal had

3135-518: Was merged with the Ministry of Technology in 1970, to form the Department of Trade and Industry . The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (from 2009 Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills ) was also President of the Board of Trade. The full board has met only once since the mid-20th century, during commemorations of the bicentenary of the board in 1986. In 2016, the role of President of

3192-573: Was only officially adopted by an act of 1861. The new board's first functions were consultative like earlier iterations, and its concern with plantations, in matters such as the approval of colonial laws, more successfully accomplished. As the Industrial Revolution expanded, the board's work became increasingly executive and domestic. From the 1840s, a succession of acts of parliament gave it regulatory duties, notably concerning railways, merchant shipping and joint-stock companies. This department

3249-551: Was reconstituted in October 2017, after the UK had voted to leave the European Union in June 2016. In its most recent iteration in 2017, only privy counsellors can be actual members of the board, while others are appointed as advisers. There is only one standing member in the Board, who is its President. The Board is held accountable to Parliament through ministers attached to the Board, who are not necessarily members. Advisers to

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