H.M.S. Asia Long Service medal - Henry Mears, Stoker

Description

A long service medal awarded to Henry Mears, a Stoker on the H.M.S. Asia. Excellent condition. See pictures.
The HMS Asia entered service in 1764. She participated in the American Revolutionary war (1774) and the French Rebellion. See Wikipedia for history. I welcome requests for more pictures and questions.
American Revolutionary War
[
edit
]
Asia
saw early service in the American Revolutionary War, as a transport vessel for 500
Royal Marines
sent to
New York City
in 1774 to quell rising tensions among the local population. She arrived in
New York Harbour
on 4 December and remained there until later in the month when she joined a flotilla commanded by Admiral
Richard Howe
.
[2]
But on 1 January, 1775 she's part of V. Admiral Graves' North American Squadron, listed under command of Cpt. Geo Vanderput.
[3]
Returning to New York Harbor,
Asia
supplied protection for the merchant ship
Duchess of Gordon
, which Royal governor
William Tryon
had established as an ad hoc office in October 1775. He feared arrest by the rebels if he remained in the city.
[4]
Asia
was the ship on which Tryon and Loyalist Mayor
David Mathews
devised a plot to assassinate
George Washington
.
Thomas Hickey
, one of Washington's
Life Guard
, was executed for this plot.
[5]
She was present at the
Battle of Brooklyn
in August 1776, and later survived a
fire ship
attack led by American revolutionary
Silas Talbot
. The fire ship did foul
Asia
and set fire to her, but the crew, aided by men from other nearby vessels, were able to extinguish the flames.
[6]
In 1778-89 she escorted some
East Indiamen
to India.
French Revolutionary Wars
[
edit
]
Asia
was recommissioned in May 1793 under Captain John Brown and on 26 December he sailed her to the West Indies to join
Admiral Sir John Jervis
.
[7]
Capture of Fort Saint Louis, Martinique, 1794, with
Asia
in the background, and
Zebra
in the foreground; depicted by
William Anderson