Cpl John. Taylor Royal Marine

[Whitehorse]

I should be grateful if anyone could clarify a few points concerning a letter sent from Crimea in 1855 and published in a local paper. The letter dated 2 July 1855 was from Corporal John Taylor at Royal Marine Camp, Heights, Balaclava, to his family at Corsley, Wiltshire. He was born about 1821.
The letter states that on a recent parade he was called to the front and given a medal with a blue stripe with white edge together with £10 for “distinguishing service in the field.”

He was discharged from HMS Albion in early 1856 and sent to Woolwich. In 1861 he was a private (RM) on HMS Crocodile moored near the Tower of London. He married a Wiltshire woman the same year. In subsequent censuses he was variously described as: Greenwich/Naval Pensioner or Retired Custom House Officer.

My questions are:
The medal ribbon colours differ from the usual Crimean Medal - was this a separate medal from the Crimean medal?
I have not found in searches any mention of a £10 bounty - can anyone throw any light on this?
When serving on Crocodile his rank was ‘private’ - was he re-employed in a lower grade having earned a pension? He was in the marines when the 1841 census was taken.

[keith9351]

Could it be the Naval Long Service and Good Conduct Medal?

Eligibility

Any other rank, rating or marine who had completed fifteen years of reckonable service and who held three good conduct badges, became eligible to receive the medal. Since there were a number of offences which would normally preclude the award of the medal, awards were only made after a thorough check of a sailor's service record. The award of the medal required the recommendation of the individual's commanding officer and it could therefore only be awarded to serving personnel. Along with the medal, a recipient was paid a gratuity.

Keith

[Whitehorse]

Thank you Keith - you have nailed it. The colour or the medal as described by JT matches images of the NGC&LS medal online.