James Lent Martin was awarded this medal, issued by the maritime insurers Lloyd's, for his part in the rescue of the crew of the American clipper Patrician on 28 August 1896. He was the quartermaster of the ss Fifeshire that rescued the crew of the Patrician which was carrying a load of coal from Newcastle to Lyttelton and was foundering in heavy seas. See news reports of the wreck in The Otago Daily Times 3 September 1896 http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=ODT18960903.2.14&srpos=2&e=28-08-1896-12-09-1896--10-ODT-1----0Patrician--  and presentations made to the rescuers in the Otago Daily Times on 12 September 1896. http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=ODT18960912.2.9&srpos=1&e=12-09-1896-12-09-1896--10-ODT-1----0bravery-- 
According to the Fitzwilliam Museum "the Lloyd's Medal was instituted in 1839 as one of a number of public rewards and benefactions regularly made by the renowned maritime insurers. This one was awarded to those who saved, or attempted to save, the lives of others in shipwrecks, and who would take no monetary reward for so doing." http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/explorer/index.php?oid=156621