Royal Humane Society, small silver medal (successful) (Eva Cecilia Buckworth, 3 April 1868) good fine £160-200

Extract of a letter from Rev. J. E. Buckworth - ‘On the 3rd of April, 1868, at about 4.30 p.m., Miss Blanche Rosa Buckworth fell into a pool surrounded by steep rocks, with one outlet and one inlet, in the river Emme. Miss Eva C. Buckworth jumped into the pool as soon as she saw her sister taken under water; she rose to the top, and her sister then pushed her on to a rock, near the outlet, where she clung; but in doing so turned over on her back, and could not right herself, and was all but drowned when the governess reached the spot’.

Letter from Dr A. Newsam - ‘When walking in the woods by the river on Friday, the 3rd of April, I was met by Miss Buckworth, who begged me to come to the assistance of her sister and Miss Sissons, who were both in the water. When I arrived at the place I found Miss Sissons supporting Miss C. Buckworth against a sloping rock, in a pool of water about six feet deep, her only means of supporting herself being by leaning with her back against one rock, and pressing her feet against one in front of her. Had it not been for Miss Sissons having at once risked herself in this way, Miss C. Buckworth must decidedly have been drowned long before any other assistance could have arrived’.

The R.H.S. Medal in silver was awarded to both Miss C. H. Sissons, Governess, for saving the life of Eva Cecilia Buckworth, aged 13 years, and to Eva Cecilia Buckworth for saving the life of her sister, Blanche Rosa Buckworth, aged 10 years. All the above resided at The Parsonage, Ivy Bridge, Devon. Ref. R.H.S. Case No. 18,108. Sold with copied extracts from the R.H.S.