Orders, Decorations and Medals

A rare Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society Marine Medal in Gold with Second Award Clasp awarded to Captain William Hyslop Thompson

Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society, Marine Medal, 3rd type, gold (Capt. Wm. Hyslop Thompson, S.S. England for rescuing Crew & Passengers of Middlesex & St. Germain, Sept. 1876) with Second Award clasp, Barque Kwasind, Nov. 15. 1877, with gold buckle on ribbon, nearly extremely fine £2500-3000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Collection of Life Saving Awards formed by The Late W.H. Fevyer.

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Collection

Ex Dawson Collection; ref. Spink Exhibition 1985, No. 124.

Extracts from the Society’s Annual Reports:

‘Gold Medal to Captain W. H. Thompson, S.S. England, for a double rescue. First for his humanity in having rescued nine of the crew of the American schooner Middlesex which was abandoned in a gale in the Atlantic on 19th September 1876. Second, three days later, when he fell in with the French steamer St. Germain, in distress with loss of rudder. Having transferred her passengers to the England, Captain Thompson took the St. Germain in tow and skillfully guided her into the port of St. John’s, Newfoundland, and thus had the satisfaction of preserving the crew and many passengers from probable shipwreck’.

‘A Gold Clasp to his medal, and a Vote of Thanks, to Captain W. H. Thompson of the S.S. England, for having rescued the crew of the barque Kwasind, abandoned in a gale of wind in the Atlantic, on the 15th November 1877’.

A total of 66 Gold Medals and just 7 Gold Clasps have been awarded by the Society.