Orders, Decorations and Medals

Seven: David Allan, House Carpenter under Queen Victoria, Travelling Tapissier to King George V, and afterwards Tapissier to Queen Mary at Marlborough House, the first recipient of a Bar for ‘Fifty Years’ service

Royal Household Faithful Service Medal, G.V.R., suspension dated ‘1893 1913’, 3 Bars, Thirty Years, Forty Years, Fifty Years (David Allan); Royal Victorian Medal, Silver, G.V.R.; Jubilee 1897, bronze; Coronation 1902, bronze; Coronation 1911; Jubilee 1935; Coronation 1937, mounted court style, nearly extremely fine (7) £500-600

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Long Service Medals from the Collection formed by John Tamplin.

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David Allan was born in 1867, the son of a cabinet maker. He entered the service of Queen Victoria as House Carpenter on 23 April 1891, aged 24. He was appointed Travelling Tapissier on 1 October 1910, and served as such until he was pensioned from the service of the late King George V on 20 July 1936. He then joined Queen Mary’s Household Staff at Marlborough House as Tapissier.

Allan was awarded the Long and Faithful service Medal on 23 January 1913, qualifying for the medal by counting his service with King George V prior to his accession when Duke of Cornwall and York and Prince of Wales. He was subsequently awarded three Bars to that medal in 1923, 1933, and 1943 for his 30, 40 and 50 years’ service. He was in fact the first recipient of a 50-year Bar. He was awarded the Royal Victorian Medal in Silver on 3 June 1929. After more than 53 years service with the Royal Household, David Allan died on 24 September 1944, at St James’s Hospital in Balham, aged 77. Sold with original forwarding letter for his Fifty Years Bar and some research.