Auction Catalogue

19 September 2003

Starting at 11:00 AM

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Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria. To coincide with the OMRS Convention

Grand Connaught Rooms  61 - 65 Great Queen St  London  WC2B 5DA

Lot

№ 67

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19 September 2003

Hammer Price:
£480

The Aro campaign medals awarded to Mr E. A. S. Gray, Political Officer and District Commissioner of Police in Southern Nigeria

Africa General Service 1902-56
, 1 clasp, Aro 1901-1902 (Dis. Commr. E. A. S. Gray, Aro F.F.) officially engraved naming; together with a second identical medal (Dist. Commr. E. A. S. Gray, Niger Police P.S.) officially impressed naming, both medals with low relief bust, good very fine and a scarce double issue (2) £500-600

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Awards to Civilians from the Collection of John Tamplin.

View Awards to Civilians from the Collection of John Tamplin

View
Collection

Ernest Aveling Simpson Gray (sometimes Simpson-Gray) was born on 19 June 1870, at Blandford, Dorset, the fifth son of Benjamin Gray, a Congregational Minister. He was educated at Silcoates School, near Wakefield, at University College, London, and a Magdalen College, Oxford, from where he matriculated on 14 October 1889. He was a Demy of 1889, and gained his B.A. in 1892.

Gray joined the Civil Service in Southern Nigeria, being appointed an Assistant District Commissioner on the Niger Coast Protectorate in September 1899. During some of his several periods of leave Gray entered as a student at Lincoln’s Inn in 1901, and passed his Bar Final in 1904. In the intervening period he took part as Political Officer in the Aro Expedition during November 1901 to March 1902, for which he received two medals, his name no doubt appearing in error on the Civil list and on the Police list of those entitled. He continued to serve in Nigeria on various postings as District Commissioner and was promoted to Senior District Commissioner in May 1906. During 1907 and 1908, he was Acting Assistant Provincial Commissioner and Provincial Secretary in the Eastern Province on four occasions. Gray went on leave in January 1910 for the last time and retired with a pension on 22 September 1910. Sold with full research.