The Jack Webb Collection of Medals and Militaria

Four: Private T. C. Barrett, 19th Middlesex (St. Giles’ and St. George’s Bloomsbury) Rifle Volunteers and City of London Imperial Volunteers, later 13th (County of London) Battalion (Princess Louise's Kensington Battalion), London Regiment, who whilst a twelve year old schoolboy was awarded the Royal Humane Society Medal in 1891

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Johannesburg (221 Pte. T. C. Barrett., C.I.V.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (492780 Pte. T. C. Barrett. 13-Lond. R.); Royal Humane Society, small bronze medal (successful) (Thomas Charles Barrett, 28th July 1891)with integral top riband buckle, mounted as worn, small edge bruise to last otherwise very fine or better (4) £280-£320

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Jack Webb Collection of Medals and Militaria.

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R.H.S. case no. 25521:
‘Thomas C. Barrett, schoolboy, at great personal risk, rescued Frederick Pursey from drowning in a pond at Hampstead, on the 28th July, 1891’

Thomas Charles Barrett enlisted into the 19th Middlesex (Bloomsbury Rifles) on 21 January 1898 and served with their detachment in South Africa during the Boer War with the Infantry Battalion of the City Imperial Volunteers.

Barrett subsequently served during the Great War as a Private in the 13th Battalion, London Regiment, later transferring to the Labour Corps (service number 578515), and for his services on the Western Front with 288th Company of the latter Corps was Mentioned in Despatches (London Gazette 10 July 1919).

Regarding Barrett’s earlier award of the R.H.S. Bronze medal, the Denbighshire Free Press reported the following on 12 September 1891:
‘At the end of July, a boy, four years old, named Pursey, was in danger of drowning at Hampstead in seven feet of water. The sequel may be gathered from Mr Cowtan’s speech, at a meeting in Islington, over which the Rev. T. Bulman presided. Mr Cowtan said: “Thomas Charles Barrett, though only twelve years old, you are a very brave boy. When you saved the life of little Frederick Pursey who was in great danger of drowning, in the bathing pond at Hampstead, on the 28th July last, by plunging into the pond partly dressed and rescuing him, you looked for no reward. Your action was a noble and unselfish one. But virtue often brings its own reward when least expected. The facts have been reported by me to the Royal Humane Society, that society has generously awarded you a bronze medal, a certificate and a sum of 20s. These I now have the pleasure of presenting to you”.’