Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

‘Today’ Gallantry Fund Medal, silver, 38 mm, the reverse inscribed (James Rowley, Decr. 15. 1894) in fitted case of issue, good very fine and very rare £200-£300

Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, September 1998.

The following report was published in the 10th November 1894 issue of Today, written by the editor Jerome K. Jerome, author of Three Men in a Boat and other popular titles:

‘I am sending three guineas from the Gallantry Fund (and a medal will follow) to James Rowley, an employee at Mr Whiteley’s, who was instrumental, a little while ago, in saving four lives at Sheerness. Mr Rowley is an expert swimmer, but he had to plunge into deep water with all his clothes on, and to rescue four struggling people - two lads and both their parents - none of whom could swim, and who were naturally in a state of mortal terror. The fear was that he would become exhausted before he could possibly land the whole of them, or that they in their frantic efforts would pull him down; but the gallant fellow seems never to have thought of that, and to have stuck to his task till everyone was safe on shore.’

A letter from the un-named father of the family praising Rowley’s heroics appeared in the 8th September 1894 West London Observer under the headline - ‘Gallant rescue from drowning.’

‘Being on a visit to Sheerness, I took my wife and seven children onto the beach near the War Department fortifications on Friday last, to give my two sons James aged 12 and Edward aged 11 a bathe. They both undressed and got into the water. James got over the breakwater and suddenly found himself in deep water. Edward seeing him struggling went to his assistance, but he was soon placed in the same position. I at once went out to try and save my boys, but being unable to swim and not knowing of this sudden depth of water, was like them struggling in the water for my life. My wife, who was by this time frantic, left the other children on the shore and rushed into the water to try and help us, but like us also getting into deep water, was like ourselves in danger. Mr James Rowley, an artist and expert swimmer of No. 6 Saunders Road, Notting Hill, also on a visit to Sheerness, seeing us all struggling in the water, took off his coat and swam towards us. He succeeded in getting us all to shore, where willing hands were ready to receive and assist my unconscious wife. We were all taken home and medically attended to, but my wife is now in a critical condition. Now, if bravery ever deserved to be recognised by the Royal Humane Society, I consider that shown by Mr James Rowley ought not to pass by unnoticed.’

Rowley’s case was considered by the Royal Humane Society, who awarded him a ‘Testimonial on vellum.’ Besides the silver medal the Today newspaper also awarded him the sum of 3 guineas. The actual date of the gallant act was the 31st August 1894, so the date engraved on the medal must be the date of award or sanction.

Sold with additional research (on paper and CD) making the case for the recipient to be (Albert) James Rowley, later an important figure in the Arts and Crafts Movement. However, his father was also named James and was by profession an ecclesiastical carver and muralist. When interviewed by the press after his heroics at Sheerness in 1894, he described himself as an ‘Artist’, a profession which could apply to either man, as A. J. Rowley, who set up the Rowley Gallery in 1898, always certainly considered himself to be an artist.