Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Trumpet-Major William Bratby, 1st King’s Dragoon Guards, later ‘Queen’s Trumpeter’ and Scotland State Trumpeter

South Africa 1877-79, 1 clasp, 1879 (522. Tpt. Maj: W. Bratby. 1st Dragn. Gds.); Jubilee 1897, silver (Wm. Bratby, Queen’s Trumpeter. Late K.D.G.) naming privately impressed in neat small capitals; Army L.S. & G.C., V.R., 3rd issue, small letter reverse (522. Sgt. Tptr. W. Bratby. 1st Dn. Gds.) each fitted with individual ornately floral engraved silver ribbon brooch as worn, light contact marks, otherwise good very fine (3) £1,500-£2,000

William Bratby was born in May 1847 at Piershill, Edinburgh, and attested for the 1st Dragoon Guards at Canterbury on 12 November 1862, aged 15 years 6 months, ‘for the purpose of being trained as a Trumpeter or Musician’. He was promoted Trumpeter in January 1864, and appointed Trumpet Major in May 1877, continuing in that rank until his discharge at Gosport on 15 January 1884. He served abroad in South Africa from 27 February 1879 to 5 March 1881, and in India from 27 February 1882 to 27 December 1883, the remainder at home. His discharge papers confirm ‘South African 1879. Medal for Long Service & Good Conduct. He married Margaret Graham on 15 March 1877. The Census of 1891 shows him living in Edinburgh employed as a servator at Edinburgh University, and in the 1901 Census, still living in Edinburgh, employed as a ‘State Musician’.

The following newspaper announcement appeared following his death:
‘Death of a State Trumpeter for Scotland. Mr. William Bratby, one of the State Trumpeters for Scotland, has died at his residence in Marchmont Crescent, Edinburgh. Previous to coming to Edinburgh Mr. Bratby was trumpet major of the 1st King’s Dragoon Guards. He was present at the Zulu War in 1879, and also at the first Boer War in 1881. In the beginning of 1892 he was appointed a State Trumpeter for Scotland. For twenty-eight years he acted as a servitor in Edinburgh University.’

Sold with the following related family medals:
British War Medal 1914-20 (Ply. 10242 Pte. W. Bratby. R.M.L.I.); Victory Medal 1914-19 (7828 Pte. J. Thomson. K.O. Sco. Bord.) extremely fine