Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria, to include the Brian Ritchie Collection (Part III)

The group of eight miniature dress medals named to Page of the Presence, Mr W. Dowsett, Royal Household, Jubilee 1887, bronze; Coronation 1902, bronze; Coronation 1911, silver; Royal Household Faithful Service Medal, G.V.R., ‘1910-1930’ (W. Dowsett); Denmark, King’s Medal of Recompense, Christian X, silver; Portugal, Coronation Medal 1889, silver-gilt; Spain, Order of Naval Merit, 5th class, silver; Serbia, Royal Household Medal, silver, good very fine and better (8) £100-140

William Dowsett joined Queen Victoria’s Household at Osborne as a Footman. In September 1895 Dowsett played a conspicuous part in averting a serious fire at Buckingham Palace. On the eve of the wedding of Princess Maud, the young Princess Alice was in her bedroom, when the curtains at her window caught fire, having been blown on to the flame of a candle. In response to Princess Alice’s call for help, Mr Dowsett, who was on duty in the nearby corridor, rushed in, tore the blazing curtains from their poles and threw them into the courtyard below. He then doused the fire, which had caught hold of the woodwork, with basins full of water until the fire was extinguished. For his services in that emergency William Dowsett was awarded the Royal Victorian Medal in Bronze and was the first recipient of that medal (August 1896) and one of the few awarded that medal for bravery. He was in addition awarded the sum of £5.5s.0d. Sold with a copied cutting from the Windsor and Eton Express, 20 April 1934, detailing the career of Mr Dowsing and his retirement after 42 years service in the Royal Household.