Auction Catalogue

22 September 2006

Starting at 11:30 AM

.

Orders, Decorations and Medals

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

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Lot

№ 1043

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22 September 2006

Hammer Price:
£1,700

The K.C.V.O. group of ten awarded to Sir Nevile Rodwell Wilkinson, the last Ulster King of Arms and Registrar of the Order of St. Patrick

The Royal Victorian Order, K.C.V.O., Knight Commander’s set of insignia, neck badge, silver-gilt and enamel; breast star, silver, silver-gilt and enamel, both officially numbered, ‘295’, in numbered Collingwood, London case of issue; The Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Knight of Grace set of insignia, neck badge and breast star, silver and enamel, in Spink, London case; Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 4 clasps, Belmont, Modder River, Driefontein, South Africa 1902 (Major, Coldstm. Gds.), last clasp a copy; 1914-15 Star (Capt., C. Gds.); British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf (Major); Coronation 1911; Jubilee 1935; Coronation 1937; Belgium, Order of Leopold, 5th Class with swords, silver, silver-gilt and enamel, medals mounted as worn, good very fine and better (12) £1400-1800

Nevile Rodwell Wilkinson was born on 26 October 1869, the son of Colonel Josiah Wilkinson. Educated at Harrow and Sandhurst, he was gazetted into the Coldstream Guards in 1890. Promoted to Captain in 1896, he served in the Boer War in 1899-1900, when he was invalided home due to sickness, and then again later in 1902. He served in the advance on Kimberley, including actions at Belmont, Enslin, Modder River and Magersfontein; operations in the Orange Free State, February-May 1900, including the action at Driefontein.

Between the wars, Wilkinson’s interests turned ever more strongly to the decorative arts and to the art and lore of heraldry in particular. To further this interest he entered the National Art Training School (later the Royal College of Art), South Kensington. From his earliest days as a practicing artist he took a great interest in working in miniature, and as early as 1907 he conceived of a grand model palace for ‘Titania Queen of the Fairies’ on the scale of 1 inch to foot. In addition, so expert did he become in the field of heraldry, that in 1907 he was able to resign his commission in the Guards (he had attained the rank of Captain) and in 1908 was able to take up the post of Ulster King of Arms and Registrar of the Order of St. Patrick.

On the outbreak of war, Wilkinson rejoined the Army in the Reserve of Officers and served on the Staff firstly in France and then in Macedonia. For his services he received the brevet of Major, was mentioned in despatches (
London Gazette 13 July 1916) and was awarded the Belgian Order of Leopold 5th Class. He was the creator and architect of ‘Titania’s Palace’, a model 16-roomed house that was opened by Queen Mary in 1923 and exhibited to worldwide acclaim. Wilkinson continued his career as a decorative craftsman, and a collective exhibition of his works was held at the galleries of the Fine Arts Society in 1937. He wrote several books, including: Wilton House Pictures, Wilton House Guide, Yvette in Italy, Grey Fairy, Yvette in Venice, Yvette in Switzerland, Yvette in the U.S.A., The Guards Chapel 1838-1938 and To all and Singular. [a copy of the last, signed by the author, is included with this lot]. For his services to the art world, he was awarded the C.V.O. in 1911 and K.C.V.O. in 1921. He died in Dublin on 22 December 1940.