Royal Humane Society, large silver medal (successful) (Joanni Thompson Armo., vit ob serv dono dat Soc. Reg. Hvm. 1837) good very fine £250-300

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Life Saving, Police and Fire Brigade Medals from the James N Spencer Collection.

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A 2nd type medal, the dies prepared by Benedetto Pistrucci (1794 - 1855), his name appearing in small letters in the obverse exergue.

Awarded to Lance-Corporal J. Thompson, 1st West India Regiment: ‘On Saturday, the 25th of June, Master John Trew, aged thirteen, son of Archdeacon Trew, whilst bathing in the harbour at Nassau, Bahamas, and learning to swim, under the direction of another boy less robust than himself, suddenly found himself sinking, and being obliged to relinquish hold of his companion, who was unable any longer to sustain the weight of Master Trew, was in danger of perishing himself. Master Trew, immediately on being cast off, after a brief struggle in the water, went down and speedily descended to the bottom. At this critical moment, Ensign Anderson, of H.M. 1st W.I. Regiment, who was in a row-boat at some distance from shore, observing a person struggling in the water and suddenly disappear, instantly pulled to the spot, when lance-corporal James Thompson (a black soldier) of his regiment, who was in the boat with him, having carefully kept his eye on the spot where the boy sank, on reaching it, saw his body at the bottom, and in a moment sprang overboard, dived, and brought him to the surface.’