Folkestone, Hythe and Sandgate Medal, silver, reverse inscribed (Folkestone, Hythe and Sandgate to Edward Mee, 11th November 1891, “He bravely did his duty”), fitted with scroll suspension, in case by J. Terry, Brighton, good very fine, scarce £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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In a violent gale which swept the coasts of Kent and Sussex on 11 November 1891, the French schooner, Eider, was driven against the seawall at Seabrook, near Hythe and the iron sailing ship, Benvenue, en-route from London to Sydney, ran aground off Sandgate. Coastguardmen from Hythe were able to rescue four from the Eider as she began to break up. A valiant attempt to reach the Benvenue, by the Sandgate lifeboat was unsuccessful, the lifeboat being overturned in the surf and one man killed. Attempts to reach the wreck by rocket apparatus were similarly unsuccessful. The Dover lifeboat was with difficulty launched and headed for the scene but in the meantime a scratch crew of coastguardmen and fishermen from Folkestone and the surrounding area was gathered together and were able to launch a lifeboat. In heavy seas and with great difficulty the wreck was reached and the rescue was accomplished. The lifeboat returned to Folkestone to be greeted by a large crowd.

Sir Edward Watkin, a director of the South Eastern Railway, made monetary awards to the rescuers and decided that a medal should also be awarded. His wife undertook the design of the medal, the dies of which were prepared by Sir Alfred Gilbert (1854 - 1934), the renowned sculptor of ‘Eros’ in Piccadilly Circus. The medals were manufactured by Heming & Co, London. The medals were presented on 1 January 1892 by the Mayor, Mr S. Penfold, who opened his speech with the words, ‘The very pleasing duty now devolves upon me of distributing the medals which have been so kindly given by Sir Edward Watkin, to those brave men who, on 11th November, gallantly went out in the lifeboat, at different periods of the day, for the purpose of rescuing men in danger of their lives.’

34 men were presented with a medal, these named in the Folkestone Herald of 2 January 1891. Amongst those listed is a ‘Joseph Mee’. In the Folkestone Herald of 28 November 1891 are 15 names who may well be the men who made the final successful rescue; amongst these is an ‘Edward Mee’. The two ‘Mee’s’ are likely to be one and the same man.

See ‘The Folkestone, Hythe and Sandgate Medal’ by George Callaghan & John Wilson, L.S.A.R.S. Journal 46, p3 -17 and a letter, L.S.A.R.S. Journal 47, p.87.