Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

British South Africa Company Medal 1890-97, reverse Matabeleland 1893 (Trmpr. W. Doveton. Salisbury Horse) brilliant extremely fine £600-700

Walesbey Taylor Doveton was born in Capetown on 9 February 1873. He served in the British South Africa Company's Police as a Trooper in “A” Troop with the Pioneer Column into Mashonalnd in 1890 and was subsequently discharged in September 1891. He afterwards served as a Trumpeter in the Salisbury Horse during the Matabele war of 1893. He died on or about 29 March 1896, ‘murdered by natives between M’duba and Elebeni,’ near Inyati in Matabeleland. The 1896 insurrection in Rhodesia commenced on 25 March and the survivors at Inyati were rescued on 29 March by Major Grey of Grey’s Scouts. He was a nephew of Admiral of the Fleet Sir Frederick Doveton Sturdee and of the author Sir Henry Ryder Haggard. Sold with detailed research including a copied portrait photograph of Doveton as a young child and a copy of The Dovetons of St. Helena, privately printed, Cape Town, 1973.