Stanhope Medal
Stanhope Medal | |
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![]() Old toe-claw medal mount style, later replaced with ornamental style mount. | |
Awarded for | The most courageous and heroic rescue made in the previous year |
Sponsored by | Royal Humane Society |
First awarded | 1873 |
The Stanhope Medal or Stanhope Gold Medal is an international award given annually by the United Kingdom's Royal Humane Society for the most courageous and heroic rescue that was made in the previous year. It is named in memory of British Royal Navy officer Chandos Scudamore Scudamore Stanhope, who performed several life-saving events during his lifetime.
Background
The "Stanhope Medal" is named after British
Stanhope received a
Description
The Royal Humane Society issues the Stanhope Medal as the highest of several heroism awards. The award is presented annually for the most gallant rescue of the previous twelve months. The first gold medal was awarded to Matthew Webb for an attempt to rescue a man drowning in the Atlantic Ocean in 1873.[8][9] From 1962, several societies began nominating rescues for the award, including the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society and the Humane Societies in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.[10][11] In five years—1959, 1960, 1961, 1969, and 1973—[12] no medal was awarded as no rescue was deemed sufficiently worthy during the previous 12 months,[13] while on three occasions—2001, 2002 and 2019— the standard for the award was met by two nominees and both received the medal. There have been two posthumous awards, in 1956 and in 2018.[12]
The obverse shows a boy blowing at an extinguished torch[14] with the inscription Lateat Scintillvia Forsan, which means "a small spark may perhaps lie hid", the motto of the Royal Humane Society.[9] The reverse has a wreath and a suitable inscription.[14] The medal was suspended from a distinctive plaque-shaped bar, embossed with the date of award and the words STANHOPE MEDAL until about 1936, when this was replaced with ornamental style suspender. Originally of 18-carat gold, this was changed to 9-carat in 1942.[11] Apart from the metal, the medal is now identical to the Royal Humane Society's bronze and silver awards.[10][11]
Although not an official award, the medal can be worn on the right chest in uniform by members of the British armed forces.[15]
Notable recipients
The standard for the award of the Stanhope Gold Medal has been met by the following notable recipients for the years designated.[12]
- Captain Matthew Webb(1873)
- Robert Archibald James Montgomerie (1877)
- Edmund Fremantle (1880)
- Willoughby Baynes Huddleston (1891)
- Wilfred Tomkinson (1913)
- Evelyn Irons (1935) – first woman recipient
- Richard Stanton(2019)
- John Volanthen (2019)
References
- ^ a b O’Byrne 2012, p. 1108.
- ^ .
- .
- Sydney Morning Herald. New South Wales, Australia. February 21, 1868.
- ^ United Service Gazette (February 21, 1868). "An Ironclad In A Cyclone". Sydney Morning Herald. New South Wales, Australia.
- ^ Allen, Joseph; Haultain, Charles (1855). The New navy list, compiled by C. Haultain [and] (J. Allen).
- ^ Johnson 1921, p. 268.
- doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/28927. (Subscription or UK public library membershiprequired.)
- ^ a b public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Humane Society, Royal". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 13 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 871–872. One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the
- ^ a b "Awards of the Royal Humane Society". Royal Humane Society history. Royal Humane Society. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
- ^ a b c Fevyer 2013, p. 3.
- ^ a b c "Awardees of the Stanhope Gold Medal". Royal Humane Society history. Royal Humane Society. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
- ^ Duckers 2013, p. 109.
- ^ a b Dorling 1956, p. 131.
- ^ Dorling 1956, p. 14.
Sources
- Dorling, Captain H. Taprell. (1956). Ribbons and Medals. London: OCLC 930416375.
- Duckers, Peter (2013). British Military Medals. ISBN 978-1-47382-983-1.
- Fevyer, W.H. (2013). Acts of Gallantry - Volume 3. Naval & Military Press. ISBN 978-1-78150-317-1.
- Johnson, Stanley Currie (1921). The medal collector; a guide to naval, military, air- force and civil medals and ribbons. London: ISBN 978-0-34280-314-9.
- O’Byrne, William R. (6 February 2012). A Naval Biographical Dictionary – Volume 3. Luton: Andrews UK Limited. ISBN 978-1-78150-281-5.