(With Original Named Description Certificate of Issue)
LIVERPOOL SHIPWRECK & HUMANE SOCIETY
Underwriters Room, Exchange Building, Liverpool.11th June 1896,
[CITATION]
“It was Resolved unanimously, .....that the thanks of the committee be presented (with a silver medal) to Police Constable 158B Frederick W. Baxter, for having assisted in saving life at a house on fire in Lowndes Street, on the early morning of 24th ultimo, when six persons were rescued by the united efforts of Mr Baxter and four others.
[DETAILS of INCIDENT] -Weekly Mercury- (May 30th 1896)
“PARAFFIN LAMP FATALITY” —A CONSTABLE’S BRAVERY—
“At the Liverpool Coroner’s Court on Tuesday, an inquiry was held touching the death of Thomas Oliver, aged 11 years, the son of James Oliver, a French Polisher, residing in Lowndes Street.
On Saturday night the deceased was put to bed with two other children, at nine o’clock, and at two o’clock in the morning his father was going upstairs, when a draught caught the flame of the paraffin lamp, which he carried, and an explosion seemed imminent.
No sooner had he placed the lamp on the staircase than the glass reservoir burst and set fire to the house.
Oliver did his utmost to extinguish the flames and while so occupied, Police-constable 158B (F.W.BAXTER) entered the house and saw a woman standing at the top of the burning staircase with a child in her arms. Hearing from her that there were three children in the back room, he boldly dashed upstairs, and returned carrying all of them in his arms. Unfortunately he happened to stumble, and the children all sustained burns, those of the boy Thomas being of a serious nature. The constable was also injured about the hands & face.
The children were taken to the Northern Hospital, where the boy died from his injuries soon after admission. The jury returned a verdict of “Accidental Death” commending strongly the bravery of the constable. The Coroner endorsed their expression of approval, and remarked that Baxter’s conduct had already formed the subject of a report to headquarters”.
[FATAL FIRE IN LIVERPOOL] -Liverpool Echo- (May 1896)
Yesterday morning, shortly after two o’clock, fire broke out in the dwelling house 11, Lowndes Street, Fairclough Lane, occupied by a family named Oliver. The fire was caused through the accidental upsetting of a paraffin lamp upon the stairs. By the time the Fire Brigade got to the place the wooden stairs were burning somewhat briskly, and in rescuing the children one of them got so badly burned that death took place during the course of the day.
[SUMMARY]
This is a particularly pleasing example of the scarce fire award with the vast majority of LS&HS awards being for acts of gallantry associated with rescues from water.
The obverse design of the medal coincidentally portrays the exact act of bravery undertaken by Police Constable Fred Baxter when he rescued three of four children from the upper rooms of the blazing house of James & Agnes Oliver at 11 Lowndes Street, Fairclough Lane, Stoneycroft, Liverpool.
The children’s parents and particularly the father James Oliver must have been severely traumatised over the loss of their 11 year old son Thomas and of the burn injuries sustained by their other children. As we can clearly see from the local census records, as an itinerant French polisher, James Oliver & his family were regularly moving home in the Liverpool area and continued to add more offspring to the family over the years after the fire.
Also, the original LS&HS award certificate has survived with the medal which in our experience with a fire medal is a practically unique situation. In almost 45 years of experience with this issue we’ve never at any time seen another fire medal with its original surviving named certificate.
The medal is in superb EF+ uncleaned condition with lovely time developed colour & on its original crimson ribbon & silver claw buckle. Housed in its original leather, velvet & satin crested case.
An Appealing and Sleepy Old Gem which will be of immense interest to collectors of Liverpudliana or outstanding Police gallantry & life saving medals.
BUYING ALL SIMILAR FIRE RESCUE AWARDS