Royal National Lifeboat Institution, V.R., silver (Miss Alice Bell Le Geyt, Voted 1st...

Royal National Lifeboat Institution, V.R., silver (Miss Alice Bell Le Geyt, Voted 1st September 1864.) with uniface double-dolphin suspension, nearly extremely fine £1,600-£2,000 --- Alice Bell Le Geyt was born at St Helier, Jersey, in 1839, the daughter of Charles William Le Geyt, an Assistant Inspector of Militia. Whilst on holiday at Lyme Regis in August 1864, she rescued two boys who had fallen off the Cobb pier into the sea, for which services she was awarded the Royal National Lifeboat Institution’s Silver Medal. The Western Daily Press gives the following account: ‘Miss Le Geyt had been a visitor at Lyme Regis for some few weeks, and on the day in question [4 August 1864] was out rowing in a small boat company with a lady friend. The two lads were out playing at the extremity of the outer Cobb pier, and, by some means, unfortunately fell into the sea. Upon seeing the accident Miss Le Geyt immediately rowed at much risk through the broken water to their rescue, and throwing an oar one of the boys, and holding the other lad in her arms, until further assistance came, she fortunately was the means of saving them both from a watery grave’. (Western Daily Press, 2 September 1864 refers) In later life Miss Le Geyt was a prominent suffragist whose services in the cause of women’s suffrage are recorded in ‘The Women’s Suffrage Movement’ by Elizabeth Crawford. She never married and died in 1934. Sold with copied research, including her articles in the Lady’s Own newspaper; and a photographic image of Miss Le Geyt.