Beschreibung:

Long Service. A small collection of medals, documents and photographs relating to various members of the West Family, who during the early stages of the 19th century patented the "Wests Geometrical Press" which was capable of providing a final pressure of 1200 tons for pressing and finishing cotton bales. Indian Volunteer Forces Officers’ Decoration, G.V.R., reverse engraved ‘Lt. L.C. West, 2/M&So. Mah.Ry.Rif.A.F.I.’, with integral top riband buckle, Volunteer Long Service & G.C. G.V.R. (Lt. L.C. West, 2/32/Madras & S.M.Ry.Rfls. I.D.F.), good very fine, together with three silver shooting medals including one to the regiment presented by The Early of Reading Viceroy of India, 50mm diameter, fine silver Rifle Association spoons, two bronze medals for the Napier Memorial Shield circa 1924/25, eleven photograph albums circa 1906-30s, many taken in India and captioned, family, topographical, hunting, military and holiday photographs plus a folder of copied research relating to various member of the family. A well-researched archive focusing on various members of the West Family who it would appear were significant throughout the 19th century both for their innovation to the Cotton Press Industry in India and with the recipient of Leonard West being the last member of the family residing in Exeter, Devon. Leonard West (1875-1953), was born in Hampstead, Middlesex and for his early years was in the Infant Orphan Asylum at Wanstead which was exclusively for middleclass fatherless infants under the age of seven, West went on to serve with the Army in India and met Elinor Rowe and fathered Sylvie Hazel Petunia Nora West (1909-70) who was born in Hubli, Bombay. (a carton)